How I’m Working Just a Few Hours a Week This Summer (And Still Earning Full-Time Income)

This summer time, I’m planning to work as little as potential – and I’m actually wanting ahead to it.

I’ve spent years constructing a enterprise that offers me freedom. And one of many greatest causes I began Making Sense of Cents was in order that I might select how I spend my time. I really like running a blog and serving to others, however I additionally need to be current for the enjoyable moments – particularly through the summer time when my household and I are out exploring, touring, and having fun with life (summer time is my favourite season within the mountains – so I need to use that point totally!).

And I do know I’m not the one one who desires to take pleasure in their holidays or summers extra.

Whether or not you need extra seaside days, household time, and even simply lazy mornings with espresso, I need to present you that this type of flexibility is feasible. With some planning, techniques, and the best earnings streams in place, you may work much less and nonetheless earn earnings.

And whereas I’m sharing this from the attitude of a full-time blogger, the following tips might be useful for freelancers, small enterprise house owners, content material creators, course sellers, and extra. In case you run any form of work-from-home job or on-line enterprise, you might be able to apply these concepts to create extra time in your schedule – whether or not it’s for a trip, parental go away, a sabbatical, or simply to have extra time in your day.

Right here’s how I’m setting myself up for a low-workload summer time – and how one can too.

How I Plan On Working as Little as Doable Over the Summer time (Whereas Nonetheless Making Cash)

Right here’s how I plan on working as little as potential however nonetheless earn cash. I don’t count on my earnings to go down in any respect – I really count on it to go up!

P.S. I like to recommend becoming a member of my How To Begin A Weblog FREE Course. On this free course, I train you learn how to begin a weblog, from the technical facet to incomes your first earnings and attracting readers. Over 80,000 folks have taken my free course!

1. Working forward now to create respiration room later

Proper now, I’m placing in additional effort in order that I don’t should work a lot later.

This implies I’m writing weblog posts, emails, and social media content material prematurely. I’ve already scheduled plenty of my content material prematurely, and I’m persevering with to remain forward so I can step away with out stress. As a substitute of making issues final minute, I do it now and get it on my calendar.

I exploit instruments like WordPress put up scheduling (each WordPress weblog has this), Equipment for my e mail newsletters and funnels, and the Pinterest scheduler to verify the whole lot continues operating whereas I’m offline.

I’m additionally engaged on all of these large image duties which have been increase for the final yr. I’m embarrassed to confess this however there are some duties that I’ve been pushing off for years, and I’m getting round to them now in order that I can cease fascinated with them. For instance, I’m combining my two programs onto one platform, in addition to testing including extra show promoting to my weblog posts. Engaged on large issues like this proper now could be nice as a result of they’ll take up plenty of time, so I’d relatively do it now than later. I’d relatively my summer time be filled with smaller duties that don’t take up as a lot mind energy.

It feels good to know that my weblog and enterprise will nonetheless be useful to readers, even whereas I’m out mountain climbing with my household or enjoyable by the water.

Right here’s what you are able to do:

• Create a content material calendar for the following 3–4 months. Take into consideration weblog put up matters, e mail newsletters, and social media content material so that you’re not scrambling on the final minute.
• Schedule weblog posts and emails forward of time. Use WordPress, Equipment (or no matter you employ in your e mail instrument), and Pinterest schedulers to automate your publishing.
• Determine and sort out lingering to-dos. End these annoying backend duties you’ve been laying aside – like switching platforms, cleansing up plugins, refreshing your About web page, and so on.
• Choose 2–3 large initiatives to finish now. Select issues that require a lot of time or brainpower and end them earlier than summer time begins.
• Create templates for recurring content material. This might be publication codecs, weblog put up buildings, or social media captions to make future content material sooner to create.
• Audit your affiliate hyperlinks and adverts. Replace them now in order that they’re working for you all summer time lengthy.

2. Batch work

Batch working is among the greatest methods to save lots of time and get extra completed.

I’ve been doing this for years, and it’s really a recreation changer as a result of it permits me to be extra environment friendly with my time. As a substitute of switching backwards and forwards between totally different duties, I concentrate on one factor at a time. I’d spend an entire day simply writing weblog posts or a number of hours solely engaged on e mail newsletters.

This helps me keep targeted, keep away from distractions, and create higher work – sooner. And since I’m grouping related duties collectively, I don’t waste time switching gears or attempting to recollect what I used to be doing.

I even batch errands and private duties, like planning journey or stocking up on groceries, so I can keep in work mode after I’m working and luxuriate in private time after I’m off.

