Category: Productivity

The Side Hustle – 6 Things You Need To Get Your Game On

Did you know that the predicted average salary increase for 2018 in South Africa is 5.5%? That is an average people.

Petrol price, school fees and grocery costs increase regularly. The ever-increasing cost of living for a working parent is immense!

You can sit around and wait for the cost of living to catch up with you OR consider providing services in your personal capacity. In steps the side hustle.

[bctt tweet=”“Without hustle, your talent will only get you so far” – Gary Vaynerchuk” username=”cherralle_”]

Joshua Malinga* husband and father, manages a successful side hustle and explains that multiple income streams in a household are imperative.

“In my view, it has become imperative for a household to have at least 2-3 streams of income other than your actual job in order for it to function at its potential. Personally it’s not only about it helping me afford my life but what I love about side hustling is that I gain exposure to more things that I would never have been exposed to in my 9 to 5 job – and in turn, I give people exposure to myself without being undervalued.
[bctt tweet=”What I love about side hustling is that I gain exposure to more things that I would never have been exposed to in my 9 to 5 job”  username=”cherralle_”]
 The motto is always ‘Hustle for your last name, not your first name.’ You start to realise that you can add value (and that you’re building on something) while getting paid to do what you ACTUALLY enjoy/love doing.
 
The challenge always arises when you now have to choose what prioritise (job + hustle + family) and that is where most people actually tell themselves they don’t have time. However the benefits always outweigh the stress.”

Thati from The Disruptors further shares advantages of having multiple income streams.

Here is What You need to get your Side Hustle Game On

side hustle what you need

1. A  Bankable Idea

Your bankable idea is something that you can provide to others and get paid for it.

Example:

  • Are you a goddess in the kitchen? Cook and freeze meals for working parents (I will pay for this!).
  • Have impressive technology or digital marketing skills? Provide website development or social media support as a side hustle.
  • A whiz with numbers? Provide financial services to small business owners.

Entrepreneur Magazine provides 20 ideas you may consider for a side hustle. Anyone can start a side hustleif they have an idea and they can apply themselves to the concept.

2. Focus and Discipline

A side hustle is just that, a ‘side’ hustle (until it grows to a point where it becomes your primary income stream).

You need to be able to kick ass at your day job (hey, you still need that one right).

Then go home, do what you need to and HUSTLE.

Self-organization is paramount, so you can ensure that your day job, side hustle and personal commitments all get the required attention.

Related Post: Ace Your To Do List with These 7 Tips

3. You will need to invest

Starting a side hustle may require start-up capital (not always the case). You may need to buy supplies or build a website, get branding, etc. SME South Africa found that 68% of entrepreneurs fund their investments from their savings to start with

4. Read up on company policy

Usually a company would be okay with your side hustle as long as it does not impact your ability to do your day job, and it is not an operation that is in direct competition with your company. However, get in touch with your HR person or read up! It won’t hurt.

Related Post: How to Say No At Work (and win respect while doing it)

5. Get your papers sorted!

Having multiple streams of income may lead to tax implications. Ensure that you meet the requirements. If it’s a small business and you run it as a sole proprietorship the conditions are very limited, read further here.

6. Passion

Go for something that makes you want to jump into another job when you get home from your day job. Pick something that naturally interests you.

Something where you do not mind giving up social events and leisure activities for.

Anne*, a Johannesburg based working mother, shares her view, “Side Hustles should not be seen as a betrayal to your employer or job. We have different parts to ourselves that can’t only be expressed in our 9-5.  It may be for financial reasons or fulfilling a different need.’

[bctt tweet=”A side hustle is not a betrayal to your day job. It’s a path to express other sides of ourselves that are not met at our jobs” username=”cherralle_”]

In Conclusion

Entrepreneur Magazine outlines an additional three crucial elements you need to start a side hustle.

A side hustle is a good idea if you want to increase financial stability through supplementing your income. Or you dream of owning your own business but need a ‘safe space’ to try it out first.

Follow your passion and make smart money decisions.

*Names changed

Chime in! Do you have side hustle? How do you manage balancing your day job and your side hustle? Are you thinking of starting one?

