6 Time Management Tips for Artists

6 Time Management Tips for Artists and Entrepreneurs

Despite the deep reserve of worthwhile ideas and plethora of potential time wasters, we all have the same amount of time in a day… And its never enough.

Since time is a fixed commodity, and we all get the same amount of it, it is a fools errand to pursue the question of how can we get more of it.

As stephen covey said "time management is a misnomer," supportively stating that we are in pursuit of the effective management of ourselves.

But despite the seemingly rigid limitations of defined structure, the enemy is actually lack of structure and not having a rigid enough sense of what we CAN accomplish in a DAY… and what WE SHOULD be doing.

Since should is too relative to mean anything, its obvious there is only ONE conclusion….

What do we NEED to be DOING to get to WHERE we want to be, and what are the things we need to know/skills we have to develop to get there.

Its about finding and creating a formula that works for you.

Here are 6 time management tips for artists, and a few things i've learned.

1. Avoid Plate Spinning at All Costs

When in doubt, or overwhelmed, just do SOMETHING the right way, rather than trying to do EVERYTHING the WRONG way.

We can all only do one thing at a time well anyway.

The ENEMY is overwhelm.

We can only read one book at a time.

Regimenting our days is critical.

2. Long Term Commitment To Chosen Areas (Musical Craft/Songwriting/Music Production/Etc.)

MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE IS THAT WE SETUP A DEFINED STRUCTURE TO IMPROVE AND MASTER THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE CHOSEN TO.

WITHOUT THE CONSCIOUS ATTENTION TO OUR PROCESSES, PRACTICAL PLANS FOR CONTINUOUS GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT IN OUR CRITICAL SKILL AREAS, WE MAY NEVER GET OURSELVES LOCKED IN AND ON TRACK FOR LONG TERM MASTERY…

And LONG TERM MASTERY HAS TO BE THE GOAL.

3. Clear Definition of Necessary Skills and Chosen Crafts

You really should have it broken down, you need to know what you need to know, and you should be able to answer with a logical reason why you are developing the skills you are.

for example - singing, songwriting, copywriting, leadership=people development (my style of leadership) SEO, Social media, etc.

This is counterintuitive, but helpful for building up your skills toward mastery. Knowing that you have chosen to continuously improve in a certain areas. Plus inevitably implies that you  MUST build processes and systems to handle EVERYTHING else.

Again, this is simple… But its profound, and most people will never do it.

4. When starting to feel irritated, take a break and don't push it

This is SO important and at times SO hard to do… The tendency can be to want to stick it out and push through it… But you cant. It is dangerous, and not good for your health. Take a break, get into good habits, they will pay off.

5. At the end of the day, you can do ALL you can do, where you are, with what you got, and as long as you are doing that… That is ALL you can do.

You obviously cannot be anywhere that you aren't, nor can you do two things at once. Your singer songwriter development is a process.

So trust the plan and do your best to stick to it… Even if you're wrong, you'll have an easier way finding exactly what didn't work, and correcting course.

6. Expect that you'll run into roadblocks, and then don't be so frustrated with things when you do.

Its going to happen… Things will not work out the way you expect them to, everytime… Get over it. Don't take things personally, and always look at things as a challenge to overcome, not a bad card you were dealt.

If you don't have the ability to adapt and overcome, you wont make it.

Remember to laugh, instead of letting your mind runaway in worry, it'll only create more problems… i promise.

Roadblocks are only a test of our strength, flexibility, and our persistence. You've got it.

Singer Songwriter Producer,

Jamie