Baguette Gazette: Things I'm loving + how I structure my workweek being self-employed

Including my weekly schedule template 🗞️

Hi friends! Welcome to the latest “Baguette Gazette”. (If you’re new here, this is a monthly catchup where I share recommendations, personal updates, and what’s going on behind the recipes at TNB HQ.)

• Atomic Habits: I heard a ton about this book on social media so I gave it a go. Chapter by chapter, the author breaks down his multi-step formula for how to develop habits that will help you accomplish your goals, whatever they may be. I do think it could’ve been tightened up a bit (i.e. shorter), but there are some great nuggets in it. (If you’re more interested in the breaking of bad habits, I suggest Dopamine Nation instead.)

• Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm: In a world with thousands of lip products - and many of them ridiculously priced - this $5 drugstore one has been my go-to for years. It’s moisturizing, and has a slight sheen with a hint of color. The best part is you can put it on without a mirror.

• Sézane “Le Sept” Bag: My last work bag was 5+ years old and quite raggedy, so I’ve had my eye out for a replacement. When I saw this unusual one go on sale, I bought it immediately. (I’m a sucker for clothing that looks like upholstery.)

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Pretty much my entire adult life, I dreamed of being self-employed. The idea of being in charge of my time was really appealing, but most of all, I wanted my work to amount to something of my own.

It’s now been seven years since I left my last full-time job to build The New Baguette and pursue freelance projects. When I first embarked on this journey though, I had a surprisingly laissez-faire attitude about it (which was consistent with my 26 years of age at the time). Basically, I had no idea how my day-to-day would look.

In theory, working from home and for yourself sounds incredible. But the lack of outside structure soon proves to require some serious self-discipline.

In the beginning, I would jump out of bed, make coffee, and immediately start working around 6:30am - sometimes staying in my PJ’s til noon. This was cool for a couple of months, until the lack of separation between life and work became anxiety-provoking and exhausting. Instead of “working from home”, it became “living at work”.

My desk at home; a sunny day at my co-working space.

Each of the past seven years have been very different, as I was finding my way, balancing different activities, and figuring out what my actual goals are. And frankly, it wasn’t until about two years ago that I was able to create and stick to a consistent weekly schedule that works. So, I wanted to share what it actually looks like, as well as some time management tips, in case you’re in a similar boat.

Here are my general guidelines…

• Have specific work hours. This may sound like a no-brainer, but when you set your own hours, it’s very easy to go off the rails. Mine are generally 8:30am to 6:30pm, though I don’t do the full 10 hours every day. I typically don’t work after dinner or on weekends anymore, to maintain that separation.

• Write down a complete schedule for the week. Over the years, I’ve learned that if I don’t put it on the calendar, it’s not going to happen. I start every Monday by writing a full list of everything that needs to be done that week - including work tasks (publishing recipes, writing newsletters, etc.) and personal ones (dropping off library books, getting a haircut, etc). Then I arrange the tasks into this template*.
  
  (*The template is very basic but neater than writing in a notebook - and you can edit it as needed. The TNB editorial calendar is a separate document.)

• Get dressed every day. This doesn’t mean I wear a blazer and trousers at home, but if I wouldn’t wear it to work from a coffee shop, I’m not gonna wear it at my desk either. How you put yourself together does affect how you show up for the day, even if no one actually sees you.

• Work outside the home as much as possible. In the beginning, this meant going to the local coffee shop for a few hours a day. Now that I can afford a co-working space, I go there once or twice a week (basically whenever I’m not testing or shooting recipes, which I still do at home). I’m usually way more productive outside the home since there aren’t any distractions (it’s shocking how an innocent load of laundry can turn into three and co-opt the whole workday). There’s also something to be said for justifying the cost of the space.

• Schedule in two workouts per week. (Mainly going to the gym, sometimes a dance class ). This is absolutely indispensable for my overall wellbeing (mental health, sleep, digestion, etc.) and I know if I don’t pencil it in, I’ll find some excuse not to go.

A typical recipe-testing scene at home.

And here’s my general schedule:

Monday: Office 8:30am to 5pm.

Tuesday: Gym in the morning (I leave the house at 7am), then work from home (starting at 10:30am). Tuesdays are when I proofread the week’s new recipe and hit publish. Then I head to the kitchen to recipe test.

Wednesday: Sort of a wildcard day. If I have freelance projects, I try to save them for Wednesdays. If not, I either head to the office or work from home.

Thursday: Thursdays are shoot days so I typically photograph all day. This is my most exhausting day.

Friday: Gym in the morning, then work from home. If I’m shooting videos for social media that week, I do it on Friday. And if not, I wrap up other projects from the week.

Are you also self-employed/a freelancer/working from home? Share your thoughts!