Dear Working Mother – Here Is How To Leave Work On Time (most days)

In the modern corporate world, there is the mistaken assumption, that  ‘working late equals working harder.’ There is also a bias towards working mothers (parents) who need to leave work at a particular time, while other colleagues are still working.

I refute the belief that staying late equals working harder. Maybe. But I am not convinced. At all.

A better way to assess levels of productivity is by looking at outputs and not by who sticks around until late.

Related Post: Build your own work life balance: plus free work life balance check list

Often we are encouraged to ‘work hard,’ and ‘stretch ourselves’. Yes, that it is important, however, it is essential to set boundaries. Whether it is to get home to your child, go gym or because you have band practice (I am just saying, it could be anything).

This is how to get time back into your day, get things done and leave on time.

Let go of the guilt when you pick up your bag to leave the office!

[bctt tweet=”Dear Working mother – here is how to leave the office on time (by being focused on getting things done)” username=”cherralle_”]

Dear Working Mother – Here Is How To Leave Work On Time

dear working mother how to leave work on time

Plan your day and Focus on the right things

Do you start your day with no idea what your priorities are? Following a haphazard approach to whatever comes your way?  – if yes then there is an opportunity to plan your day.

When you get to work, become laser focused on your main priorities. Use whichever system works for you. I have set up for myself a hybrid between a Bullet Journal and a Planner, I copy this layout (more or less) in my work notebook. You may download the planner template here.

Outline your main focus areas for the week.

Set this up Sunday evening or Monday morning. Then, each morning spend 3 – 5 minutes outlining what will be your top three goals for the day. Yes, only three then tackle at least one before you read emails. The items you do not complete get carried over to the next day and so on.  You should also add other tasks to your list. However, you know what the top 3 are.

Yes, you will have unexpected deliverables that will pop up, but you will always keep coming back to your three primary goals.

And yes, also add your personal tasks. Need to make a school fees payment or book a dentist appointment? Add it on to your to-do list.

Related Post: 7 Reasons Why I am Pretty Certain We Are Only Having Two Kids

Number one productivity killer is meetings

Meetings, meetings, meetings.

Do you sit in a meeting and go ‘why was I invited to this meeting’ or ‘I could be doing actual work right now’ – if yes then there is an opportunity to rework your meeting schedule.

Here is a crazy thought, cancel 50% of your meetings and you will get more done! Okay, easier said than done. Let’s take a more pragmatic approach.

Firstly, accept that a meeting is not ‘work’.
Meetings are discussing and organising work. Here are a few excellent points on how to make a meeting productive.

Reevaluating and cutting the time you spend in meetings will undoubtedly make you more productive and allow you to leave work on time. Politely decline meetings you feel are not relevant to your priorities.

[bctt tweet=”Struggling to leave work on time? Tip: assess your meetings, then ask yourself are they all necessary?” username=”cherralle_”]

Related Post: Ace Your To Do List with These 7 Tips

Use time blocks and get more done

A practice I have implemented for myself is to block out 2 -3 hours in my diary daily for PURE work. No meetings. All meetings get scheduled around this time if need be. I also block out 16h00 – 17h00, so I have no meetings after 16h00 (so I can wrap up at the end of my day). It works 90% of the time, which is progress.

Working over time, leads to decreased productivity

Continually working over time will reduce your productivity. As work hours add up to over 50 per week, productivity slows down. You may lose energy and start working slower. You can read further about this study as summarised in the Economist.

But, don’t take my word for it. Reflect upon your health and pace of work. Do you really feel that you are productive at work when you have been pushing 12 hours days? When you are always under pressure to stay late at work? When you are wrecked with guilt because its another day you miss supper or bath time?

In Closing

Time is a valuable resource. Our jobs need our time and dedication, but so does our friends, family, and personal commitments.

Long hours does not equal doing more. It’s pretty simple: Prioritize, evaluate your time spent in meetings and learn to set boundaries.

Pin this post if you enjoyed it!

 

How to Say No At Work (and win respect while doing it)

Accepting stretch assignments at work is good for your career. They provide you with growth and sponsorship opportunities. Extra work allows you additional space to flex your muscles and show your boss and team what you are capable of.

Those are good aims. However, at a certain point, you must learn how to say no at work.

