I’ve received a bunch of comment requests for an update on how we’re doing when it comes to finding the ever-elusive work/life balance that we’ve publicly proclaimed that we want to get a handle on this year (we never aspired to work nights, weekends, and even on vacation – and we only have ourselves to blame).
So we thought it was a fun subject to tackle while we’re working away on the front porch (can’t wait to share an update for you guys tomorrow!). The scallops are a-tumbling down and the columns are getting boxed in.
But back to the whole work/life balance battle. The first step in the not-working-every-second-of-every-day thing for us was definitely acknowledging the problem (it has definitely been harder for us to shut things off now that both of our jobs revolve around a 24/7 internet, and our laptops are only a room or two away). Then we just started chatting about it to the world at large (nothing lights a fire under your butt like a public proclamation). So we mentioned it here, here, and even here in this BBC video:
And now that we’ve been working on it for the last four months or so, with some noticeable progress, I thought I’d share a few things that seem to be helping us get more done in less time (we still have a ways to go considering that we still work three weekends out of four, but we’re moving in the right direction).
- Writing out a specific list of things that need to be accomplished and circling the top five priorities, then working towards completing those first. Prioritizing is helpful to me because it I can resist the urge to check smaller things off the list since they’re easier, which isn’t efficient if the bigger tasks are more important or time sensitive (I’m just stalling if I’m putting small easy things in front of the big important things that have to be done anyway).
- Being satisfied when we each complete the five most important items of the day on our list. It usually takes us all day to get to that point thanks to switching off on caring for Clara, but once we finish them we have to resist the urge to add five more things to the list and work until 1am. Instead we’re trying to be satisfied and allow ourselves some non-work time in the evening when we can. It feels weird to cut ourselves off – but it’s so good for us to step. away. from. the. laptop.
- Cutting down on inbox clutter. John and I receive about 200 emails a day (it’s a pretty even split since we divide and conquer when it comes to managing ads, giveaways, and inquiries in general) but I noticed that around 30% of those emails are junk mail, so I took ten minutes one morning to unsubscribe to those daily offenders. Turns out it’s a lot nicer to wake up to emails in the double digits (even if there are 72 in my inbox by 8am) than triple digits (ex: 145 the first time I check my email) – so I’ll take it. We’ve also been using the canned message function in gmail to help us handle certain emails more efficiently (sure beats writing up the same info every time).
- Stepping down to seven posts a week instead of eight. This has actually really helped since we implemented it after mentioning it here. Even though it doesn’t sound like it should make much of a difference (it’s just one less post a week), it adds up to 52 fewer posts a year – which means that now one week night or even a whole Saturday may get to be spent doing something fun as a family instead of scrambling to maintain our old eight-posts-in-five-days pace.
- Being realistic. This year one of our resolutions is to remember that we’re only two people. Two highly dedicated folks who love what we do, but two people who can’t do the work of ten people, no matter how hard we try. So we just have to do our best and accept that projects could always be bigger and posts could always have more pictures but we can’t beat ourselves up about doing things as thoroughly as we can manage and then pressing “publish.” Especially when we’re churning out around 30 posts a month (which means that noodling one project or post too much can actually rob time from other things on the agenda).
And while John and I are very much a work in progress on this subject, my friends and relatives are all much smarter than we are (most of them work regular hours and spend every night, weekend, and vacation without being connected to a computer). Can you imagine?! It’s the most romantic notion, and we’re desperate to get in on that action someday. So I decided to text them all one simple question and see if they had any advice. The question? “How do you work smarter, and not harder?” Here’s what they all had to say:
Emily, a senior booking agent, mother of three (and John’s sister) says: Realistically I work smarter by asking for help and having a support network of friends. I literally spend hours in a car shuttling kids and can’t be in more than one place. So a very organized network of carpoolers is my lifeline. I realize and accept that there’s no possible way for me to do it alone. I also work smarter by having my older kids (ages 12 and 14) do their own laundry and put it away. They make their own lunches too. That old saying “don’t do for your kids what they can do for themselves” definitely contributes to our household running more smoothly.
Cat, a mother of two says: I put things away as I find them. Everything has its place. I designate a time each day to take a laundry basket and carry it floor to floor to put things away. I like to give myself a deadline like ten minutes to see how much I can get done. I read something once that said “Where does a fork go in your house? In the utensil holder in the utensil drawer in the kitchen. Make everything a fork. Everything needs a spot.” It really resonated with me. Oh and I don’t do auto pay on any bills because I like to look them over and make sure I’m not getting hosed, but I pay them immediately upon receipt. I’ve often found overages I would’ve missed if I signed up for auto-pay that way.
Roo, a mother of three and humor blogger says: I use canned responses in Gmail along with a lot of helpful labs in Gmail. And I like the send + archive button (here’s a post with more of her tips).