Right here’s what you are able to do:

• Select 1–2 days per week for targeted batch work. These are your deep work days the place you knock out as a lot as potential in a single class (like writing or designing).
• Group duties by kind. For instance, batch all writing duties on Mondays, picture modifying on Tuesdays, and Pinterest pin creation on Wednesdays.
• Use a timer to remain targeted. Strive working in 25- or 45-minute blocks with brief breaks in between (Pomodoro model).
• Create checklists for repeat duties. For instance, a guidelines for writing a weblog put up or making a Pinterest graphic can velocity issues up and ensure nothing is missed. Despite the fact that I’ve been running a blog for a few years, I nonetheless have a guidelines that I have a look at each single time (I’m not joking!).
• Write a number of weblog posts in a single sitting. Define 3–5 weblog posts directly, then write drafts the following day, then edit – breaking it into clear phases.
• File or define a number of movies or reels in a single session. Even in the event you’re not filming in bulk, making ready concepts in batches helps you keep forward.
• Batch your e mail advertising. Plan and schedule your weekly or month-to-month emails multi functional go, utilizing earlier content material as inspiration.
• Batch private duties too. Grocery buying, appointment scheduling, and different life to-dos might be grouped collectively in order that they don’t interrupt your work move.

3. Outsourcing what I don’t must do

I don’t do the whole lot myself – and that’s a part of how I work much less.

Over time, I’ve constructed a small staff that helps with totally different elements of my enterprise. I’ve assist with Pinterest scheduling, social media administration, customer support, proofreading, and extra. I don’t should be concerned in each little factor, and letting go of some management has allowed me to take again extra of my time.

In case you’re not prepared to rent a staff, even outsourcing only one factor may help. For instance, you would possibly rent somebody to edit your weblog posts, repurpose your content material, or assist with graphics.

Delegating duties offers me extra freedom to spend time doing what I really like – and that’s what summer time is all about.

Right here’s what you are able to do:

• Make an inventory of duties you don’t take pleasure in or that drain your time. This might be tech points, formatting weblog posts, making graphics, or scheduling content material.
• Begin with only one process to outsource. Select one thing easy and time-consuming (like Pinterest scheduling or proofreading).
• Rent a freelancer for five–10 hours a month. Web sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and even referrals from running a blog Fb teams are nice locations to look.
• Write a fast commonplace working process. Doc the way you need one thing completed with a brief Loom video or Google Doc – it doesn’t should be fancy!
• Check with a small undertaking first. Earlier than hiring somebody long-term, give them one particular process and see how they do (and see in the event you’re joyful).
• Set a price range and persist with it. Even $100 to $200 a month can liberate hours of your time and scale back burnout.
• Outsource private duties too. If work assist isn’t within the price range but, you could be curious about hiring a cleaner, grocery supply, or a part-time babysitter – all of it helps your online business not directly.

4. Incomes with semi-passive earnings streams

That is the largest motive I’m in a position to step away from work and nonetheless earn cash: semi-passive earnings.

My principal supply of passive earnings is affiliate marketing online. I’ve constructed up a library of weblog posts (I’ve written over 2,000 weblog posts through the years) that herald affiliate earnings each day – whether or not I’m working or not. I’ve additionally created programs that promote on their very own by means of e mail funnels, weblog posts, and associates.

As a result of I’ve already completed the exhausting work of making content material and constructing belief with my viewers, I don’t should be continuously on-line to earn cash. That’s the facility of passive earnings, it retains working for you lengthy after you’ve completed the work.

In case you’re simply getting began with a weblog, you may concentrate on creating useful evergreen content material and constructing site visitors to these posts to do the identical. In fact, just remember to promote merchandise you really consider in, and assume long-term. Semi-passive earnings builds slowly, however as soon as it’s rolling, it may well help your life-style in a giant manner.

Right here’s what you are able to do:

• Replace older weblog posts with contemporary affiliate hyperlinks. Search for posts that get regular site visitors and ensure the affiliate hyperlinks are working, related, and well-placed.
• Add product comparisons or critiques. All these posts normally convert effectively and are nice for search engine optimization too.
• Use affiliate hyperlinks in your e mail funnel. If somebody indicators up in your freebie or publication, ship them to useful sources that additionally earn you earnings.
• Give attention to evergreen content material. Write weblog posts round matters that will probably be looked for all yr lengthy (like learn how to price range, learn how to plan a household trip, learn how to be more healthy, and so on.).
• Observe your top-earning posts and hyperlinks. Use affiliate dashboards or instruments like Fairly Hyperlinks to see what’s working – and do extra of that.
• Repurpose previous content material with affiliate potential. Flip a useful Instagram put up right into a weblog put up or flip a weblog put up into an e mail publication.

