“I don’t have time.”
If you’re like most people, you probably say or think those words quite often. Lack of time often becomes a catch-all excuse for not getting work done in your art business – like creating, learning or just slowing down, taking time to plot and plan out your next steps.
Between work, family needs, school, and the endless items on your to-do list, it can be tough to find a spare minute to return an email, much less to post on social media, find and apply to shows or make it to a networking event. It may seem like if you just had one extra hour in the day, you would finally be able to fit in everything you want to do in your art business.
But the truth is, no one has an unfair advantage in the time department. We are all given the same 24 hours each day and it’s up to us how we choose to use them. Of course, there are certain things that simply must get done, like working and eating and taking care of a family. However, with some thoughtful planning, you can boost your day-to-day productivity and maybe even find some extra pockets of time to squeeze in what’s been eluding you.
If you can’t do a lot, do a little.
It’s easy to become paralyzed by the prospect of a large, time-consuming project whether that’s organizing your inventory, building a website or making time for your studio every day. When you hold yourself to sky-high standards and then miss the mark, it’s common to fall victim to the “all-or-nothing” mentality, which sounds something like this: “I missed my studio time today, so what’s the point of even trying to work”
Instead of overwhelming yourself and setting yourself up for failure, look for small ways to chip away at your goals, such as taking inventory of two pieces of art a day or simply working in your studio for twenty minutes.
Do the tough tasks first.
Take care of the most challenging or unpleasant tasks before you have a chance to talk yourself out of them. Hate networking? Attend an event that meets the first thing in the morning. Dreading posting on social media?. Schedule 15 minutes at the start of the day to do it, so it’s not nagging at you all day. Completing a tough task early will give you the motivation to plow through the rest of your day.
Schedule regular studio time.
Can’t schedule a large block of time in the studio every day? Can you try for a half an hour? Put it on your schedule and treat it like a real appointment, just as you would a client meeting. Whether it’s right when you wake up or in the space between dinner and bedtime, put it on your calendar along with your other tasks. As this starts to become a habit, try to gradually add a little more time until you’ve worked up to the ideal amount of time per day for your studio practice.
Get help.
It’s hard to let go of control of things, but you can only do so many things in a day. Sometimes, getting help is the only way to get everything done. You can’t hire someone to make your art for you. You can possibly ask your family members to help out around the house more or hire a cleaning service. Free up some time to focus on your business.
Eliminate unnecessary activities.
While everything on your plate might seem essential at first glance, there are likely some activities that can be trimmed. For a few days, track what you do in a day, then review the list. If you find your doing things that aren’t absolutely necessary and aren’t moving you toward your goals, give them the boot. You’ll likely be surprised by how much extra time emerges.
Take breaks.
If you don’t build periods of mental and physical rest into your day, you’ll find yourself taking unintentional ones. For example, you might schedule one or two 15-minute walks throughout the day. This gives you an opportunity to recharge while also sneaking in some thinking time to plan for your business. Or you could plan to reconnect with another artist during a coffee break. Without these planned time-outs, though, you’re more likely to succumb to mindless activities that offer little benefit to your business.
Get Enough Rest
Your might think staying up late helps you to get more out of your day. However, the time you save by sleeping less will likely mean sacrificing some of your energy, focus, and creativity. Resist the urge to burn the midnight oil. Instead, choose to rest and recharge so you can be functioning at your highest level the next day.
Each morning is a new opportunity to use your time more wisely. Be a little more thoughtful about how you use your time each day and you will move closer to meeting your business goals.
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Photo by Elena Koycheva on Unsplash