Noah, an artist, author, and brand new father says: I try to maintain inbox zero as a way to not let email be my to-do list. So I immediately respond to short emails, especially at the start and end of my workday. I think of it as hitting the tennis ball back across the net, “pok, your turn.” Sometimes I’ll quit my email program or cover the notification bar during the middle of my work day when I don’t want to be distracted. I also unsubscribe from mailing lists and have an auto response for messages that only need a stock response. I also separate personal and work email so I’m not distracted by the other when I’m at/away from work.
Katie, a blogger and mother of two says: For blogging, I think batch editing, grouping like projects together (spray painting ten things instead of just one), and writing out a post to-do list helps. I also like to upload all of the photos for five different posts in one day and then write the narration for one of them each evening that follows. I also have set times for comment-reading and post-writing that coincide with sleep times or independent play time for my children. I also like to plan out a morning craft or activity the night before so if I stay up late working I don’t rob the kids of something fun in the morning. Oh and I use a crock pot a lot, and always have shredded chicken on hand for quick meals.
Kristin, a freelance copywriter says: My calendar is my boss. I plan ahead, and live/die by it. I put workouts on there so time is scheduled in, along with lunch dates, deadlines, and whatever I’m going to work on each day. That way, I see my day, know what needs to be done, and feel good checking things off. You can easily work harder if you just fill your calendar with stuff until you’re not sleeping, but I don’t do that. I need a break. I also never ever EVER work on Saturday. Saturday is my day. No exceptions. Also, I like a glass of wine after a long day. It unwinds me ;)
Megan, a senior marketing director says: Efficiency and technology. Develop strategic systems and plans the first time you do something so that the next time you attempt it the path is already laid out for you. Evaluate the process a few times a year to allow for evolution and refinement. And if a computer can process something faster than you can, let it or learn how to let it.
Dan, a chemist (and my push-up loving brother) says: Multitask so there’s not a minute wasted. Like brush your teeth while you shower or watch a TV show and do pushups during the commercials.
Dusty, a full time quality improvement manager, mother, and blogger says: If you’re doing something you love, it won’t matter how hard you have to work to get there. The smartest people know this, and choose their tasks accordingly. And if its a job you hate to do, but it still has to get done (like cleaning the bathroom, prepping taxes, proofreading) it’s not a crime to outsource those to save precious time that could be better spent doing something else.
Heather, an advertising art supervisor and mother says: All of the following things seem to help me make my day go smoother and cut out inefficiencies: being prepared, doing research, hiring the right people with the correct skill set, making a plan, making a list, asking questions, thinking ahead, and preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.
Nicole, a blogger and mother of two says: I had to work more efficiently when I became a mom because I had less time (and desire) to work. I use canned email responses for pitches that aren’t a good fit. I try to get a little more done at night if I want to have a mid-week day off, and I started saving drafts in my WordPress admin with ideas for future posts. They could just be a title or a few links but they’re great for keeping me on track when I’m stuck and I don’t forget topics that I want to cover. I also have a secret Pinterest board (“Things To Blog About”) to visually bookmark ideas.
Lisa, operations director and mother of two says: It’s got to be technology. Keeping to-do lists, reminders, and calendars on my iPhone helps me get things done and get my family where they need to be. Menu planning also saves me a lot of time.
Diana, a trial attorney of thirty years (and my mom) says: The key to efficiency for me is identifying what I want to do, mapping out specific and realistic tasks that will lead to accomplishing it, and completing those tasks without distraction. I find that multitasking is usually too chaotic for me, so focusing on one task at a time leads to a better personal result.
Isn’t it interesting how something that works for someone (my brother loves multitasking) doesn’t work for another (my mom loves focusing on one task at a time – which is usually the best approach for me – so I guess I’m my mother’s daughter). And now, since I’m convinced you guys have secrets of your own, let’s pretend I just texted you the “how do you work smarter, not harder?” question. Any tips or tricks out there that work for you?
Update – Some of the most frequent requests that we get are for info about professionally blogging (how we made our site, how we grew our following, how we make money, etc) so we shared all of the details about how we started a blog, grew our traffic, and turned it into a full time job.
Veronica says
I love this post, so many things abuot my job are time sensitive and can be stressful. I try to lay out the things that need to be done first, particularly the ones I don’t want to do to get to the easier or stuff I enjoy more. That way the work that comes later is like a treat of sorts.
In terms of other things I do to save time and money, my roommate and I grocery shop once every two weeks, we share chores. I do a ten minute tidy up at the end of the day because waking up to a mess is not a good way to start the day.
I hope you guys meet your own expectations, you have certainly inspired me to do more with my time.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Veronica!
xo
s
Angel says
Great post!
For me I would say, I dont punish myself for needing a breather. It can seem like taking a break is the opposite of productive, but for me its not! I can go the whole day putting in 50% effort because I am distracted, or exhausted, or irritated. Or I can take an hour or two, pour a glass of wine, put a disney movie on for my 2 yr old, and look at funny pictures online. When I am relaxed and rejuvenated, I can return to the day ready to give 110%.
Also, I focus on little things at a time. If I look a the big picture, I usually get overwhelmed. I start with whatever looks easiest and then when I am on a roll I just keep going, one baby step at a time.