To excel in your role, you need to  take on extra work that is a healthy challenging stretch (a bit uncomfortable), but you also need to learn to say no if it will cause your performance to deteriorate.

[bctt tweet=”Focus is about saying ‘No’. Steve Jobs Quote” username=”cherralle_”]

What is the right way to say no?

It has to be framed within the right context.

Related Post: 6 Ways to Add Self-Care to Your Work Routine (and get things done)

Context is important

how to say no at work flaylay feminine

It is important to understand the context of the request and the context of your position.  Example, if you are an intern, you pretty much don’t have many ‘No’s’ in your back pocket. However, if you are a seasoned and trusted contributor in your company, and your reasons are valid, you should be able to respectfully push back.

Secondly, approach the ‘no’ in a positive and helpful way, it must be framed correctly.

Provide a thoughtful and logical response, because you do not want to come across as ‘lazy’. If your boss can appreciate your perspective then they will accept you rationale when you say ‘no’.  Later on in this post we outline how to go about this.

[bctt tweet=”There is a right way and a wrong way to say ‘no’ at work. Do it right and win respect.” username=”cherralle_”]

Good Possible Reasons to Say ‘No’ At Work

  • You are working on key projects with no capacity left (even if you put in extra hours it will not suffice)
  • Your current projects will suffer drastically if you split your focus now
  • You are unable to delegate your current work to make space for the new project

Terrible Reasons to Say ‘No’ at Work

  • It is not in your job description (BIG NO NO!!)
  • You have a lot going on in your personal life and cannot deal with this right now

Once you determined that you have a valid reason to say no, this is how to go about it.

Related Post: How to Deal With a Bad Boss

How to Say No At Work (and win respect while doing it)

Clarify your other responsibilities

Share which other projects you are currently working on with imminent deadlines. However, communicate when you will be able to take it on (provide a reasonable next date) and provide it the right level of attention.

This way you are showing that you not just bluntly saying no. You do want the project but just not right now.

Prioritization 

Share with your boss how you have currently prioritised your workload and deliverables. Your boss may request you to prioritise a new deliverable.

If this happens, it’s important to have clarity of expectations. Ensure that you both agree which project becomes the priority. Get it in writing if need be (a ‘to confirm our discussion email’ would suffice).

Related Post: 10 Things A Working Mother Needs to Survive

Offer an alternative and help solve the problem

You want to maintain your reputation of someone who is a star player, and so its important to be genuinely helpful.

Remember, when your boss approaches you to drive a project, you can’t go laying down your problems.

Offer the following solutions:

  • Take up the project at a later date if its workable (as per the above)
  • You can offer to contribute in another way, e.g. take a piece of the project instead of the whole piece
  • You can suggest a colleague who you know is keen to get involved in the specific topic (however be a good colleague and check with them first)
  • Request resources: could be additional time from someone else
  • Alternatively, just push through if you really cannot find a work around (but this should not be a common occurrence)

In Closing

It is important to take a solution oriented approach to saying no at work. Always lead with positivity and remember the main goal is always to deliver strong performance.

Chime in. Do you feel okay saying ‘no’ at work?

Further Reading: 7 Things A Working Mother Wants to Tell Her Boss

 

 

 

10 Things a Working Mother Needs to Survive

Being a working mom is tough.

Dealing with work demands, family pressures and still making time for yourself is a huge task.

But,  you do what you need to do to get things done, and you should feel proud. 

[bctt tweet=”10 tips a Working mother needs to survive! #1 online shopping and express delivery!” username=”cherralle_”]

Here are ten things a working mother needs to survive

working mother tips

Reliable and safe care during the day for your child

Having your child taken care of during the day is your TOP priority as working mother. Therefore, do as much research as you can, and understand what works for you and your family, whether it’s in the home (nanny) or out of home care. Tracy  from Liam & Cole shares her view on to nanny or not to nanny.

Hand picked post: Parenting Humour – Confessing my 7 Parenting double standards

Shop online and get stuff delivered

It is highly recommended that you get comfortable with online shopping and get stuff delivered. It is marvellous! You can buy groceries, clothes, stationery, anything you need! My favourite delivery service right now is Uber Eats! It has saved me a million times.

