Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.
– Art Buchwald
How do you spend one of your most precious resources called TIME? It’s one of those resources you can’t replace, repeat or retrieve.
Time management is one of the biggest challenges I hear from singers who are looking to pursue a career. One of the big questions is: “How do you get all the stuff done in a day, a week or even a month that requires my attention if I want to get to my goal?” It can seem overwhelming because there are so many different parts involved in the business aspects of a career. And because this aspect of having a career might be new to you, you will not have had a lot of experience to fall back on. And time then gets away from you. Until you realize that having a career begins with creating a business plan with specific attainable goals, trying to get to where you want to go can often seem like nothing but spinning your wheels and getting nowhere. It feels hopeless and may make you feel like you want to quit trying. While I can’t take away all the challenges of creating a career, I can share some ideas of how to better handle your time as you work your plan of action.
- Keep it simple.
Technology is fabulous and makes many tasks much easier. It can also be a huge waste of your time and energy if you allow yourself to get caught up in activities using this technology that don’t get you business wise to where you want to go or you might try using all when it’s not necessary. For example, a task list might not work for you. You might need to check out an app for mind map and see if that will help you figure out what it is you want to get accomplished for the next week. I suggest that once you have your tasks in mind, use the calendar on your phone to keep you focused during each day. All of your tasks can get placed into your calendar as an appointment with yourself. By doing this, you also can block out the estimated time to complete the task. I have noticed that one of the big problems for those just starting a career is that you rarely allot yourself enough time to complete a task which then puts everything else you have to do behind schedule and starts making you feel overwhelmed. Remember that focused and steady wins the race. Don’t try to fit too many tasks into your work day without an estimated time of completion along with it because you most time will also be working your regular money making job. It’s a process of figuring out just hope much you can successfully put on your plate always allowing for adjustments as you go. - Take a whole day off to replenish your mind, body and soul.
Singers often forget that balancing life and replenishing your inner resources is of paramount importance and is not time wasted. At the end of your day off, sit down and for about an hour and evaluate what you accomplished the past week and then plan your upcoming week accordingly. That means checking with your plan of action to see what needs to be done next or how you might incorporate a new project into the mix while still finishing up some of the others you already have on your plate. If you do this, then starting Monday morning, you have already done all the thinking and can simply do what you put on your calendar each day. This means there will be fewer fires to put out, and when unexpected “stuff” happens you can easily look at your calendar and rearrange and adjust if need be. It allows you to be flexible on purpose without getting crazy. - Review your week.
At the beginning of the week, print a copy of your planned calendar and set it aside. As you go through your week, modify your printed calendar to reflect what you actually did, and make changes to the areas where you deviated from the plan. Be honest about what you actually did! If you decide that you are not going to complete a task, actually change your past weeks calendar to show the deviation even if it was to take a much needed nap. At the end of the week, you can print an updated, adjusted copy of your calendar and compare it to your original plan and celebrate where you did great, and find a way to increase your success in the areas that need some improvement. Practice makes permanent, and creates either good or bad habits. So figure out what works best for you and watch yourself succeed.
Challenge yourself, pass on what you learn along the way and let me hear from you via Facebook. Ciao, carol