Andrea says
When you are tackling DIY projects at home, do you consider that working time or not working time? Obviously it contributes to your blog (so working time?) but they are also things that you would be doing even if you didn’t have a blog (so not working time?).
Also, I’ve been completing my annual ergonomics training at work and so I was wondering if you guys have done any ergonomic evaluations of your workstation at home? I was thinking of how Sherry is short and John is tall but you both use the same height desk and chair.
Anyway, I’m a big fan and keep up the good work! :)
YoungHouseLove says
We consider any time spent doing blog stuff as working time. We’re used to DIYing on nights and weekends, that has always been our passion, but things like stopping to photograph every step or make a video or editing photos and uploading them and writing posts and managing sponsors and giveaways – those things take a heckova lot more time than actually doing projects :)
As for our chairs, they’re comfy! For us a padded seat + arm rests + a nice sloped back = the best!
xo
s
Emily says
What a great post! I really enjoyed it and the input you got from others. I am new to blogging and there is a lot to do and it’s good to read about good ways to prioritize. I really enjoy reading your blog! A great idea to cut out one post and spend more time with family!! We just changed our blog name because your cute name inspired us to think of something cute and catchy that represented us! Thank you for all of your great posts!
http://emilyandtylerglover.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/love-pasta-and-a-tool-belt/
Jennah's Garden says
Semi-related to balance (and really just a question I’ve been wanting to ask), I’m having a hard time finding balance in the home-fixing stuff. We’ve done a TON, but there’s still a ton we want to do. But also, we need to be out of this house in a few years (no room for an expanding family – it’s way smaller than even your first house), and we’re already underwater and not going recoup investments.
But on the other hand, we do live here now and want it to be nice. Where do you decide to draw the line? It’s hard to look at you guys for examples, because you make a living BECAUSE you keep finding things to do.
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s a post all about that for ya. https://www.younghouselove.com/2012/05/diying-vs-living-in-your-home-enjoying-it/ All the best of luck Jennah!
xo
s
Jennah says
Thanks! Must have missed that.
Mason says
My new mantra? “Done is better than perfect”.
keeley says
great post. seriously. I need a laptop intervention, too. love that you both are working toward bringing (more) sanity to your life. keep us posted as to your progress (I know you will :).
Beth says
I work a full-time job outside of the home, and thought my brain would explode after we had our daughter. So many responsibilities to manage! She’s now a year old, and I feel like I’ve finally got **some** of it figured out.
The #1 thing I’ve learned is to plan ahead, but be flexible. One of my biggest hurdles as a working mom was figuring out what I was going to feed everyone after I got home from work. My husband works evenings, so it’s just me and the little one most evenings…which means I have no tag team to entertain her while I get dinner ready.
Since the beginning of January, I’ve been writing a meal plan for the week, then I do my cooking and prep on the weekend (while hubby is home) so that I don’t have to do any cooking during the week. I also stock my freezer with extras for the future (and for her daycare meals and snacks). This has been EXTREMELY helpful for me and our family.
But! If I don’t have time to make a particular planned recipe over the weekend (or if I feel like hanging with the family all day instead), I am able to be flexible and use meals that are already made & stored in my freezer! It’s SO helpful.
Laura M says
Reading today’s post helps remind me that the grass isn’t greener on the other side! I don’t know very many people who get to leave it at the office. Unfortunately, work follows me home, to baseball practice, and even on vacation. The work/life balance is challenging whether you are in a home office or work place. Thanks for the tips!
Emily S says
I’ve been focusing so much on this as I transition back to working after having my first baby. I have an hour and a half commute to work, so here’s some of the ways I’m trying to maximize my limited time:
1. Work a 75% schedule– it’s significantly less money, but I know I have every Friday off with my son.
2. Work from home– two days a week I get an extra three hours at home by not commuting
3. Pump (I’m breastfeeding) in the car on commuting days
4. Grocery shop in the car on commuting days (I should note here that I commute with my husband)– Peapod isn’t the cheapest, but they do double manufacturer coupons, and I treat it as a necessary expense.
5. Shared Google calendar for my husband and I
6. I outsource house cleaning twice a month. This costs us an extra $159 a month, but it’s another necessary expense for me. I’m already so busy I have no idea where I’d find the time to vacuum and dust on top of everything else! A clean home keeps me sane.
Kathy says
I don’t have kids, but I allow myself to have breaks at work – like reading your blog! Even if it’s 5 minutes, it helps me refocus on the next case I have to tackle. I try to work in batches, too. For example, this morning, I sent out all the releases & victim letters for each of my cases. I made a note of the date in my spreadsheet, so I don’t need to worry about it later on.
bridget says
OK so i will be the one to admit that i am a procrastinator, especially if i am really sick of something like painting or cleaning the bathroom! but there are things I love like shopping or chocolate almond butter shakes ….so I keep those for rewards after I have crossed off a dreaded task off my list.
– I totally agree with Katie in that you need to schedule activities in advance for the kids so that nothing else will get in the way.
