How to Effectively Use Time Blocking to Schedule Your Workweek

When you run your own business, it’s easy to leave your day open and unstructured because you can, right? But it’s also easy for that openness to become filled with nothingness.

And that’s where a schedule comes in to save the day. Structure is a key part in a productive day, and I’m here to share one of my favorite methods of organizing my time as a creative business owner.

It’s called time blocking, and it is why I’m sitting here today writing this blog post to help you on your entrepreneurial journey. Because without this system, my productivity would have flatlined a long time ago.

If you’re hoping to schedule your workweek and start being productive, this post is for you! (Plus, I’ve included a copy of my free goal-planning workbook, complete with a few pages dedicated to helping you schedule your week.)

My Simple Method for Batching Tasks to Maximize Efficiency

Imagine gaining back hours each month without delegating, cutting back, or automating your tasks. It’s like free time that’s yours for the taking.

This not-so-secret weapon is a strategy that all creative entrepreneurs have at their disposal, and it’s called batching.

It’s the king of task management, yet this effective trick is so simple you can master it in 3 easy steps. If you try it out, I guarantee you’ll benefit from this approach to getting things done.

Learn how in today’s post, and start saving time so you can focus on the projects you’ve been wanting to work on.

How I Work from Home and Stay Productive

Working from home is a huge blessing that comes with having my own business. And while most of the time it’s amazing, it does pose its own challenges.

Common struggles among creative entrepreneurs living the work-from-home life often include managing time, limiting distractions, and avoiding the dreaded cooped up feeling.

Over the course of five years of working primarily from home, I’ve tried countless methods to overcome these hangups—and boy did they plague me when I was first starting out.

After all of the trial-and-error, I’ve honed in on the top strategies that made running an online business from home a magical experience.

So here are 11 simple practices I follow to help me stay productive each day.

3 Goal Setting Hang-Ups, and Solutions for Each

Setting and reaching a goal consists of 3 main stages:

the part that depends on your time, resources, and tools
the part that relies on your know-how and abilities
the part that counts on you doing the work

These areas each create their own hurdles around achieving goals. Over the years, I’ve struggled with all three of the hang-ups above, and today I’m sharing my best insights on how to overcome them.

With goals, we either tend to overaim with excitement or under-aim with overwhelm. Both often result in feeling stuck. But instead, we need to find the right balance to bust through roadblocks like these.

Good news is, goals are infinitely easier to set and achieve with you are equipped with the right tools in your pocket.

If you are struggling to start or grow your creative business, don’t extinguish your dreams before you have a good run! Give it your best shot with the tips in today’s blog post.

The Worst Website Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

In 2019 and beyond, every creative business can benefit from a website, and most already have one set up. However, there are many things that can make a site subpar.

You don’t want your website to be one of the many that fall prey to these rookie mistakes.

Even the smallest error can result in the largest loss—such as deterring potential clients or customers because of a site’s faux pas that’s easily fixed.

I’ve rounded up the most common website errors I’ve spotted in 2019 right here in this post. Give your business an advantage by avoiding these top 11 mishaps.

Creating a Responsive Filterable Gallery in Squarespace

Have you ever wanted to create a responsive gallery to feature different collections of your work all within one page?

While Squarespace doesn’t have a content block to create this magic, I do have handy trick I’ve used in various ways across my website. This method actually uses several pages, and the results are so similar to a one-page feel that your audience will hardly realize it while your responsive gallery changes with a click of a button right before their eyes.

On this “one page,” your audience can select different categories to view. And they can easily toggle between these filtered views without losing their bearings or ever having to click the <— Back button of their browser.

Similar to a storefront with categories listed at the top for easy sorting, this Squarespace work-around has many uses.

Let’s jump right into today’s step-by-step tutorial!

SquarespaceSarah ForestJuly 24, 2019creative entrepreneur Comments

Squarespace 101 for Creative Entrepreneurs and Bloggers

video + blog post

In this Ponderstream episode, learn the basics of Squarespace as I take you behind my computer screen and give you a step-by-step tour of the back end.

