TEEvolve: January 2011

After all the hustle and bustle of the holiday, it’s understandable that we all might be a little off the track with our to-do lists. Make a point to get yourself back on track and make working easier by taking some of these tips I’ve put together. I’ve chosen the top ten that I feel are most beneficial to me, an Etsy shopowner and creative entrepreneur, but please read through and choose the ones that are right for YOU.

1. Set Goals. The most important thing is to have goals, because goals give you a reason to work. If you do not have goals, your work will be a complete mess and you won’t get anything accomplished. They don’t have to be big things- you cannot expect to reach your long-term goals overnight; it’s about creating short-term goals that help you work towards your long-term ones. Remember, every big goal is reached by completing many small ones. I like to write my goals on post it notes and stick them around my workspace. Whether they are for my long-term or short-term goals, they are constant reminders of what I am working toward.

2. Visualize. Take time to close your eyes and imagine yourself successful and fulfilled. Feels good, eh? Every time you get discouraged and feel like you’re not making any progress, remember that feeling and get back at it. Even a little progress is something, and you are not going to be able to complete everything right away. Some artists spend years working on one piece and still feel that they aren’t finished.

3. Complete Easy Tasks. Don’t worry about finishing everything at once- you’re allowed to take your time. I usually make a list of the things I need to do, and then I do the easy ones first so I can cross them off my list. It may not seem like a lot, but those small tasks add up and it feels good to see that big line across so many things!

4. Remove Distractions. This happens to all of us: we sit down at the computer to add new items to Etsy or respond to emails and we end up on Facebook looking through thousands of photos and responding to friend’s wall posts. It’s not a bad thing- but it’s definitely not a good thing either. It’s important to take time for yourself but you have to be careful that you take time to work as well. So turn off the television, promise yourself that you’ll check FB later and get going on those listings! I am prone to this kind of distraction so I write up my descriptions in a Word doc and don’t open up the internet until I’m ready to list. This way, I won’t be distracted on the web and I’ll get my listings spell checked too!

5. Prioritize. If you’re one of those people that tends to be all over the place then you need to prioritize. You need to make sure that you know what is most important so you can spend your valuable time wisely. If you’ve got a deadline and you’re spending your time doing something else then you’re going to be stressed out and rushed when you realize you have no more time. You definitely don’t want to be stressed because that affects everyone around you and is a toll on your mind and body- and you don’t want to be rushed either because then you end up with results that aren’t your best. You wouldn’t want to give a customer a custom item you rushed to make- they may not come back again as they would have if you had given them your 100% work. So when you make your To-Do lists, rate the tasks in order of importance or make notes next to each task with deadlines, etc. so it is easier for you to follow.

6. Rest. I cannot stress enough how differently I feel about my day if I have had a good night’s sleep. Though it is tempting to stay up till 3am watching old Hollywood films or crafting up a storm- you are human and you need to rest. Go to sleep at a decent hour and you’ll wake up earlier, more refreshed and ready to take on whatever the day throws at you.

7. Stay Organized. I truly believe that all creative people are prone to clutter. When I’m stenciling I’ve got paint bottles here, brushes there, used stencils taped onto drawers/the wall/myself- it’s chaos. And some people say that they can’t work with a mess, but I need one to work. The important part is forcing myself to clean and put everything away after the hurricane. I make an effort to tidy up right away so it doesn’t become a chore later and so that if I want to start another project I’ve got space and I know where all my supplies are.

8. Automate. This is not for everyone, but automation saves me so much time. There are programs you can use that will automatically relist you Etsy items for you at a set time. You can have tweets posted every time you post something new. And I absolutely love our Posterous site because it posts to our Twitter, Facebook and Flickr every time I write a new post! Rather than stress yourself with the trouble of doing all these things yourself, take advantage of technology and set yourself up for success!

9. Time Yourself. I find that giving myself time frames for things to be done is very helpful, if not necessary. Without them you can spend countless hours on a task that simply is not worth the time. If you feel like you’re spending too much time on something, take a break from it and come back later. Most likely, when you look at it again you won’t feel so overwhelmed because not only is it partially done but you won’t be as rushed to finish. Look at your list and estimate how long it will take you to do each task. Then, you can pick and choose what should be done when knowing how much time you have in your work day.

10. Say No. Finally, make sure that you know when to say ‘No’ to tasks you cannot handle. I know it is exciting to think that you could get a wholesale order for 50 handmade dolls at a reputable toy shop, but unless you have enough time to complete the order by the deadline, fill orders for your online shop, stay active in social media and still have time for your family and most importantly yourself- it’s just too much. I’m not saying you should turn down large orders or huge tasks, you just need to know when is the right time to say yes and when you have to say no.

And if that wasn’t enough for you, here are some other references (old and new) that you can read through on the same topic:

10 Ways to Use Laser Sharp Focus to Get Things Done

10 Ways to Simplify Work

11 Ways of Staying Focused

Have a super focused day!