– At work I always stayed on task, so many people waste time gossiping or on facebook, but for me I rather leave at a decent time with my tasks completed to spend time with my kids. I also took my computer home so i could catch up after the kids go to sleep.
– I will also admit I am not that organized so I have to be a minimalist, I don’t buy things that are not necessary or have a purpose… so there no chotchkie in my small but big enough house. makes cleaning much much easier!
– I return or get rid of present that people give me that i have no use for there is no reason for them to cause clutter and more cleaning for me just because someone dear gave it to me…their company and our memories are what I hold on to.
– I feel it is essential that everything have a place (which is not easy) but a house runs much smoother and happier when it is clean and organized….I kind of cringe when i see someone saying that a messy house = happy kids, I feel like you are over stimulating your child if it is so messy (this not to say that my house is spotless but it is not messy or cluttered).
– taking a walk or just getting outside for even 20 minutes gives me such clarity, sometimes you need to step away in order to come back more productive. same goes for taking and truly using your vacation time for time AWAY from work, time to unplug!
OK now I need to take some of my own advice :-)
Audrey says
My sister gets VERY stressed out at work all the time. I just ask her “Can you do something about it?” if it’s Yes, then take care of it ASAP so you will stop stressing, if it’s NO… then forget about it and move on.
kristen says
this!
Jess says
As a small business owner and a new mom, I have officially abandoned the idea of multitasking. I don’t find it productive at all, not compared to focusing on one task and seeing it through to completion. And at the end of the day, I can feel satisfied when I reflect on all the stuff that I completed, not frustrated about all the tasks I worked on and kind of half finished. And I love making lists!! Lists about lists! Because what’s better than crossing off a task with a fat hot pink marker??
Charise says
Love this post! I do a lot of these things but always strive to be more efficient! Meal planning is definitely one of my best tips:
crunchcompass.com/dinnertime-disastertime
kristi@SimplePrettyThings says
I’ve always been a to-do lister. I find that if I make a list and cross things off that have to be done (that I don’t really feel like doing) I have a much better sense of accomplishment seeing that ‘chore’ visually crossed off. That little line slashing out that ‘to-do’ is my little reward. Silly but it works for me!!!
Morgan says
I agree. I have a life where I am constantly on a project. Right now I am working as a realtor, running a blog, and I am stage managing a show for an up and coming theatre company in the area while working with Habitat for Humanity. I think the ambition has gotten the best of me. I really need to work out my own rules for working so I don’t end up getting burned out. I haven’t had a true day off in a month. :p
Kami says
DUDES! I love this post! I’m currently reading the book “The 4 Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferris. Obviously, 4 hours isn’t ideal for most of us, but it has some great tips and tricks in it that everyone can use to tackle the issues that you’re talking about.
I’m only about a third of the way through, but it’s already saved me so much time.
Also, as a regular reader, and I know that giveaways and such contribute to the number of posts, but don’t ever feel obligated to post. If it’s not sponsored, or for some other issue like that, take a day off. You don’t owe us a gazillion posts per week. Actually, I shouldn’t speak for anyone, I don’t feel like you owe ME a gazillion posts per week.
We love what you do and all the ideas you give us for free! You deserve to take it easy!
Nicole says
I make lists, lots of lists. If a task on the list seems overwhelming because it is so large, then I break it down into smaller tasks until the tasks seem manageable and I just don’t think about the bigger task until I have finished all the smaller tasks. This way I can avoid the anxiety of knowing I have some huge task looming over me.
Rhoni says
As self-employed contractors, my husband and I struggled for years in the “be- everything, do-everything for everybody” quicksand. Worried that we would lose work if we did not please everyone, he worked 7 days a week and I worked two jobs. Needless to say, everything else became second priority – even at times our children, our house, our yards, our marriage. Not until we came to the brink of divorce did we really wake up and realize that NO business or job is worth our relationship, our family.
Our counselor gave us this advice: Figure out what you are willing to ‘spend’ for your life: time or money. You either spend time to save money, or spend money to save time. We decided to balance things more, so we outsourced some of our work, spent money to take family camping trips (great times!), hired a monthly house-cleaning service so we were not fighting over the chores, and began to say “No” to those things that drained our family time.
It took a couple years to find the balance, but we did it before our kids were grown and our marriage destroyed. I’m glad that both of you are looking long and hard at these issues.
Emylee says
So in some of the suggestions from others that you posted above, I saw you highlight a good portion of text when people suggested hiring someone to do a certain job. Are you guys toying with this idea? I kinda hope not :( it’s definitely a big part of your ‘brand’ and what makes you…you. That you do clean the house and paint the walls and respond to comments and edit pictures…
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, definitely not. Haha! Just check out the comments we’re responding to where people are telling us to hire people to help to see our thoughts on that subject. We’re just DIYers through and through, so we like to do it ourselves, haha! We also believe that just being two people with a blog instead of a “team” is actually simpler in many ways, and it’s what we love :)
xo
s
Jennie says
I think the fact that you do things yourself makes you very relatable. I admire your work ethic as well as your quest to find balance!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jennie!
xo
s
Maggie S says
I think getting help is for “less” important parts of your life is critical if you want to keep from burning out.