Get a detailed glimpse of Squarespace’s many features to see how simple and easy it is to use.

From creating pages to setting up shop, I cover practical ways creative entrepreneurs and bloggers can use Squarespace to build their brand’s headquarters.

Missed joining this one live? Register for next week’s Ponderstream webinar here.

An Inside Look at My Brand and Website Design Service

My love for graphic design and creative entrepreneurship is what led me to venture out and start Ponder Trail. I wanted to offer branding for small businesses and be a valuable resource, too.

While I have a page dedicated to my design service, I haven't yet spelled out the process on my blog.

So today, I’m sharing the details of my brand and website design package.

There are several features that make it a little different, and this post walks you through the process and highlights some of the elements that make it unique.

I hope you enjoy this in-depth look at what it’s like to work with me to transform the visual brand identity of your business.

My Productive Work-from-Home Schedule

Turns out, when I don’t have a schedule to follow, time leaks through my day like a siv.

. . . And I have a hunch I’m not the only one.

When I first began working on Ponder Trail, my mornings started at the early hour of 4:30am. I’d wake up and hit the ground running after my husband headed to work. Those morning hours were golden for being productive and making progress. And it was easy to spend 12 hours getting things done and getting my little company up and running.

Since then, though, our schedule has changed quite a bit.

After shifting to a later, and somewhat unconventional, schedule, it took a while to figure out a routine that was optimal for running my business. It often felt like I couldn’t get anything done or stay focused.

But I took it as a creative challenge, and over the last few months, I’ve been extra determined to create a daily routine that optimizes productivity and is easy to follow.

I’m happy to report that experimentation and persistency were just the ticket: after much determination, time-tracking, and habit-building, I landed on a new daily routine and work schedule that exponents productivity! In fact, it’s been my most effective work schedule to date.

I’ve been fine-tuning it ever since, and today, I’m taking you behind the scenes to see what a typical day of working on Ponder Trail looks like.

Keep reading for a tour of my routine and how I schedule my time.

How to Plan 30 Days of Instagram Content

Planning Instagram content 30 days in advance has many benefits.

It allows you to create and prepare everything so you only need to spend a few minutes on Instagram each day.

It helps you to “show up” consistently without Instagram becoming your full-time job.

It saves so much time and lets you create an Instagram routine that works with your busy life.

And, you never again have to stress out about throwing a post together last-minute.

If you’re wishing for a better posting strategy, or if you’re just curious about this whole “planning” thing, you’ve come to the right place. Because today, I’m sharing my simple step-by-step process for intentionally planning 30 days of Instagram content.

My Step-by-Step Process for a Successful Year

It’s that time of year again—when everything feels fresh and new. Goals swirl around our minds with ever-growing excitement about what we hope to accomplish in the new year.

We dream big about our businesses and can’t wait to get started on our latest and greatest ideas.

But without a methodical way to set and reach goals, there isn’t much hope for success.

So today, I’m giving you my step-by-step process to effectively plan for a successful and productive year. This is an in-depth blog post you won’t want to miss.

17 Ways I’m Improving My Productivity this Quarter

Do you ever find yourself struggling to make progress? With countless distractions and ways to wander from the path, it’s easy to fall behind.

The ability to work in a productive capacity can make or break any business. In fact, much of your success likely rests in this skill.

I’ve been focusing on maintaining its momentum over the past several months, and in this mega-packed blog post, I’ve rounded up 17 ways I’m improving my productivity this quarter.

I guarantee you’ll want to start implementing some of these strategies today!

An Inside Look at the Strategy Behind My Homepage

Last week, I shared a post about the 7 essential pages to include on your website. As I was writing, the content I wanted to share about the strategy behind a homepage kept growing, so I decided to create an in-depth post dedicated just to this one topic.

If you're itching for a look behind the scenes at the thought process and purpose behind an effective homepage, this post is for you!

If you already have a website, or if you're are just getting started with one, I hope you enjoy today's insights as I spill the beans on the strategy behind my homepage.