You possibly can be taught extra about my affiliate marketing online methods in my course, Making Sense of Affiliate Advertising and marketing. This course teaches how I’ve remodeled $2,000,000 with affiliate marketing online through the years!

Additionally, in case you are curious about how I earn cash on-line, I like to recommend studying this text of mine – How To Monetize A Weblog: How I Grew A $5 Million Weblog.

5. Reusing and resharing current content material

I don’t all the time must reinvent the wheel.

Over time, I’ve written 1000’s of weblog posts, emails, and social media updates. Many of those are nonetheless priceless and related immediately. So through the summer time, I plan to refresh and reshare a few of my older content material.

This would possibly imply updating hyperlinks, tweaking headlines, or turning a preferred put up into an Instagram carousel. I’ll additionally schedule evergreen emails to exit to my checklist – ones which have carried out effectively previously and nonetheless have a lot of worth however are up to date.

Most readers haven’t seen all of your content material, and even when they’ve, they generally admire a reminder. Repurposing saves time and retains your message constant.

Right here’s what you are able to do:

• Choose 5 previous weblog posts to replace and reshare this month. Begin with posts that get good site visitors or reply frequent reader questions.
• Replace affiliate hyperlinks, photographs, and outdated information. This retains your content material contemporary and improves consumer expertise (and conversions).
• Flip weblog posts into short-form video or reels. Break a put up into 3–5 ideas and file a fast Instagram reel or TikTok.
• Create Instagram carousels or Pinterest graphics from previous content material. Use Canva templates to hurry up the design course of.
• Flip previous weblog posts into e mail newsletters. Pull out highlights or ideas and ship them to your checklist with a private notice.
• Create a “Better of” weblog put up roundup. For instance, “10 Most Common Aspect Hustles” and embrace inner hyperlinks.

6. Setting clear work boundaries

One of the vital necessary issues I’m doing this summer time is defending my time.

I’m selecting particular days and hours that I’ll work and sticking to them. I’ll possible work just some hours every week, principally checking in and ensuring issues are operating easily. I’m additionally saying “no” to something that doesn’t match my priorities proper now.

This would possibly imply turning down sure initiatives, delaying some concepts, and even taking a break from my e mail inbox. I’ve realized that I don’t should say “sure” to the whole lot – particularly if it means sacrificing time with my household or enjoyable.

Right here’s what you are able to do:

• Select your weekly work hours and persist with them. For instance, decide to working solely Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to midday.
• Block your work time in your calendar. Deal with it like an appointment so that you’re much less tempted to squeeze in “only one thing more.”
• Create an autoresponder in your e mail. Let folks know you’re working restricted hours and once they can count on a reply. I don’t plan on doing this, however this can be a good suggestion for others.
• Flip off notifications outdoors of labor time. Silence apps like Slack, e mail, and social media if you’re off the clock.
• Set boundaries with purchasers, manufacturers, or collaborators. Allow them to know your summer time schedule forward of time so there aren’t any surprises.
• Hold a operating “later” checklist. Write down concepts and duties that pop up so that you don’t really feel stress to deal with them straight away. I have already got moved some duties to the autumn as a result of I don’t assume they’re necessary sufficient to do proper now.
• Delete or pause pointless apps. Take away something that will get you to test in continuously or distracts out of your day without work.
• Share your objectives with your loved ones or associate. Allow them to know if you’re working and if you’re totally off – to allow them to assist maintain you to it.

7. Specializing in high-impact duties solely

After I do work, I would like it to depend.

So I’m specializing in duties that want me proper then. For me, this would possibly imply creating content material that brings in site visitors or income, sending emails to my checklist, and sustaining relationships with my viewers (like answering emails) and affiliate companions.

I’m avoiding busywork – like checking stats an excessive amount of or spending an excessive amount of time on social media.

Right here’s what you are able to do:

• Write down your high income-generating duties. These is perhaps writing weblog posts, sending emails, or optimizing affiliate hyperlinks – concentrate on these first.
• Use the 80/20 rule. Ask your self: “What 20% of my duties herald 80% of my outcomes?” Do extra of these, and fewer of the whole lot else. Personally, I’ve spent a lot of my time on duties that do nothing for my enterprise or for my readers, and I do know I must cease that.
• Observe the place your time goes. For one week, write down what you’re engaged on and the way lengthy it takes. You is perhaps shocked what’s not really serving to your online business develop. I did this final month and it actually opened my eyes as to what I spend my time on!
• Say no (or not proper now) to low-priority initiatives. It’s okay to save lots of concepts for later – they don’t all should be completed earlier than your break.

