How I Rebuilt My Routine as a Full-Time Marketing Operations Project Manager & Creator
- kevonyawebbriley
- Oct 18
- 3 min read
If your routine isn't working, it's not a personal failing; it’s a system design flaw. Most Project Managers are experts at creating streamlined workflows for their jobs, yet we often feel completely drained when it comes to managing our own lives and side passions. It’s an easy trap to fall into: using corporate-level processes for personal tasks, leading to friction that makes you want to throw your whole calendar in the trash. The fix isn't more discipline; it's a completely customized system that’s built for your brain, not just for the projects you get paid to manage.
The Juggling Act No One Tells You About
There’s a beautiful disorder that comes with being a Project Manager and a Creator. By day, I’m building systems to keep major clients and campaigns on track. By night (and early mornings, and weekends), I’m running my own business and serving you, my community.
When I started, I tried to force a rigid 9-to-5 system onto a flexible 5-to-9 schedule. I was using processes built for corporate deliverables to manage my own creative flow, and you guessed it! I ended up completely drained. My routine felt like a checklist written for someone else’s brain, and it left me depleted and unmotivated for my own business.
Your routine is a system, and just like any good project, it has to be scoped with precision. It has to make sense. It needs to work for your brain, your energy levels, and your real-life constraints, not just your boss's expectations.
Phase 1: Separating the Lanes (Without Building a Wall)
The biggest mistake I made was trying to make my work routine and my creative routine identical.
They have totally different rhythms:
Project Management at work: Driven by external deadlines, meetings, and dependencies. My energy is highest for communication and problem-solving in the mornings.
Creator Business: Driven by internal focus, deep work, and creative flow. My energy is best suited for writing, planning, and creating content in the late afternoons.
My system now starts with a clear priority map, not a time block. Every Sunday night, I map out the one thing that must move forward for my business, and every Monday morning, I map out three things that are priority for the work week. If I can only tackle one item for PM work and one for my creator business, those are my targets. Everything else is a bonus.
Phase 2: Auditing Your "Must-Dos" vs. Your "Could-Dos"
We often create routines based on what we think we should do but the real "Kee Method" is about ruthless intentionality, especially when a new routine is whooping your ass!
Claim Back your "Buffer" Time: Working from home means I lose my commuter's buffer, but I gain other low-energy pockets. If you relate here, it may be beneficial to shift your long-form content consumption (blogs, podcasts) to low-energy pockets, like the 30 minutes I take to walk my dog before I log on. This frees up my creative focus time for actual writing.
Batching is a Project, Not a Switch: I know that forced content batching can feel like more disorder than help initially. Start small: all emails, invoicing, and admin tasks are batched into a single 45-minute slot every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Closing the loop on low-energy tasks keeps my high-energy creative time protected.
Treat Deep Work like a Meeting: If it's a priority, block it out. Turn off notifications and set a single-focused goal. I use the first 45 minutes of my work day before meetings start to tackle my single high-priority item for my day job.
The result isn’t a perfectly color-coded, cutesy, calendar (although, that is a part of it!); it’s a workflow that gives me grace. It’s structured enough to prevent friction but flexible enough to handle the inevitable curveballs of being a Project Manager.
Ready to Build a System That Works for You?
If you’re ready to stop fitting your brilliant brain into a rigid routine, you need a system designed for flexibility and personalized productivity.
Action: Use the Weekly Work Journal to create a workflow that works for you! It's built on my proven project management principles, adapted for your personal life and creative projects.
