Morning
Each morning I wake up to the sound of Radio 1 as my alarm – and each morning I find myself debating whether I like listening to Grimmy or not. I think it’s his ability to be so enthusiastic/awake at that time in the morning – I’m either envious of this or I just can’t quite deal with it at 6.55am… I’m definitely someone that needs a coffee and some time to wake up in the morning.
Before I leave the house at 8 I always take time to make a drink and have a brief sit down and chill with my dog. This is a great way to start the day, as no matter what she will always put you in a good mood and get you set for the day.
The drive to work usually takes around 40 minutes, so I take this time to whack Spotify on and listen to some music – I’ve currently got the new A Day To Remember album on repeat. In between listening to this, I flick Gem on occasionally in the hope of hearing some absolute classics such as George Michael… you know you’re in for a good day when you’re treated to such musical wizardry at this time in the morning.
Depending on the traffic I can arrive at the office anytime from 8:38 to 8:57. But arriving late means you end up with a parking spot half way down the road. Once in the office, the first thing I do is turn my computer on and get on a drinks run. It usually only ends up being a small order as Josh seems to have taken the title as head waiter.
Once I’m settled down with a drink I will look over my emails and slack (the office communication system) for any jobs that need adding to my list, and see if any urgent work has come up since last night. I will make a start on any little jobs and get them out the way quickly so I can crack on with some larger projects.
On a Monday the designers go through the current workload to make sure all projects are on track and see what new projects can be divided between the team to create an efficient workflow.
Lunch
I never like to leave a project when I’m midway through a certain section, so I will take lunch whenever feels right – this can vary anytime from 12 – 2. I always like to get out for a walk from the office, as it’s nice to get away from the screen for a bit. I’ll either walk to the shop to buy some lunch if I haven’t brought any with me, or just go for a walk to stretch my legs. I’ve found a nice little route round the local area that runs down the side of the canal – which is also a prime spot for Pokémon hunting if you’re that way inclined.
Afternoon
Refreshed after lunch, I find this is a good time to start a new big project, or to hit a second wave at something I have been working on in the morning. No day is the same and project priorities can quickly change, and it tends to be in the afternoon where urgent new jobs crop up that means reshuffling the pack to get jobs done.
I save any smaller jobs that have come up throughout the day such as creating supporting visuals for other departments, or writing this blog post until later in the day once my prioritised tasks have been completed.
After Work
I try to leave on time if possible, as I like to get make sure I still have some of the evening left once I’ve battled through the drive home, which sometimes can take closer to an hour.
On a Thursday we have a Fifteen Run club where a few of us go out for a 5km run, but in recent weeks it’s becoming more of a challenge for people to get motivated to go out as the weather becomes more dark and rainy.
Once I get home I usually have time to chill for a bit, either playing the guitar or now Fifa is out I will have a few games on this before I go to the gym at 8. Once I’m back in I’ll quickly have some food and watch a few episodes of something on Netflix and relax for the rest of the night.