I know you don’t want to get blog help (since it is your voice and relationship with your readers that have been key to your success), but what about cleaning the house /running errands/ grocery shopping/ routine yard work, or even some of the less important parts of blog work?
Also, some of it is setting some boundaries (like not ever working on Saturday)
Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
We clean as we go and only grocery shop around once every few weeks, so I think we’ve simplified those other areas of our lives so that we can focus more on Clara and the blog (our two main priorities) so outsourcing those wouldn’t really save us much time since they’re not much trouble at all. I think it just really comes down to being organized and not spinning our wheels when it comes to parenting and blogging, since those are what we give the bulk of our time to each day :)
xo
s
Alison says
Grocery shop once every few weeks? How do you manage that?Simple tip, learn to say no: enough is enough.
YoungHouseLove says
We do two big trips a month and just stop in for fresh produce and milk and stuff if we’re out running errands (like a 10 minute drop in after a trip to Home Depot, haha).
xo
s
Lisa says
Separate email accounts. I have 3 email addresses: Work, Personal, and “Junk.” Any time I order anything online or sign up for coupons or any thing I won’t want to see daily I use the “junk” email address. That way, I still get all those coupons and offers but if I’m short on time I don’t have to check that junk email account. It can always wait. Also, much easier to do a mass-delete of un-read emails when you know not one of them is a tast from your boss or a note from your sister. The junk box is full of email every morning, but it takes me less time to sort and delete it since I just glance at the sender and if I’m interested I open it but 95% of it is mass-deleted and it takes me 2 minutes tops.
Although, unsubscribing from everything would also be a time saver. And I do unsubscribe if I realize I have zero use for a companies emails and never will again.
Sarah S says
While I love to hear from you as often as possible (more mini-breaks for me at work!), know that your readers want you to be happy too! Glad some of your changes are working out well.
I would like to make one comment. Your brother suggested brushing teeth while in the shower. I see this suggestion around a lot as a way to save time and the environment. However, it really isn’t true – at least not on the environmental front and I’m skeptical on the time front. Think about how much water pours out of the shower head while you brush. At the sink, you wet the toothbrush, turn it off (hopefully!), and then turn it back on for the ever-elegant spit-and-rinse. Very minimal water coming out of a sink spout AND much more easily controlled, compared to the shower.
Eek, I don’t want to sound nagg-y! Your brother is obviously super smart, not to mention an awesome uncle (I can’t stop laughing when we hear about Clara and Uncle Monkey!) I just get a little OCD and environmental-freak-out-ish when I see well-intentioned suggestions that might actually do a little bit more harm.
LOVE you guys! You are rockin’ the whole awesome blogger thing.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, my brother is a chemist so he’s all about that stuff. He just realized that he can brush while he rinses shampoo or conditioner from his hair (so that water would be coming out of the nozzle either way – but he’s doing two things at once instead of brushing with water and later showering with more water) :)
xo
s
Heather says
My partner and I almost always shower together (though I expect that won’t be an option once we have little ones to worry about). It means that one of us is almost always actively using the water as it comes out, and if not then we use the tactic I used when I live by myself, to just turn the water off. Assuming you’re doing that, brushing your teeth while you let the conditioner sit really does save time.
I don’t really shower more than twice a week though, and I switched to the electric toothbrush, so shower-brushing isn’t so much an option for me. I recently started doing physical therapy for my knees (30 year old knees and they think they’re 90!), and I discovered that I can do one of my exercises while I brush. It gets my stretches done, and also helps me make sure I brush my teeth long enough. I did it because I figured, one set is more than none so if that’s all I get done then it was better than nothing. But I’ve found it also motivates me to do at least a couple other stretches as well, so all in all it’s a good habit!
Kaylyn M says
Best post ever!! I also have a non-typical not 9-5 job (campus ministry), so I’m on campus most nights until 10 or 11pm. One thing I’ve found that works for me – 24 hour gyms!! I love going to the gym after work (like most people), but most are closed by the time I get “done” with work. So having one to go to at any hour of the day is awesome.
It’s also hard for me to turn off working (there’s always something else to do and not having an office to do it in makes it really easy to have the bedroom or the kitchen be the office), so taking a sabbath day has also been extremely energizing and refreshing.
Cassie says
What works for me is similar to you- one thing at a time (In my home life anyway, at work I multitask all day long). And I’ve noticed it helps to put away all the technology! Every now and then my husband and I will leave our phones at home when we go to dinner (I realize not everyone can do this, we don’t have kids yet so it’s no big deal for us). I feel like I’m constantly glued to my computer or phone and the TV always seems to be playing in the background. It’s good to take a step back every now and then! Like you said- step.away.from.the.laptop.
