When I was working a “normal” job, I had full autonomy over my day. Granted, a lot of that day was spent on Zoom calls, whether they were my own scheduled calls or someone else’s. But between meetings, I could make time for upcoming projects, help my team through their work, guide them when needed, and prepare for whatever was next. It’s called time management, and it is prominently displayed on my resumé.

Transitioning into my new job of managing two YouTube channels (soon to be three), constructing projects, writing, volunteering, and taking care of my house has been relatively seamless because those time management skills came with me.

I like making lists, whether they’re in an Excel workbook, on my phone’s Notepad, or in my head, and that helps me. It’s something I used in my previous job, and I know it works. These are the things I need to get done, even if they don’t all need to happen today, and when I’m done, I remove them from the list. I also keep a list of the dates I completed actions, where I was when the action was completed, what the action was, and how long it took me to complete. This new list is a bit different from ones I’ve created in the past because I don’t have a calendar full of calls or blocked-off space for each project. But I enjoy having something I can look back on. It’s not too dissimilar to a Gantt chart, which project managers use, though mine is basically a table in Excel. Then I can search for “pirate coat” or other projects I’ve worked on and see how much time I spent recording, editing, and re-editing the videos.

I’m sure eventually I could create some PivotTables to identify how much time each project takes me on average. And maybe I could create some Gantt charts. But, similar to my previous job where Gantt charts were recommended, I never really used them. I know in my head how long something ideally should take, and then I work on it. I keep track of the time spent, but I have no one to report to except myself, so I don’t feel the need to have something additional to fill out. Because then I would need an action item for “time spent filling out my lists,” and that’s just silly.

This past week I spent a lot of time video editing because I’m working on several projects at once, which is pretty typical. This week I’ve been finishing up most of those projects and starting new ones, which means I’ll probably be editing videos all next week. And I think I really enjoy that flow: one week recording, one week editing. It makes more sense than editing every other day or spending a couple of days sewing and then switching back to editing. The sewing actually takes less time, in my opinion, than the editing, especially depending on the project. If I have five or six hours of video to edit, it takes me almost twice that amount of time to finish the edit. I’m not just removing dead space or adding music tracks. I’m also creating descriptions, chapters, linking websites, and adding any effects needed for each video. It really is enjoyable, and I’m thankful for the time and space I have to get my business going.

So that’s where I am right now: lots of lists, lots of editing, and apparently a self-imposed production schedule that might actually work for me. I’m sure I’ll keep tweaking it as I go, but for now,  I’m enjoying the rhythm.

Are you a list person, a calendar person, or a “it’s all in my head and somehow it works” person?