I like to start the day with a double entendre. I am thinking of time management more than anything else. A writer friend asked me, how do you fit what you do into 24 hours? Before I start, I know there is a danger of me sounding like a smart arse and I really don’t want to come across like that. We manage in one form or another, whether we realize it or not. I have a number of jobs that I do on a daily basis, I run a publishing house, an art business, I am a writer, illustrator and I own a bar. As a writer, I am sure you do too, balancing home life, your writing, your social life and maybe another job as well. My answer to how do I fit what I choose to do, into 24 hours? Is, with great difficulty. Balancing a range of jobs is never going to be easy but I have found a way to manage to do it over the last twenty or so years. The way I do it is dividing my days into time slots and I stick fairly rigidly to those slots. I also choose work between 80 to 100 hours a week. A typical day might look like:
Up at 7.00 am coffee and a few chores, I have the BVS story submissions transcribed on my tablet as audio content these days, I will be listening to possible new stories.
7.30- 9.30 e-mail, write my blog and a look at social media promo.
9.30- 10.30 sort out the day’s food, if I can I like to multitask and do something for the next day too so I get ahead of the game. When I am in the kitchen I will also be listening to possible new stories.
10.30- 3.00 more e-mail, ( I typically get 200-300 e-mails a day) then writing and or look at graphics, see if I can think of a topic for tomorrow’s blog.
3.00- 4.30 Downtime with lunch. In this time I watch TV usually while painting.
4.30-5.30 social media
5.30- 6.30 I do an hour in the bar
6.30- 7.00 evening meal
7.00- 9.00 social media, promo, or writing, or teach art.
9.00- 1.00 down to the bar (I should point out the studio and office is above the bar.)
That is how I manage to work the jobs, but it has the downside that you do feel tired most of the time. So when you do get the downtime you have to make the most of it. When I am ahead on my schedule I do go out into the garden. I love my Bonsai trees and I love being outside. I also sometimes move my writing time out into the garden. I stress I’m no martyr, don’t feel a slave to the job, I love my work. I love all the things I do for the most part.
How about you? How do you manage to fill your day
I would love to hear your thoughts, experiences, reflections, and stories. Or any views you might like to share. Here, the blog, Facebook or Twitter.