Yes, 30.
I am an event planner full time (and then some).
30 weddings a year, then photo shoots, then other events, sounds like a lot right? It is!
I get comments like “Oh, well it’s different when you do it full time” – Yes, of course it is, you’d be insane to take on that many events and not do it full time.
And things like “Oh, it’s different for you, you don’t have any kids” – Yes, that’s also likely very true, but there are many event planners out there that do way way WAY more then I do and have 2 -5 kids (Now that’s a Wonder Woman/man!)
I can only speak from my experience and what I do to make things work. So with that caveat in place here’s my approach.
End each day with a plan for the next
Like most event planners I have a hard time turning my brain off at the end of the day to try and forget about everything that needs to get done. I end my day with making a list of everything I want to do the next day. That way I can have a plan and know what’s coming next. I send out confirmation emails for the meetings for the following day, check my emails one last time, make my to do list and, call it a day.
Create a list of tasks and goals for the day and stick to it
If you haven’t already guessed I am a huge fan of lists. This might not work for everybody but it definitely works for me. I have an ongoing checklist of things that I need to get done, things I want to get done, and things to blog about, read, or look into. I keep it all pretty organized and always have my phone, computer or, iPod with me so that I can add things to this list anytime. If I’m out for a meeting, or think of something on the go, I can write it down and go back to it later. I’m not one for relying strictly on my my memory because I know when I get slammed with work sometimes things fall through the cracks. Or when I am a doing too many things I start to forget. That’s why I have found ways to foolproof my work, even for my own brain.
Always keep educating yourself
There are always new ways of doing things, new ideas, new trends and, new information out there to help you learn how to do the job better. If I don’t keep educating myself I might get left behind, and could possibly be doing things in a much more frustrating, or inefficient manner. If I can learn how to do something quicker, and it benefits me and my clients, I’m always on board for it.
Get 8 hours of sleep
If I don’t get 8 hours of sleep I’m not a happy camper. I get brain fog, I’m not as creative, and I’m not on my ‘A’ game. Of course every night is different and sometimes it just doesn’t work out but if you want to be consistently on your ‘A’ game I would suggest making sure you get consistent sleep. Studies show that you won’t be 100% if you’re not consistent with your sleep and taking care your body. This is when your body recharges, regenerates and, refreshes for the day to come. This is how burnout happens so always take care of yourself, no matter what.
Drink lots of water and eat snacks and real meals
I feel like this goes hand-in-hand with getting a lot of sleep, but many of us don’t remember to nourish ourselves properly either. I wake up every morning and have a big glass of water, have another about an hour before each meal, and then again before bed and of course in between as well. If I stay hydrated I stay motivated. If I don’t have snacks and real meals, creativity and organization go out the door and get replaced with an angry bear-like version of myself, and nobody wants that.
Plan out your planning
I know, it might sound super obvious but plan your planning. Take the time to set up great systems. I’m a huge believer in “build it and they will come”. Before I had any weddings I had set up tons of different systems and ways I would do things when I got full planning clients, as well as structures for those “what if” situations. Now that I am more established and have been doing this for a while I’m always tweaking, adjusting, adding and, making sure that I’m getting my clients the service they need. With taking on so many weddings, I need to have reminders, reference points and, a lot of great notes and details to keep me sorted. If I didn’t plan out my planning, my planning wouldn’t get done.
Have more questions for me? Leave them in the comments below AND check out our Q & A series for many other great posts!
Here are some videos that I’ve been loving lately to get me going and motivated.