Also just have to say that I’m always so impressed with how much you guys respond to your readers! I know it takes time, but we really do appreciate it! I think it’s what really sets you apart from other bloggers. You guys are the best! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Cassie! We love you guys. Without you there would be no YHL.
xo
s
Kristena says
I live by my schedule. I found a routine that works for me and I stick to it, NO MATTER WHAT! There are days, obviously, that get moved around, but overall it is my schedule to keep. I also live around my to-do-list. I write it every Sunday night for the week and it keeps me rolling and helps me not forget anything. I am just a stay-at-home-mom with a 4th baby on the way, but the days seem to get away from me quickly. With the oldest two in sports year round sometimes it feels never ending. With my schedule and lists in place, I am a much happier person. My husband used to make fun of me for it, but now he knows they make me a happier wife :)
kristen says
i get what you’re going for here, but you guys seem to already have a leg up on the rest of us as far as work/life balance because you both get to be at home with your daughter every day. you don’t have to spend 8 hours at work and 2 hours in the car every day, while still maintaining a house and doing projects and cooking meals in the few hours you spend at home.
if you don’t want to work on the weekends, let some comments sit in the hopper until monday morning. yeah, it means more to approve that morning, but you get all weekend to do fun things, especially with spring and summer coming up!
i struggle so much with having my laptop on my lap alllll night long. i just have to close it. whatever’s waiting for me will still be there tomorrow.
i guarantee none of your readers who leave comments after 6pm will complain if they don’t post until the next day…or if it takes you a bit to answer facebook questions…or if you don’t retweet something. just close the laptop. turn off the iphone and go play.
Ashley says
I read through your responses to people who suggested you “outsource” or hire people to help with some of your tasks like housework, and it seems like that’s not soemthing you’re interested in. But I wonder if you guys would ever consider taking on an intern to help you with some of those tasks that are less interesting/inspiring. For example, you say you love responding to comments, but organizing/photographing/scheduling things like giveaways is not as enjoyable. That would be the perfect sort of thing for an intern to do for you, and they would get valuable experience along the way. That might feel more in line with your DIY, teamwork values than hiring someone. Of course, maybe that would actually just add one more thing for you to be responsible for in the long run. Just a thought! :-)
YoungHouseLove says
We have actually thought a lot about that, but as it stands right now we’re happy to keep this as a two person company (feels complicated even bringing in one more person to manage/train). There’s something comforting about sticking with the same method of blogging that got us here instead of having a team behind the scenes, or even one person doing things like giveaways. Who knows though, maybe after we have another kid in a few years we’ll reevaluate :)
xo
s
Kelly says
Whoops. Realized too late that you already asked the same question I just did.
YoungHouseLove says
No worries Kelly!
xo
s
Kimberj says
I’m not a prolific blogger but I am a textile artist with RA. I have a morning routine that is vital if I want to have a productive day. I need to be up, showered, dogs let out, and kitchen cleaned before I dare even think of sitting down at my Mac with a mug of tea. I also learned that its better to DVR anything on tv I want to see. (trying to catch on Dr. Who with reruns, I’m a new obsessed fan- lame, I know) I save those shows for days when my RA is really bad and I’m sort of couch bound. I also make my to-do list before I go to sleep so my day is set when I wake up. I also have a limited set list of blogs I check every morning (of course you’re on it!) and I try to limit my Pinterest obsession to a set amount of minutes. Pinning is the one I’m really struggling to control… sighhhhhhh
Ellen says
First off, I love your blog. Everything about it, but especially how real you guys are. But, I can’t even imagine how much time it must take you to respond to all these comments the way you do. Give yourself permission only to respond to the important ones. What a load off that would be. We already all know how sweet you are and think its great that you even read them at all! Start by not responding to this one ;-)
Sarah says
Cleaning up before I start working has always been the biggest help to me at work (much harder to accomplish at home, but still applies). I clean off all the little notes and things that have accumulated in my work space, including digital things like short emails, reminders, etc. Once you those things are taken care of, I start with the big picture items (time sensitive issues, overview of dated things I have to do). Then I circle back around to the smaller things and not time sensitive ones.
When my desk is clear, it’s like my brain is clearer. And it’s easier to figure out what needs to be done and how to do it.
Emily says
We have two little kids and two full time jobs. I also love to sew and always have multiple projects in the works. Three things that really help us are:
1. Letting unimportant stuff go. If the toys don’t get picked up every night, that’s okay. They’re not going anywhere. Laundry doesn’t always get folded right away, but we just grab what we need in the morning and fold when we have time.
2. We often do dinner prep the night before. My husband will shape hamburger patties or prep meat for a stir-fry the night before, and when I get home from work with two very hungry kids I just need to throw it in the pan.
3. Multi-tasking. I often cut out fabric or prep projects while watching TV or even having snacks with the kids at the kitchen table. And I try to involve the kids when I can, having them pick out the buttons for a top or ‘help’ me cut fabric/ribbons.
