“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” 💡~Buddha
My Monday morning session that helps create more ease in my week... (#318)
My theme/word for this year is Light. It means a few things, and one of them is to create some systems with my work and find ways to do more batching of tasks.
So, inspired by Jenny Blake’s podcast episode, I decided to make the first two hours of every week, Made by Monday time.
Here is how that time goes:
What does Alice need for the week?
Alice is my awesome virtual assistant who creates graphics and schedules social posts for Instagram and FB. Typically, I use this time to approve any graphics she has sent, make sure social posts for the week have captions, and check to see if she needs any direction for future posts/graphics.
Start on the next #jesspicks
I duplicate my previous issue and start filling in thoughts for the week if I have any: ideas on the intro, #loves, and #reads. And I do as much filling in here as possible, even if it’s bullet points, as doing this on Mondays helps me to realize what I might need to think about / work on for the rest of the week.
This is also an excellent time to check in to see if any scheduled advertisers/sponsors have sent creative assets (or payments) for the week and, if not, to send reminders.
Side Hustle Convo updates and followups
I’ve done three interviews with side hustlers so far (check them out!), and I’m still figuring out my rhythm with these. Right now, I’m doing two posts a month. So I use this time to see if I need to reach out to line up some more interviews, check in on any outstanding questions, or do any follow-ups.
This is also a good time to edit posts. I use Grammarly for proofreading and Lex to help generate titles and summaries. I can also tell Alice what’s next for this series and what graphics are needed.
Blog for the week (if needed)
This one is a work in progress. But, as I get into a groove with the Side Hustle convo posts, I would like to start sprinkling in other blog posts. (My goal is to be able to publish two blog posts a month, for a total of 4 new blogs each month). But, baby steps.
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Made by Monday has worked really well for me for the past 6ish weeks. Granted, I have to be flexible as there are some Mondays where this cannot happen, or my plans change, but then I try to slot in these activities as I can.
I’m finding that working on my newsletter earlier in the week (even if it’s just a couple of bullet points to guide my writing) makes a big difference in getting it done.
I also love that this allows me to use some of my most productive time (mornings) for my side hustle before I dive into my day job tasks.
Does this mean I won’t work on the business on the other days? Not at all, but spending this time on a few of my most essential tasks on Monday mornings has made a massive difference in my productivity for the week.
On to the picks!
P.S. Let’s bring back hobbies…
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#loves 😍
📸. App: Swipewipe. Got a few minutes to spare? Do some digital decluttering. If you’ve ever wanted to clean up your camera roll, this app is excellent and lets you do it one month at a time. (I originally saw this in Josh Spector’s newsletter and immediately purchased the lifetime subscription.)
📧. Resource: Email Marketing Membership. This $9/month membership provides weekly newsletter templates. I don’t use them all the time, but it’s a fantastic resource when I’m stuck on what to write about in #jesspicks. Liz also includes templates to help you get clicks, and replies, build relationships and make sales, and a monthly Q&A session. She is opening up yearly access soon, giving you access to all her trainings for the next year.
#reads
34 Ways to Make Money as a Creator (with Examples)
There are so many ways you can make money as a creator. Experiment with some of these to see if they could work for you. Here is how I am currently making money:
Affiliates links in #jesspicks and on my site
Digital Products (like this one)
Speaking
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#icymi
😍. Last issue’s top pick was: My Week with ChatGPT.
💬. Side Hustle Convos: Learn more about Brianna’s love of travel and how it turned into a side hustle.
#classifieds 🗞
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#lifevibes
#supporters ☕️
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