In Part 3 we got specific in our goals for next year (and beyond). Today we take a look at our time and how to schedule it. (Re)Read the Time Management post from back in July, as it is what today’s big idea is about.
Daily Schedule.
I know, you artist minds out there are screaming at me: “NO SCHEDULES! I CAN’T WORK UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS!” The good news is, it’s a loose schedule that you create on your own, to your specifications and to your style and you can change it as you desire. Your schedule might not start until 1:00 in the afternoon and run until 3:00 in the morning. That’s up to you. The important part is that you go through this exercise and give it an honest try. You’ll be surprised how efficient you will feel even after only a couple weeks.
The idea of the Daily Schedule is adapted from FlyLady.com. In fact, many of her processes and views would work well, adapted to the self-employed artist.
Making your Schedule.
First you will want to create a table with the days of the week on it and the time that you will be working, whether it be for your business, household or elsewhere. Here is a pdf example of a rough daily schedule. Notice that it does not have specific steps to reaching goals but it has time blocked out for what needs to be done in the home (i.e., kids and laundry) as well as time for working (torching, shipping, research, ordering, etc).
It is ok to make it vague right now until you get a better feel of what needs to get done during your weeks. Start by entering ongoing calendar items like volunteering at school, teaching classes, soccer practice, guild meetings, etc… so that you can plan your other time around them. Next, schedule items like shipping. Maybe choose a few days a week to ship rather than every day when something is ordered. If you have a lot of shipping, schedule that time into every day. Schedule bookkeeping time into a time slot on one day. Things that only need to be done monthly like sales tax, balancing the checkbook, paying bills.
As you start to fill in your schedule you will see when your work can happen. Start to fill in those areas as well. Include beadmaking time (maybe there are different times for torchwork, pmc work, finishing, stringing, making jewelry, etc.) Schedule when you will take your photos and list online, if that is how you sell. If you need time to just ‘play’ with your creativity, plan a time when that can happen, outside of your other production/order work. Etc.
What other aspects are there of your business, personal, spiritual, family/household goals? Schedule exercise time. Devotional time. Meditation. Grocery shopping.
Most importantly, know that this is a living, breathing list. You will adjust throughout the year to accomodate changes in schedule or when you realize that you are better at something at a different time of day. Don’t be too attached to the fact that it’s a schedule and think of it more as a guideline.
My experience with this process is that I start working my schedule and feel really streamlined. Then I start to fall off the wagon. Before I know it I’m back in a little chaos (can you have a little chaos?) and I’m not accomplishing as much as I should be. At that time I take my schedule back out and either start up or tweak it to work better for me. One concept of the FlyLady is to not beat yourself up if you stray. Just get back in there.
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By now you should have your list of goals for the year started. If you don’t, no worries…you still have time. Be sure to read Parts 1 and 2 of this series for a step-by-step.
Today we learn about paring down your list and starting to get more specific.
You may have found that your list is really short, or really long.
The Short List
If you are having a hard time coming up with things that you would like to accomplish in the coming year sit quietly and think about it differently. Don’t think of ‘things’ to add to your list, think about where you want to be. Do you want to be published? Do you want more income? Do you want name recognition? Do you want to be involved more in an organization to meet and network with new people? Do you want to pick up three new stores?
Add those wide, more vague goals and then I’ll tell you how to achieve them later.
The Long List
Have you listed everything but the kitchen sink? Let’s be realistic here. You will need to eliminate some items or at least prioritize them. Under each category, list from number one on up, which are the most important to you. As the numbers get higher, consider taking those off the list. If you don’t want to fully ditch them, make another list of things that you can do after you complete your more important goals.
The reason you should remove them from your list is because they will hang over your head and distract you from what you really want to accomplish. You may be more apt to choose to work on those more simple tasks rather than working towards your goals.
If you continue to have a hard time letting go, meet with your accountability partner(s) and get their feedback. Sometimes even saying it out loud makes you realize that it might be too much to take on. Ask them what they think is realistic to achieve given how much you work.
Get Specific.
Now that you have this list of goals, let’s get specific.
