Doing It All

Hi Everyone!

It’s been a draining couple of weeks, but I hope reading this newsletter adds a bit of positivity, hope, or inspiration during this period of uncertainty.

I’ve been reading through the responses to the initial BFVC interest survey I sent out, where I asked you what you needed help with, were curious about, or hoped to gain from this community (fill out the survey here to add your thoughts if you haven’t already 😊). A common topic many of you wanted to discuss was juggling your businesses and full-time jobs.

As someone who mastered time management at an early age by balancing numerous extracurricular activities, I’ve developed a set routine that I religiously follow. This routine sets me up for success while navigating what often feels like thousands of tasks. Here are some tips that help me perform my best:

1) To-Do Lists 📋

Having 2 million things on your mind is extremely overwhelming, but for some reason, writing down what you need to do feels immensely better. I take time every day to write out my game plan for the next day. I organize these items into ‘MUSTS’ and ‘NICE TO HAVES’ to categorize what is non-negotiable and what is not. My daily goal is to complete all the ‘MUSTS’, and if I can tackle a few ‘NICE TO HAVES’, even better!

2) Time Blocking ⏰

To-do lists are helpful, but it can still be hard to find time to complete all the action items. Time blocking (with the help of Google Calendar and color coding) helps me immensely. I block off time for activities like developing new skills, working out, writing this newsletter, attending events, and spending time with friends.

Having my days and weeks planned out helps me stay on task while also allowing me to assess where I need to spend more time, ease up, or make adjustments. Above all, it keeps me accountable and reminds me of all I’ve accomplished!

3) REST 😴

This is an area I am actively trying to improve. Resting is the only way you can effectively function and accomplish your goals. I am currently dealing with a personal loss and am working hard to give myself grace while staying committed to my promises.

Sleeping for at least six hours, drinking water, eating healthy, moving your body, and genuinely caring for yourself will create greater alignment and productivity, ultimately leading to the success you’re chasing.

I don’t have all the answers, so I’d love to know what works for you all! Share your time management and goal-setting tips here, and I’ll include them in the next newsletter. Let’s help each other out! 😊

Bye for now,
Zoe ⭐ 💖

Resources (more to come in a couple of weeks!):

1. If you’d like to join the Founder or Investor Series, please fill out the forms linked! Refer to last week’s newsletter for more info 😊.

2. The Well Work x Justworks are offering up to $6k to marginalized founders with at least two W2 employees.

3. Pitch Deck Review with Kelley Arena!

4. Esosa Ighodaro is writing $25K checks for Pre-Seed FinTech, Health Tech, Vertical SaaS, and AI Infrastructure startups! Apply for funding here.

Want to chat or collaborate? Shoot me an email at [email protected]! 💖