I’ve had a bunch of requests recently from people wanting to know how I get so much done every day / week / month, especially online and in the creation of all my content, additional resources and the running and developing of my businesses. Some VBL Tribe members have even asked what my daily routine is, too.
So, to answer these questions I thought I’d put a few things down in a post and then open the forum to questions and comments, on perhaps anything I’ve not answered, or left out, or anything that people want more info on. Here we go!
My Daily Routine
There is no major ‘secret’ here. I try and get as much of the ‘daily work’ done as possible, in as little time as possible, so I can focus on my other projects and actually working on growing my existing businesses, and building new ones.
The one thing I should mention here is that my daily routine does change quite a bit, its the freedom factor that I have, that I enjoy, and because of that, its always flip-flopping. That’s the way I like it. And, although there is no ‘real’ pattern to my day, my ‘routine’ will normally go something like this:
10am – Breakfast & ‘Urgent’ Email. Because the majority of the business I do is with US-based clients, by the time I wake up in the morning here in the Philippines, its the evening of the day before over there. So, I check ‘urgent’ email whilst enjoying breakfast (usually a bowl of cereal or a protein shake of some variety – in case you wanted to know!), and reply to anything I feel requires an immediate response.
11am – Playtime. I’ll play with my youngest for around an hour or so, or until I pass out!!!
12noon – Task time. I will go through everything I want my VA’s (I have two), and my marketing staff to do throughout the day, sending a few emails and probably a couple of quick Skype calls, too.
1pm – Exercise. I regigiously shoot 30mins of hoops each day and do around 15mins of swimming. Once or twice a week, I’ll also do some light weights. It’s how I keep my sexy body in check (BHAM! Sorry, I just fell off my chair in merriment!) 🙂
2pm – School Time & Lunch. Either myself, or my wife will drop the little one to playgroup, then have lunch.
2pm – Creative Work & Lunch. On the days I am not dropping off the ‘trouble maker’, as I like to call him, I will drive to one of a number of local coffee shops and work for a bit. This time is reserved for my ‘creative stuff’, it’ll be either writing a blog post, putting together podcast ideas, or perhaps focusing on other things such as travel plans , or family stuff.
4pm – Family Time. I do nothing, but play with my kid, hang with my wife, watch TV, go shopping, whatever…
6pm – General Email. This is the time where I will get stuck into clearing out my Inbox. If it takes an hour, great. If it takes two hours (very RARE), then, not-so-great, but still, its achieved.
7pm / 8pm – Staff Meetings / Catch-Up Time. This is where I will meet with my staff, either in the office, or via Skype and go over any projects that we might be working on. If, for whatever reason, this meeting doesn’t take place, I use it for catching up on my favourite blogs, reading a book with a cup of coffee, or generally mooching around online.
9pm – Management Meetings / Consultations. I meet with my COO and other management personnel twice a week to go over operational stuff, as well as any business development work we are putting together. On the days where this meeting doesn’t take place I spend time doing consultation calls with Virtual Staff Finder clients, or with entrepreneurs that have hired me for other consultation services.
10pm and Beyond – Client Calls / Biz Dev Work. Again, the majority of my clients are Stateside, so this time is geared towards speaking with them, when needed. Although my staff do an amazing job of allowing me to be as hands-off as possible, when it comes to the day-to-day operations of my businesses, it doesn’t mean I neglect my clients. If they need me, I am always, ALWAYS available. I also do a certain amount of business development work around this time, too.
Other Times – Putting together podcast episodes, arranging webinars, being interviewed, working on business growth strategies, shooting video posts, handling other local projects, spending time with other members of my team,
It’s NOT The 4-Hour Work Week!
As you can see, I certainly DO work more than 4 hours a week, thats for sure! And, although I rarely ‘work’ on Fridays anymore, I will still check in and spend the time I need to, on my businesses and other business related interests, if and when its needed.
The thing about Tim’s great book was that he was showing you that you didn’t have to do it all; that you could travel more, and enjoy great vacation time; that it was possible to spend more time with family and to be able to make a little money whilst you sleep. He was showing us all of this, plus a lot more.
However, here’s the big thing… How many hours of that daily routine do I class as ‘work’. To be honest… NONE. I’m serious. I love what I do so much that I enjoy every single minute of it. Sometimes the days are a little longer than others. Sometimes I need that additional problem to solve as much as a bullet in the head. And sometimes, just sometimes I wish I really was on a beach with a cocktail in hand (some people actually believe I work from the beach regularly… sorry to burst the bubble, but the internet connection isn’t THAT good when hanging out under a palm tree!). 🙂
I’ve crafted my ideal virtual business lifestyle, and its right for me. This schedule might be totally ‘off’ for you. You might do things completely differently. And that’s what I’d now like to know.
If you’re already working for yourself, whats YOUR daily routine like? If you’d like to break-away from the 9-5 grind, what schedule are you dreaming of? Let us all know below in the comment section.