Julia says
Well it’s not exactly how to work smarter, but how I manage to organize myself for working from home.
http://homelifeandbeyond.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/working-from-home-time-management/
BTW: I loved the video… you 2 are so natural and fresh in front of the camera!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Julia! The BBC crew was so much fun. We instantly felt less nervous when they chatted us up. Fun fact: no one had Engligh accents and they were based in DC. So funny right?!
xo
s
Beth A. says
For tasks I don’t want or like to do, I commit to focused effort for 10 to 15 minutes with the understanding that I can walk away after the time is up. That 10 or 15 minutes usually gives me the momentum to keep going, but if not then at least I’m that much closer to getting the job done!
Christine says
This is such a great post! I like to remember that, “how you spend your time is how you spend your life.” It’s such an obvious thing, but sometimes we all get caught up in the minutia, and it’s so valuable to have a roadmap of your priorties to keep you on track.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a great quote! I love it.
xo
s
Elizabeth says
I work in a fast-paced office where I can be working on an extremely urgent project and two others will come in that are even more urgent. I have found google email and calendar to be very helpful with prioritizing and efficiency. Besides the tips you mentioned, I also use the labels tool and priority mail box. My mailbox is divided into four sections: unread, pending (read but needs to be completed or is dependent on another person responding, emails that are pending my action are also labeled “do”), projects (read, long-term, lower priority), and other emails that I’ve read. Emails are read, labeled (google also auto-labels), and often I use the “add to tasks” function to add it to my calendar. My calendar also uses a star system (*, **, ***) to make the highest priority tasks stay on top of the day’s lists.
Ash says
At work, I live by Outlook Tasks. I absolutely love the “set it and forget it!” system instead of “mark as unread, and hope to remember to go back and check it in a timely manner.”
At home, things are in such a state of flux (boyfriend’s moving in, roommate will be moving out in 2-4 months, new job coming off a year of temping, etc.) that it is just all sorts of insanity. Right now it’s just like, “are things generally clean? Humans and animals all have food and water? Am I getting a few yard or crafty projects worked in when I can?” and then calling it good. I can’t WAIT for things to settle down a bit ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that was how it felt during book shoots. It was like “if I can find my toothbrush and my underwear then we’re good!”
xo
s
Shan says
Great post… I still get nothing accomplished at home with my 9 month old, but that probably has more to do with his poor napping than anything else!
Question about that bike seat I see John using with Clara: is that the ibert? How do you like it? My husband is tall and is worried about hitting his knees
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, it’s an iBert. We’ve loved it! John uses it primarily (and is 6′ tall) and never has an issue with his knees. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Shira says
When I was in college, my professor shared his resolution to an extremely full inbox: create 2 email addresses. 1 for personal/work related emails, and 1 for junk! I have a separate email account now where all of my groupons, living social deals, joann-fabric coupons, pinterest updates, etc. go. This way, I’m still receiving the coupons and sales, but it’s completely separate from the important stuff. I typically check my junk email account once a week, sometimes less.
Hope this helps!
Teresa @ wherelovemeetslife says
Wow, I was soooo pleasantly surprised how much I appreciated this post!!! I am having serious issues balancing my life since the arrival of our 4th. I have started to-do lists at work, and I carry any “balance” forward to another day if I miss something. I prioritize as much as possible and try to keep a little time for planning in the budget as well. This has been a good system for work…but home life??? I don’t even know where to start!! (although our 13 yr old and 10 yr old doing their own laundry sounds GENIUS to me as laundry is the bane of my existence -and we have 6 people!!)
I hope that you guys can find the balance. You work so hard to make this wonderful blog and you deserve to get some “me” time in there!!
Erin says
I’m a full time working mom of a 5 month old and while I’m lucky enough to work from home 3 days a week, it’s a constant battle to get all of my work done and still be a mom on those 3 days. I still haven’t figured out how to do it all but hopefully these tips will help! I hate having to throw my daughter at my husband the second he gets home so I can get more work done!
Penny Lynn says
I had a serious problem with taking on too many projects at once. I wanted to paint one room, find a desk for another room, and completely blow out a bathroom all at once. I had to find a balance. Now I still do multiple projects at once, but try to limit myself to one big room project (I won’t try to paint one room and work on the bathroom anymore, right now I’m focused on the bathroom remodel as my big project) and in the down time (mud drying on the walls, etc) I try to tackle a smaller project that only takes about an hour, be it painting the Goodwill desk or something as simple as dusting my bookshelves…I keep a notebook with a few pages for each room in the house and it feels great to cross things off of it!!!! It’s of course forever changing, things added and removed, but just that visual keeps me on the right track…most of the time. And my mom had a great cleaning system that I’m trying to adopt. Laundry on these days, dust and vacuum on these days, declutter on these days, bathroom scrub on these days, and so on. It’s better than one full day of cleaning, aint’ nobody got time for that!!!! Keeping a schedule and sticking to it is my new years resolution and I’m trying really hard to maintain it, for everyone’s peace of mind!
Wrenaria says
I use a color coded online calendar to track events and meetings which is synced to my smartphone so it’s on me at all times. For work to-dos I tend to write them on post-its and leave them on my desk or keyboard as visual reminders of what my most important tasks are for the day/week. I’ve tried digital post-its, but they don’t do it for me. I need the physicality of the paper (sorry trees).