[bctt tweet=”Shop online and get stuff delivered. Unless you get to go grocery shopping alone. ALONE. Heaven!” username=”cherralle_”]

Lowered cleaning standards

I have spoken about this before in my post about how to find more time as a working mother, let go of the cleaning standards. It’s okay if the house is a mess. Trust me there is no house cleaning police. My tip – tidy up at the end of the day or even better, right at the end of the weekend.

Coffee, Glorious Coffee

how a working mother survives

You will need your coffee. You will need to it to push through the day, like a lifeline. Oh, and it will get cold. [bctt tweet=”A working mother knows why mama bear’s porridge was cold.” username=”cherralle_”]

A good family support structure

An excellent family support is vital to survive being a working mother. For me, having a husband who is super engaged in our family life is critical.

Limit your driving time/ commute where possible

You need to figure this one out as a reduction in a long commute will save you so much time and energy.

One way to work around this is to negotiate a flexible arrangement with your boss. Example, you could choose a day, and make that your ‘work from home day’.

Hand picked blog post: 7 Things A Working Mother Wants to Tell Her Boss

Wine, Wine, Wine, (or whatever your ‘mommy juice’ of choice is)

working mother wine

I am going to just leave this one here. Moms will get it!

Shared family calendar

It’s important to set up a family calendar where you and your partner can have a view of key family events. For us its very simple, it is a calendar on google docs that my husband and I access.

Back up hairstyles for when you did not have time to sort your hair out

Come on admit it; you know you have your hairstyle for those in-between days when your hair just doesn’t make sense! You have got to have something up your sleeve for those days.

Last but not least, letting go of perfection

Enjoy your babies, let things go a little and relax. [bctt tweet=”Parenting is not perfect, but a mother’s love is” username=”cherralle_”]

 

Share this with your working mama friends or tag them. You can’t keep this all to yourself can you?

 

 

 

 

6 Ways to Add Self-Care To Your Work Routine (and get things done while you are at it)

Adding self-care to your daily routine at work is possible, if you start with micro steps. I mean, who has time to add ANOTHER ‘to do’ the never ending list of things? Aint, nobody got time for that!

Refresh yourself at work, and be more productive through making small changes. The goal is that these small changes bring focus and energy back into your day.

[bctt tweet=”Bring focus and energy back into your day with these 6 small changes to your daily work routine” username=”cherralle_”]

Taking time out for your self at work does not need to be elaborate, it can be small changes that help you to stay organised and productive.

Hand Picked Related Post: Get THINGS done, with these 5 Tips to Ace Your To Do List

Here are six ways you can add a self-care routine to your daily work

Bring Healthy Snacks to work

Prepare for the mid-afternoon slump by having healthy snacks with you. Fruits, nuts, etc., are excellent snacks and will help you to stay energised and focus throughout the day.

bowl of berries self care

Have your playlist ready

Set up your best songs for different moods on your playlists. Example, have a playlist for music that energizes and spurs on creativity and one that helps you focus and concentrate. Whatever works for you, do that.

Work in productivity bursts

I am a big fan of this approach, which entails working in focused blocks of time. E.g., work 20 minutes and take a 5- 10-minute break. If you can push it, work in 50-minute bursts and take a 10 – 15-minute break.

Working in bursts is an excellent technique to bring focus. It allows you to set priorities for each day, then work in 20-minute bursts throughout the day on your priorities.

[bctt tweet=”Working in productivity bursts of 20 minutes each in order to focus and get things DONE.” username=”cherralle_”]

Minimize distractions

Open plan offices spurs on collaboration but they are also a big distraction. Figure out what is appropriate in your space. Example, if you have little booths at works, and you need to do a piece of work that requires significant focus, instead do it in the booth. If you can work while listening to music on your earphones, do that.

Have walking meetings

I love this concept, although I have not tried it myself yet. This is particularly good, if you have a garden at work where you can walk in. You take your meeting participant and take a walk and discuss the business at hand.

Hand Picked Related Post: You worked so hard this week! 5 Easy ways to treat yourself on the weekend!

Got pretty stationery?

I had to throw this one in – life is too short to write with a black pen. Love your stationery, your pens, and notebooks. Make your work space enjoyable, and it will help with adding a little bit of colour and sparkle to your day. As you can see, I love pretty pens and notebooks.

