Are you finding it difficult to get everything done in your day? Do you find yourself putting some project off while doing other projects that are not productive? In this article you will discover how planning your day will be more productive.
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”
~ Stephen King
Living the life of an artist is many people’s dream. To be able to make a living from what you love is priceless. The artist can make their own schedule and dress as they wish. There are no set breaks that have to be taken. There is no boss looking over your shoulder. You will not have to scrape the ice off your car in the morning during the winter months.
Working at home and being your boss has many benefits. There can also be many distractions. At home you might find yourself fiddling around with things that are not productive for your business.
To get the most out of your time you need to develop a plan that will work best for you.
Planning Your Day
“A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble at his door.”
~ Confucius
Define Your Work
Every artist will have different jobs that will need to get done. You will need to sit down and define what needs to get done for your art business.
Make a list and place it at your workstation. The highest priority should be listed first and the lowest priority should be last. This list will change as your business grows.
Example:
- Create art
- Ship Art
- Online Marketing
- Accounting
- Ordering Supplies
Define Your Workspace
This could be difficult for some people. Home is home. Your business at home needs a designated area for work. When you go to the designated area it is time to work. You will have the working mind frame. Just as if you drove to an office.
You will need to find a place that you can keep all of your business paperwork as well as somewhere to create your art. This might take some trial and error to find out what works best for you and your family.
When you are in your workspace you will need to limit the distractions. Only answer the phone for business or emergencies. Everything else can wait until your workday is done. Turn off your Facebook and email notifications. You can get to that later.
Daily Schedule
A daily routine is important. You want to wakeup everyday knowing exactly what will need to get done. You will be in pilot mode.
Sitting at the table having coffee and thinking what I should do today will only have you lose valuable time.
Take your list of jobs and create a daily list. Designate specific jobs for specific days.
You might need to work on some jobs everyday but other jobs can be done once a week.
Try to be as productive as you can in the time that is allowed for your work day.
Breaks
Your brain and body needs a break. If you set a regular break during the day you will be more focused when it is time to get back to work.
If you do not take a break to refocus, you will find yourself wandering around not accomplishing anything.
When the work day is over, punch out. If something did not get done you will need to set that as a priority for the next day. By doing this you will start to focus during the work day and become more productive.
If you keep working past your working hours you will find that you start to burn out.
Summary
Planning your day ahead of time will greatly reduce unnecessary stress in your life and have your time be more productive.
Are your finding it easy to work at home or do you find yourself easily distracted?
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