I cherish my free time, so when I leave the office at the end of the day, I do my best to not think about again until 8am the next morning and avoid work email. If I’m on vacation, I tend to turn off push notifications/avoid email.
I’m doing a post-bacc program in addition to my full time job, though, so my evenings are frequently sucked away by homework for that. I try to get enough done in the evenings so that I end up with at least one weekend day free with no responsibilities where I can do whatever I want, whether that be read a book, shop, go out with my man/mom/someone, or clean my house. I also always keep at least an hour for dinner free so my honey and I for sure get a little time together in our homework filled evenings (he’s doing a grad program). We also lunch together every day since we both work full time at the university here.
Taking a morning break to read your blog every day doesn’t hurt either. ;)
Wrenaria says
I use a color coded online calendar to track events and meetings which is synced to my smartphone so it’s on me at all times. For work to-dos I tend to write them on post-its and leave them on my desk or keyboard as visual reminders of what my most important tasks are for the day/week. I’ve tried digital post-its, but they don’t do it for me. I need the physicality of the paper (sorry trees).
I cherish my free time, so when I leave the office at the end of the day, I do my best to not think about again until 8am the next morning. If I’m on vacation, I tend to turn off push notifications/avoid email.
I’m doing a post-bacc program in addition to my full time job, though, so my evenings are frequently sucked away by homework for that. I try to get enough done in the evenings so that I end up with at least one weekend day free with no responsibilities where I can do whatever I want, whether that be read a book, shop, go out with my man/mom/someone, or clean my house. I also always keep at least an hour for dinner free so my honey and I for sure get a little time together in our homework filled evenings (he’s doing a grad program). We also lunch together every day since we both work full time at the university here.
Taking a morning break to read your blog every day doesn’t hurt either. ;)
Nicole says
Good for you two for working on that work/life balance! I don’t have any real advice, but I admire you both so much for being able to build your brand, maintain it, and be awesome parents to Clara. I know that you need to analyze what even a small change would do to your readership, sponsors, etc… it sounds so easy to say “Just drop another post!” or “Hire someone to moderate comments!”, but in reality there is so much more to it than that.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Nicole, you’re so sweet :)
xo
s
Nell @ Allbritton or Nothing says
I spent years making my life fit my job, but I just swapped that out and am working a job that fits my life. I’m also a newly-single parent with two boys. So…as many chores as they can handle, they do. I only have one relative where I live, but I have great babysitters, and I trust them implicitly. I plan my meals for the week on Friday or Saturday and grocery-shop first thing Sunday morning. I keep a basket on top of the dryer where all the random crap goes, and at some point every night, we all put things away. I had a boss tell me once that there should be three things every day – and only three things – that the world would end if you did not do them. I write those three things down every night on a whiteboard at my “command center” at home, and those are the three personal things I must get done the next day. And, every night at 9:30, I stop working, pour a glass of wine, watch one of my shows, and then to go bed.
Kelly says
This is all great advice. I think the one thing I would add is that I don’t always feel that wasted time is a waste. I think sometimes people can feel the pressure to make every moment of the day productive but sometimes a little down time is necessary to in order to make the productive time you have more productive.
I’m sure you get asked this all the time, but have you ever thought about hiring employees for YHL to take care of the stuff you don’t feel like doing or to help you expand what you’re able to cover on the blog?
YoungHouseLove says
You can scroll back through the comments for our thoughts on that :)
xo
s
Jenn says
You gotta tell your brother that there have been quite a few articles published about how multitasking actually makes you less productive (!!) You spend less time & concentration on each item which typically makes you either have to work on each thing for a longer period of time or cuts down your end product…. ouch! I’m a huge multitasker but I’m trying to take back my life, one project at at time.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I definitely think what works for one person doesn’t work for another. My brother is crazy smart (he has his doctorate in chemistry and was his ivy league college’s Valedictorian as well as scoring some crazy high IQ and a perfect SAT score), so my theory is his brain just works differently than mine :)
xo
s
Sarah W. says
It’s so true that meal planning saves a ton of time!
This year my boyfriend and I have been making all of our meals for M-F on Sunday night. We’re not picky so we make one large meal for our lunches and one large meal for our dinners. We usually have stir fry to take to work for lunch and then something like a curry, meatballs, or a big casserole for dinner. This week we made a giant crock pot of beef stew (which was amazing to come home to last night after getting splashed all over by a truck while waiting for a bus in the rain!).
It’s a lot of work chopping/cooking everything for the whole week on Sunday. Sometimes it takes me up to four hours, but for the amount of time we save during the week it’s totally worth it. I eat better when I have my breakfast (fruit salad) and lunch all ready to go when I get to work, and it saves me from running out on my break to get food. This way I can read or do errands on my lunch hour. The best part of all of it is coming home after work and not having to cook (aside from occasionally whipping up some pasta or rice). I feel so much more relaxed and once in a while I even get motivated to do an extra chore I wouldn’t have done otherwise.
It has totally changed our lives, and we’ll be sticking with it as long as it keeps working this well for us!