[bctt tweet=”Life is too short to write with a black pen. LOVE your stationery! It can add colour to your day.” username=”cherralle_”]

As our lives become busier, there is no end to the ‘list’ of what we need to do. Therefore, it is crucial to take time out to refresh and recharge. Being busy does not equal being productive. Being productive is getting THINGS done. 

Hand Picked Related Post: Get THINGS done, with these 5 Tips to Ace Your To Do List

Now tell me, what is your unique way of bringing self care into your daily routine?

Ace Your To Do Lists With These 7 Tips (Plus Free Weekly Planner)

I am one of those people, who get a little bit of a kick out of it when I scratch things off my to-do list. Lately, my to do list has exploded. I find myself often getting distracted and overwhelmed. With work, home, studies, and the blog it has create the need for me to carefully plan my time.

To not get lost in everything I need to do, I have set a few routines for myself to help me focus and achieve my goals. Without focus, I am much slower and sluggish when I need to do anything. Some of which are new and some of which are old habits. I have also started using a weekly planner! I am hoping these 7 tips  plus the weekly planner can download can help you with your to do lists, as it has for me.

7 Ways To Ace Your To Do Lists (Through Bringing Focus)

woman working on laptop
Listen to calming music

You can find any music that calms you, and that makes you focus and brings you into that space where your magic happens.

For me, I listen to classical music (Mozart for Exam Study on iTunes). It drowns out the noise and allows me to focus. In fact, I can read, study or write while listening to this music on my headphones.

Related Post: You worked so hard this week! 5 Easy ways to Treat Yourself Over the Weekend

Put your phone away

Your phone can be a big distraction, with instant messaging, and social media notifications, it is hard to switch off. When you sit down with something, put your phone away and focus. When I am listening to music on my phone, I put my phone on airplane mode so that notifications do not come through.

Take little breaks

Try to work in 20-minute bursts, and then take a 5-minute break. Or in 40-minute bursts then you take a 10-minute break. In this way, you are getting time to refresh your mind and come back energised. Make that cup of coffee, check your messages, whatever you need to do in that time.
I do this at home and work. I get up, make coffee. At work, I get a cup of coffee and engage with colleagues then back at it.

Related Post: 13 Career Tips for Your Twenties That Can Boost Your Career

Cut out the noise and prioritise

Focus on the key activities that you need to do. If other tasks come up as you are working, ask yourself how that contributes to your well being and your goals? If it does not, it needs to go.

Do not multitask, tackle one thing at a time

Tackle one thing at a time. We have been taught that women like multitasking, that might be true. However, if you sit down, focus and tackle one thing and get it done, you will achieve more.

For me, I get a lot more done when I sit down and tackle one task at a time.

[bctt tweet=”Do not multi task. Rather focus on one thing at a time, it will increase your productivity” username=”cherralle_”]

Write the tasks down and plan (download the weekly planner)

I am avid checklist maker! Recently I have started using a weekly planner. For each week in the month, I map out at a high level what I need to do for that week. I also jot down which days I will focus on what tasks at a high level. It gets crazy over here, with work projects, personal priorities, studies, family!!

Through writing down and tracking, I ensure that all aspects are covered from my work, home, and personal hobbies. Now this is not perfect, but on the whole it works for me. I picked it up from one of my beloved stationery stores, but I created an online version for you to use.

You can download a weekly planner for free over here!

[bctt tweet=”A weekly planner is a great way to stay on top of your high level goals for the week. ” username=”cherralle_”]

The only way to find more time is to give up something

Oh, and where can you find the time for personal goals?  To get more time, you need to give up something.

I have reduced the time I spend watching TV drastically. I wake up most mornings between 4:00 – 5:00 am  (the children wake up around 6:00). Going to bed earlier in the evening has helped me get up at this time.

I have also found that I am more focused that time in the morning. Much more focused then I would be if I had to do the same piece of work late at night. Different approaches work for different people. I am not advocating waking up at 4 am!

I find that getting a good night’s rest allows me with sufficient energy to start my day early and sustain my energy throughout the day.

Over to you, do you have any things you to that brings you focus?

Don’t forget to download the FREE weekly planner, to help you structure your week and month.