Ever felt like your to-do list is about to stage a coup? Some tasks have practically set up camp there for what feels like forever, and you keep telling yourself you’ll get around to them… eventually.
Here to arm you with the knowledge to tackle your to-do list with ease is our own operations manager and go-to problem-solver, Kaitlyn Spinney. Tune in to hear her expert advice on managing your time more effectively, reducing overwhelm, and the digital tools that could make your life a whole lot easier!
TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher
Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[1:44] Nicki and Kate welcome Kaitlyn, the operations manager of Nicki K Media! Her creativity lies in problem solving and executing big projects smoothly.
[5:16] If something is on your to-do list for more than two days, it’s too big of a project. To make it less overwhelming, break the task down into small, manageable bite-sized chunks.
[9:35] Set due dates for every task to stay accountable and recognize when you might be pushing tasks off.
[10:35] Try to balance out the available time you have with the amount of tasks that you assign yourself on that day to avoid overloading your to-do list.
[15:07] Kaitlyn advises trying to figure out when you have the most energy throughout the day so that you know when is the best time to tackle more challenging tasks. It may be better to schedule meetings when you have less energy–for Kaitlyn, this is often in the afternoon!
[18:41] To help your productivity and see what works for you, be willing to try things that seem a bit silly or weird and get you outside of your comfort zone. It might be going to a coffee shop or changing your outfit, but once you can get the train moving, you have momentum.
[22:50] As a freelance copywriter, you have built a career where you have flexibility, so take advantage of it! Try different locations and working times to find what works best for you.
[24:49] The more you carry your to-do list in your head, the less room you have for creativity. Using a digital project management software like Asana is effective for managing projects and setting regular reminders for tasks that help to grow your business.
[32:29] If you’re using a system like Asana, then you can look at your calendar, see how much work you have, and where you have gaps to start work on other projects in advance. You will always thank yourself for getting ahead!
[35:01] It’s easy to get excited about ideas in the moment but ask yourself how urgent it is and if it will drive revenue. If it won’t make a difference right now, consider parking it in what Kaitlyn calls the “parking lot of ideas”. You can revisit these if it becomes more important in the future and you have more time.
Must-Hear Takeaways
As with every episode, we highly encourage you to listen to the entire conversation! But here are a few of the highlights:
“As a freelancer or just even copywriter in general, if you have too much on your plate, then at some point in the day you will get to the point where you realize that you will not accomplish it, and you will likely shut down and just stop. So then you definitely don’t accomplish it. So break the tasks down into small chunks and pick a number in your head that makes sense. So for me, 15 to 25 minutes per task is kind of my goal. That means that when I look at my list, I have an idea of how many tasks I can actually accomplish in a day.” – Kaitlyn
“I think batching is really helpful because you can take all of the similar tasks and do them together. That helps with the task switching and you’re not losing quite so much time when you’re moving between tasks as your brain is kind of in the same space.” – Kaitlyn
“It’s normal to have these moments or these days when you just can’t get the train going, can’t get that momentum going, and whether you’re freelancing or you work full-time in an office, that’s normal. So just trying to figure out what works for you to get that momentum back I think is really helpful.” – Kaitlyn
“I am really passionate about not carrying your to-do list in your brain because your brain is not designed to be a storage filing cabinet system. It’s designed to do creative stuff.” – Kaitlyn
Related Links
- Amp Up Your Copywriting Productivity with Ultra Scheduling
- 5 Ways Super-Productive Copywriters Start Their Days
- 4 Tools to Stay On Top of Your To Do List
- Staying Productive When I’m Unmotivated: Pomodoro Technique
- How to Set Up Your Schedule When Working from Home
Get an *Exclusive* Bonus Recording!
Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it!
Get all the details on how to get your recording here »
About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.
Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.
See Previous Episode
Ep. 153: How to Write Powerful Copy (Even When the Product or Service Isn’t Interesting)
Last Updated on June 10, 2024
