Helping women and millennials land a job, find work-life balance and quit gigs to fulfill their dreams is no easy feat, but someone’s got to do it! We’re huge believers when it comes to the idea of #askformore, so we want you to meet Jill Ozovek, a brilliant career blogger and super inspiring NYC career coach who’s living her own dream by helping others after stepping away from the corporate grind. Read on for a day in Jill’s life, which is jam-packed with productivity.
A day in the life of Jill Ozovek
6:45am: My day-to-day schedule varies during the week, which I happen to like! For example, on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, I typically wake up (without an alarm — I haven’t used one in more than five years) around 6:45am to start my morning routine. This includes a shower, stretching session, time for writing notes in my “gratitude and intention” journal, making coffee and a 10-minute meditation session.
I also get to say goodbye to my fiancée most mornings, and we usually have a nice conversation while he’s getting ready and I’m stretching.
8:00am: I sit down with my coffee and breakfast at around 7:45am or 8:00am to get started with client work and begin answering emails. If there’s time like today, I spend some time working on an additional, smaller task too.
9:30am: I like to mix it up, so I generally head to a barre, Pilates or sculpt and tone class at my local studio. I so much prefer working out in the morning before I’m too tired!
11:00am: I’ve learned that I’m most productive during the time between my workout and post-exercise snack until lunch, so this time is key for me. Today, I figure out which of my daily goals (which are tied to my overall goals) use the most brainpower and then set a timer for 50 minutes.
I’ve gotten into the habit of working in a super-focused way for 50 minutes, followed by a 10-minute stretch/walk/water refill break. This really makes my uninterrupted focus time more valuable! On the flip side, I’ve also realized that when I do these things, I’m less productive and less likely to reach my long-term goals.
1:00pm: When I’m home like today, I prep a homemade lunch in the kitchen and listen to a podcast like Amy Porterfield’s Online Marketing Made Easy. If I want something unrelated to my work, I like listening to TED Talks or Freakonomics.
I do most of my lunch on Sunday, so today it’s easy for me to reheat and put a salad together.
2:00pm – 5:00pm: This chunk of time is a mixture of adding in other elements of my daily goal list and working closely with clients. I make sure to stick with my 50/10 minute method throughout this time frame. Today, I take a slightly longer 20-minute break to recharge with a walk. When I can’t do this, I love my standing desk extra — it’s a huge help when my back is getting cranky.
Before I close out the more “traditional” part of my workday, I’ll answer some of the following questions that a friend gave me, like: “How am I feeling?”, “What am I proud of today?”, “What am I grateful for?”or even “Where can I improve?” Today, I think about what I’m looking forward to most tomorrow.
6:00pm – 10:00pm: This time always varies wildly for me. I either speak at an event, attend an event, meet a friend or work with clients who can’t meet during the day because they’re too busy or their job is insane. Tonight is the weekday I’ve reserved for relaxing at home, which is how I keep myself from burning out.
I’m fortunate that no day is really typical. For example, on Wednesdays, I’m in the city by 6:30am for a networking breakfast and meetings that I attend until about noon. Then, I see a couple of clients or meet a friend for lunch. By the time I come home, it’s about 2:00pm and I need a brief nap before I can continue with the day. I’m on kind of a crazy internal clock now, so waking up more than an hour earlier than normal is tough for me.
On Fridays, I usually see my mindfulness coach in the morning and meet a colleague after. Then I’ll have a business lunch or see a friend and come home for the afternoon to get some work done and close out the week.
I always make my goal list for the following week so I can rock and roll with it on Sunday afternoon when I get back at it for a little work. I make sure to fully unplug during Friday evening and ALL DAY on Saturday too. It’s important!
Jill’s Favorite Quote
Jill’s Best Advice
Listen more than you speak. You never know when a hidden gem will present itself — and it’s applicable in so many facets of life. Maybe you’ll catch a shared interest that builds your relationship with the person, or maybe she’ll say something that makes you realize you can help her.
If you’re in business for yourself or you’re in a client-facing role, you can hear about pain points and struggles that can help you/your company create a brand new product or service to help them out. And when you’re listening more than you speak and giving more than you take, the universe has this funny way of paying you back tenfold. Try it :)
(Photos via Jill Ozovek)