8. Utilizing ChatGPT to brainstorm and save time

One instrument I’ve been utilizing extra recently is ChatGPT – and it’s been an enormous time-saver.

I exploit it to assist brainstorm weblog put up matter concepts, write outlines, give you topic traces for emails, and even draft social media captions. If I’m caught or simply want a contemporary view on one thing, ChatGPT helps me transfer ahead sooner. It’s like having a brainstorming associate out there on a regular basis.

This doesn’t imply I don’t add my private contact – I all the time, ALWAYS do. However utilizing ChatGPT helps me skip the clean web page and save time after I want it most.

Right here’s what you are able to do:

• Ask ChatGPT to brainstorm weblog put up matter concepts in your area of interest. For instance, I just lately fed all of my most up-to-date articles which have gone viral and requested ChatGPT to brainstorm extra article concepts which can be related.
• Use it to create outlines earlier than writing. You possibly can feed ChatGPT a bunch of your previous weblog posts after which ask: “Are you able to define a put up in my model titled ‘10 Simple Methods To Save Cash On Groceries’?”
• Have it draft social media captions. Copy/paste a part of your weblog put up and say: “Flip this into 3 Instagram captions in my voice.”
• Flip previous weblog content material into e mail newsletters. Paste a weblog put up and say: “Summarize this into a brief, pleasant e mail with a call-to-action.”
• Use it to put in writing Pinterest pin descriptions. Ask: “Write a keyword-rich Pinterest description for a put up about price range journey ideas.”
• Use ChatGPT to investigate your previous posts on Fb, research your model, and give you tons of extra concepts for Fb posts.
• You possibly can even simply inform ChatGPT all about your online business, after which ask it the way it thinks it may well prevent time. For instance, you may ask: “I run Makingsenseofcents.com. How do you assume ChatGPT can save me time?” or “I run a enterprise the place I plan journey for {couples}. How do you assume ChatGPT can save me time?” I simply requested each of those questions and it gave me a bunch of concepts I didn’t even checklist above!

Now, I do need to say – I by no means simply take what ChatGPT says and publish it. I’m closely modifying it and ensuring the knowledge is appropriate. I exploit it as an on-demand assistant instrument for after I need to brainstorm new concepts.

9. Planning for flexibility

Even with a plan, life occurs. I do know that I’ll nonetheless be working this summer time, and that’s okay. I really like what I do, so that’s fully superb!

For this reason I construct in flexibility. Some weeks I’d work a bit extra and different weeks in no way. I don’t plan on working 0 hours every week for 3 months straight.

As a result of I’ve constructed a enterprise that doesn’t depend upon me working 24/7, I can take that point off with out the whole lot falling aside. That’s the good factor about on-line earnings – you may set it as much as help the life you need.

And that life consists of lengthy summer time days, sluggish mornings, and extra time with the folks I really like.

Right here’s what you are able to do:

• Construct additional buffer time into your calendar. Don’t schedule each hour – go away house for sudden plans, household time, or simply relaxation.
• Have backup content material prepared. Write 1–2 additional weblog posts or emails now that you need to use later in the event you want a break.
• Use instruments that make it simple to pause. Instruments like Equipment, WordPress scheduling, and social schedulers allow you to plan forward – but in addition cease or reschedule content material if wanted.
• Give your self permission to take a full day (or week) off. Your small business gained’t disintegrate in the event you step away – particularly in the event you’ve prepped prematurely.
• Revisit your priorities weekly. What felt necessary in Might won’t matter in July. So, be ready to regulate your objectives based mostly on what your life wants that week.

How I Plan On Working as Little as Doable Over the Summer time (Whereas Nonetheless Making Cash) – Abstract

I hope you loved my article on how I plan on working as little as potential whereas nonetheless earning money.

Working much less this summer time doesn’t imply I care much less about my enterprise. In truth, it means I’ve set it as much as help me in the easiest way potential.

By planning forward, batching duties, outsourcing, and incomes semi-passive earnings, I’m creating time to take pleasure in life outdoors of labor – and nonetheless earn an earnings whereas doing it.

Whether or not you’re a blogger, entrepreneur, or simply somebody seeking to step again a bit, I hope my article exhibits you that it’s potential to work much less and reside extra.

For me, I’m hoping to spend my days mountain climbing, happening journeys, and simply having fun with the times as they arrive.

In case you’re planning to take day without work or work much less this summer time, I’d love to listen to what you’re doing to make that occur.

Do you wish to take breaks all year long? Presumably for a trip? Inform me your plans within the feedback beneath!

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