Trixie Reyna-Benedicto left the exciting world of online publishing and moved to Iloilo when she married her Ilonggo sweetheart. Armed with an 11-inch MacBook Air and fast internet connection, she’s on a mission to help promote and give back to her new community through words and technology. Take a look at her typical day in both Iloilo and Manila.

I have always been used to the fast-paced world of working in online media. I started out as the website editor of one of the Philippines’ biggest real estate companies. I got my big break in publishing when I became the editor of lifestyle website FemaleNetwork.com and when I later created and became the pioneering editor of Cosmo.ph, the website of Cosmopolitan magazine in the Philippines.

After several years, I moved on to become editor-in-chief of lifestyle and entertainment websites of a local TV network, TV5. I eventually joined the corporate world as the head of Coca-Cola Philippines’ social media team and later as one of the pioneers of Coke’s ASEAN social hub.

My freelancing fate was sealed when I moved to a rural town in Iloilo province after getting married. Thank God for decent internet connection in our area, I’m able to accept writing and editing projects from clients from the Philippines and abroad. My typical day goes like this, with slight differences when I’m in Iloilo and when I’m in Manila:

6:00 A.M. – Time to wake up. I have no choice, my husband wakes up at this time or earlier. That or his phone will start ringing and pinging with new messages from his contractors. I don’t necessarily get up yet. I check my social media accounts, then try to do 100 crunches before getting out of bed.

7:00 A.M. – I have breakfast, either with my husband or by myself if he’s already out on the field. I try to finish my coffee while poring over my planner and planning how to take on the tasks for the day. When that’s done, I wash the dishes then get back to work.

8:00 A.M. – I start reading and answering emails. When I’m in Manila to attend events and business meetings, this is usually the time I wake up, haha! I do the same things, drinking coffee while I go over my planner and emails.

9:00 A.M. – I update my social media accounts with links to my latest stories on my own blog or the online publications to which I contribute. When I need to help out my husband on some business activity, my morning schedule is moved to the afternoon or sometimes at night. When I’m in Manila, this is usually the time I hit the gym so it’s out of the way, and I can focus on work for the rest of the day.

9:30 A.M. – I begin researching for a story I’m working on and creating the outline. After these, I begin to craft the first draft. The time it takes me to do this depends on how research-heavy the story is. When clients provide all the information and I just have to weave all of them into a one- or two-pager, this process goes much faster. The same goes for when I’m creating a post for my own blog; plus, I use this time to begin editing photos for my blog and social media posts.

12:00 NN – I take a break to make lunch for myself or for my husband and I when he’s home. After I do the dishes, I make myself my second cup of coffee, this time over ice, to perk me up for the afternoon ahead.

When I’m in Manila, I just take my meals during lunch events I’m covering for my blog, especially if it’s a restaurant review.

1:00 P.M. – I go over my first draft and start chopping paragraphs. After taking a break from the story (i.e. lunch), I read my draft with fresh eyes so I know what to cut or condense to fit the word count requirement. If it’s a blog post, I try to see where I’m oversharing or where I’m getting too “press release-y” and try to cut items that over-promote a certain product or brand.

4:00 P.M. – When a story isn’t too research-heavy and I’m able to finish it fast, and when my husband has a light day at work, we usually try to squeeze in an hour at the gym at this time in Iloilo.

When I’m in Manila, this is usually the time I leave the house for evening events so I can avoid rush hour traffic. I can always catch up on more work on my phone. Or when I need to, I bring my laptop with me. It’s an 11-inch MacBook Air, so it’s not bulky at all.

6:00 P.M. – Whether I stayed home working or we hit the gym in Iloilo, this is the time I begin doing household chores before taking a shower. And then I make dinner.

When I’m in Manila, this is usually the time evening events begin, where I end up having dinner and drinks.

7:00 P.M. – This is the latest time we have dinner, whether at home or at a restaurant, whether I’m in Iloilo or in Manila on nights without events. Sometimes it’s even earlier.

8:00 P.M. – My husband and I settle in our living room to watch shows and movies on Netflix or HOOQ. This has become our nightly routine. On weekends, we usually open a bottle of wine, enjoyed with a pack of peanuts while we binge-watch.

When I’m in Manila, this is usually the time I’d head home from evening events.

9:00 P.M. – When I’m in Manila this is when I get back to my laptop and resume writing—be it for a client or for my blog. I always enjoy writing at night. I can go on until midnight or past 1:00 A.M. without noticing it’s time to hit the sack!

10:30 P.M. – When I’m in Iloilo, this is when my husband would usually turn in for bed after our Netflix marathon. This is my time to read the Bible, do my nighttime skincare routine, and catch up on some light reading—be it a book or some online articles I saved for later. When I have a deadline, I go back to writing, after my evening prayers and skincare.

What is your proven time management or productivity hack?
I can’t live without my planner. Each year, from out of several planners I’m given by brands and friends, I select the best one with the most space for jotting down to-dos for the day—it just doesn’t work when I use my phone’s calendar feature. I need to be able to write down all my to-dos, see how my whole week or month looks so I know how much work, meetings, and events to accept, and where I can squeeze in some quality time with my husband and for myself. Everything is timed accordingly, as you’ve seen in my typical daily schedule. And it gives me so much satisfaction crossing things out with a flourish using a colored pen!

Because I see all my tasks, I can start with the easier ones, to get them out of the way so I have more time to work on challenging ones or those that take more time. I focus on one job at a time so I finish each one faster. I also take a quick break and try to reward myself before I get started on a new project so I don’t feel stressed or burned out.

What do you like most about your job or business?
As a lifestyle blogger, I love that I can make the most of the things I enjoy and that I’m passionate about. I love being able to travel, stay at hotels and resorts, dine at different restaurants, try all sorts of food and drinks, road-test the latest makeup and skincare, try different fitness activities, road-test vehicles, and home appliances—and then write about all these experiences and share knowledge with my friends and readers. I just really love writing!

As a content consultant and freelance writer and editor, I love that I’m able to work with various companies, not just one. I enjoy the flexibility it affords me—I can work anywhere, anytime, for as long (or short) as I want, as long as I have Internet connection/mobile data, even when I’m traveling (although I try to avoid doing that).

I like that I can help promote Iloilo, as well as neighboring provinces in the Panay and Negros regions, through my writing, especially when publications allow me to pitch topics. Hopefully, one day, I can also get my network to help me and my husband in our efforts to give back to our community.

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