i have been thinking a lot lately about how i manage my time [and how to manage it better when i lose track]
i have been selling my photos for the past couple of years suuuuuper part-time.
this past year, i decided that i was ready to leave my job and to focus on my own work, my own art and create a business. i didnt know how to sew. i am not the most skilled knitter in the universe, and i refuse to buy an slr camera.
i have never had a huge following of people willing to buy every.single.thing i made.
and i certainly didnt [dont] have tons of money to live without working.
but, regardless. i decided to jump [wheeeeeeee]
i am not able to pay my rent off of what i am creating right now. but, i am creating. i am making a [small] living. and every month, i am learning more. meeting more people. and stretching my vision further. [farther?][i dont really know the difference...]
in the past 6 months that i have been working for myself
i have had to teach myself how to sew [my mother helped..], figure out who i was, what i wanted to make, and how to balance a super-low budget with making a high-quality product i would be proud to put my name on.
some of the important things that i have learned :
take your time.
write down a million ideas. even if they are silly
multi-task. [or dont.]
i have learned that having 3 pages of to-do lists can be overwhelming. i have emails to send. packages to send out. checks to cash. workouts to do. posts to blog. ...
i have learned that if i have my computer, i should spend a certain amount of time doing ONLY computer things [this does not include lurking old boyfriends or facebooking my friends] computer time = etsy convos, blogging, editing photos, re/listing items on etsy, responding to emails/comments, ect.
*when i can get a bunch of things knocked out at once, i feel super accomplished. and that motivation keeps me going.
combine things when you can.
[for my pt job, i nanny for a baby.] i only live a few miles away from work, so i bike. and when i am at work, i put the baby in the stroller and we walk about 45 minutes a day. between a 10 mile bike ride and a 45 min walk three days a week, that takes care of working out for those three days. also, when i need to mail packages, i walk or run up to the post office. so, i am mailing packages, working out and saving the planet. ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
i get that different things work for different people. i get that not everyone can walk a baby for 45 min a day and not everyone can bike to work. but i encourage you to find what works best. just knowing that i am s.l.o.w.l.y finding the balance, makes me feel more successful already.
[and yes we do have dinos in our living room..]
what works for you?