Business, Squarespace, BrandingSarah ForestSeptember 25, 2018Website, Strategy, Blog Pod, Experience, Design, creative business Comments

7 Essential Pages Every Website Needs (and the Strategies behind Them)

It’s no secret that every business in 2018 needs a website.

It’s the best place to build your online presence because you own and control your website.

. . . And because you won’t have to worry about changes to algorithms on social media.

While the possibilities are endless for designing and setting up your brand’s website, there are 7 pages in particular that are critical for a successful site.

Keep reading to learn how you can implement these essential pages on your business’s website.

25 Ways to be Strategic with Your Time and Efforts

Have you ever listed out every single task you do for your creative business?

I’m willing to bet that it’s a long list.

Each one of these tasks take time. And time is very, very limited.

For some people, an 8 hour workday feels painfully long, but for many creative entrepreneurs, a 16 hour work session never feels quite long enough for all of the things we hope to accomplish.

Can you relate?

Since we’re a hustling bunch, we have to be extra careful with where our time goes. Because, after all, the clock doesn’t stop for even a second.

My calendar is always filled with things to check off. I used to wonder where all of my time went. But since then, I’ve gained some insight into making more progress and having more to show for my time.

So today, I’m sharing my favorite 25 tips for being strategic with your time and efforts.

Why and How to Define an Audience for Your Creative Business, Blog, and Social Media

Who is your audience?

It’s perhaps the most important question you will ever answer about your business.

Your audience is the group of people who are ecstatic about your brand and want to buy your products or book your services. They’re your potential customer or clients.

If you want to have a profitable business, you need to reach and connect with them. And every element of your business needs to be designed and intended for that market.

Until you know your audience, you won’t have complete clarity or get the full potential out of the work you put into your business.

You’ll miss opportunities to speak to your potential customers or clients through intentional branding and messaging.

And you’ll likely put time into creating content that isn’t effective.

But once you follow the steps in today’s blog post, you’ll be on your way to building a loyal following for your creative business.

Business, Marketing, Blogging, Social MediaSarah ForestSeptember 11, 2018Blog Pod, Strategy, creative business Comments

10 Reasons to Use Squarespace for Your Website Platform

I’m all about saving time.

As an entrepreneur, there’s always so much to do. From creating content for the blog and website to managing design work, my to-do list is in constant ebb and flow.

I’m sure you can relate, too.

Since my website is the headquarters of my business, it’s essential for me to use an effective platform that keeps things simple.

That’s why Squarespace is my website platform of choice. It’s among my list of top 5 things I couldn’t run my business without, and it’s one of the most effective time-saving tools I use.

Squarespace is simple, streamlined, and straightforward. And it has allowed me to be more intentional and strategic with my business. I recommend it to each of my design clients and to almost every creative entrepreneur I meet.

I’ve been a Squarespace user for over a year now, and here are 10 reasons why I love it.

Squarespace, Website DesignSarah ForestSeptember 7, 2018Blog Pod, Website, creative business Comments

My Favorite Proven Productivity Secrets for Getting More Done Each Day

We often kick-off the year with a motivated mindset that helps us get headway on conquering our goals.

After a few months in, the excitement begins to wear off, and we tend to lose traction on some the things we wanted to get done.

It's easy to let discouragement sink in, and we wonder if we set out with too much ambition or if we aren’t capable of accomplishing our goals.

But missing the mark isn’t always because our goals are unrealistic or because we don’t have what it takes; it’s usually because we haven’t used our time in the best way possible.

Productivity is a creative entrepreneur’s best friend. Failing to utilize it is the biggest opportunity you could ever miss out on for your business.

After lots of experimenting with ways to be productive while working from home, I can’t wait to share my favorite 10 methods with you in today’s blog post. They have been the biggest game-changers for my entrepreneurial journey to date.

Productivity, Time ManagementSarah ForestSeptember 5, 2018Blog Pod, creative business Comments

The latest insights for creative entrepreneurs