One of my goals for the next year is to work more on juried pieces and higher end competitions and submissions. In this step I will list out what those are and also note the deadlines for each. This way I can see at-a-glance what is coming up and I won’t be scrambling at the last minute.
Maybe you have a sales goal. Drill down the numbers to see what you need to do to reach that goal. Would you like to bring in $3000 a month? What will that take if you’re selling on eBay or at shows? Know how much inventory you will need. What other ways can you sell?
Are you going to lose 10 lbs next year and keep it off? What will your method be? Do you need to plan menus? Read a nutrition book? Join a gym?
What about attending that convention that you’ve always wanted to go to? Plan what you need to save now, before you realize you can’t make it because of finances.
Etc.
We’re Getting There.
Your list should be taking shape now and you might be seeing how this is all fitting together. Continue refining your list and thinking about your goals for the next year. Remember, nothing goes on this list that you don’t have passion for. Save those for a task list.
The next post will help you to start setting up steps to accomplish your goals and working up a calendar for time management.
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Have you been thinking about your goals for the upcoming year? If not, it’s not too late; read Part 1. If you have been mulling over what you would like to accomplish, it’s time for part two…
Starting to Define Your Goals
Make a physical list with the headings I listed in Part 1. Business, Personal, Family/Household, Spiritual. Start to list under those categories the things that you would like to accomplish in the coming year. The sky is the limit. Add the biggest projects that interest you right down to the things that you’ve been meaning to do but haven’t managed to accomplish. List the things that scare you and the things that don’t.
Be careful though…don’t use this as a list for regular to-do tasks or a shopping list. It is not the place to list, ‘order four pounds of white glass’ even if you’ve been meaning to do it for the last six months. I suggest you keep a running list or white board for that kind of item. However, if you have been meaning to try a new medium or type of supply, that could work on this list. Example: ‘Purchase and explore borosilicate glass’. We’ll get more specific with that type of goal later when we start to break them down into manageable pieces.
As you go along in this process you will start to get a feel for what you really want to accomplish, what is possible, what might not be possible but can at least be started in this next year. It may even give you new ideas and projects.
Search Your Heart
As you write your goals, search your heart. What the heck does that mean? Ask yourself, is this something I really have a passion for or is it something else? Is it something that I really really want to do or is it something I’m feeling like I should do? Is this something that others have been telling me I should do? If it isn’t from your own heart and something you feel passion for, don’t put it on your list.
Items on your list that aren’t from your own heart will most likely be a set-up for procrastination and eventual ‘failure.’ You will find those items hanging over your head and burdening you and that can be damaging to accomplishing other items of your goal list.
On the other hand, there might be some tasks that you need to do (and aren’t necessarily passionate about) in order to reach a certain goal that you are passionate about. Something like learning to take good photographs. If you are passionate about being published in a magazine, learning to get good photographs is more than necessary. Perhaps your goal could be to make enough money to hire someone to do your photos. Don’t worry about how it will happen right now, just make sure it’s on your list.
Enlist an Accountability Group
I have written before about accountability in your business. Assemble a group of peers/colleagues, people who you feel would be beneficial and complementary in the process of talking business and holding each other to task. A couple years ago I was invited to a group of this sort and we formed a Yahoo! group. It’s great to have a group of people you can turn to with business questions, for encouragement and just to bounce things off.
Consider proximity…getting together either physically or on-line in this fashion. What would work best for you? Explain to them what you are doing and that you’d like to commit as a group for a year to develop individual goals and to check in with each other periodically on how you’re all doing with your goals. The other part is being open about your struggles and successes and providing honest but helpful feedback for each other.
This group will be important in the next step where you start to assess whether your goals are realistic and what it will take to achieve them. If you can’t think of anyone to do this with, drop me an email. I will help to hook you all up and how to get started. If this is something you’re interested in, let me know…maybe we can take it further.
So, those are your tasks for this week. Make sure you’re subscribed or get Bead Nerd by email so you’ll know when Part 3 of Goal Setting is published. Also, let me know if there are other areas that you have questions about or things that would help you in your business. Click the “Ask Bead Nerd” box up there and drop me an email.
