Time Out: 4 Time Management Tips for Creative Entrepreneurs

What are you trying to get done today?

Creative work? Blogging? Paperwork? Shipping orders? Photographing products? Catching up with email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn?

Creative entrepreneurs have lots of responsibilities to manage - typically all on their own. It can seem like there is a whirling tornado of tasks that's tough to pin down, let alone accomplish.

"It seems sometimes I go a whole week without touching an art supply – which can be kind of depressing," says mixed-media artist Sherry Ball Schoenfeldt.

"I do have a long list of projects on a spreadsheet," Sherry adds. "Just last week I decided to write a 'do today' list each morning.  So far it’s working – I think mainly because I don’t put a lot on there each day so I can avoid those feelings of being overwhelmed and experience a sense of accomplishment."

Sherry is definitely on to something with making to-do lists. Here are some more tips on time management for creative entrepreneurs.

1. Overcome Feeling Overwhelmed
Whether you're starting a new project, or simply struggling to keep up with the tasks on your list, it's easy to get bogged down in self-doubt and worry. Often, these feelings are related to things beyond our control – you may drag your feet because you're worried what others will think, whether you're "good enough", or because you fear new challenges. One way to sidestep this mental quicksand is to focus on tackling what you can control, and just go for it.

2. Re-Prioritize Creativity
You started a creative business to make a living out of your passion, but now you find, once again, that your creativity is always last on the list. You're not alone. Think about putting creative work first, at least one day a week. As freelance writer Kristen Fisher suggests, try to do something creative before anything else – especially before checking your email, which often sucks up far more time and energy than it should.

"I try hard to set a time limit on how long I spend online, because I could always be doing something on the Internet," says Jamie Halleckson, who works with her mom to sell aprons, ironing board covers and other fabric items from their shop, City Chic Country Mouse. "Before you know it, the whole evening is lost to surfing the web :) So I'll tell myself, you need to be done searching for new fabric by (a certain time)."

3. Make a Map and Keep Following It
Whether your goals are daily or more long-term, you need a plan. Sit back and think about where you want to be, and map the steps to get there. Once you've broken your task or goal down into do-able steps, it will be much easier to get started. But, remember that life has a way of putting obstacles in our path, so keep coming back to your map and adjust your itinerary as needed.

4. Use Online Tools
On a daily basis, we all need reminders of our deadlines and responsibilities. Nothing wrong with using a pen and paper or an agenda to pin them down. Jamie Halleckson says that writing her weekly goals on a whiteboard helps keep her on track, as well as making to-do lists before she goes to bed. "I find that I sleep better when I do this. I don't wake up during the night thinking, 'I hope I remember to do x tomorrow!' "

There are also tons of online time management tools. If you tend to lose paper lists, try Google Calendar to stay on track. If you want more bells and whistles, try online task management tools like Todoist or Dooster. A good memory jogger for creative types is Evernote, a free app that lets you record ideas, things you like or things you see on your computer or smart phone.

When it comes to paperwork, Jamie recommends the free, online accounting tool Outright, which she started using this year. "Less time is spent on creating and managing spreadsheets for our accounting, yay!"

What's next on your list? Do you have any time-management tips or shortcuts to share?

Main image courtesy of Laffy4k.

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