My usual daily "schedule" is to get up late in a panic (because I'm getting up late), get lost on-line, work some, run errands, work some more, email constantly, then work feverishly from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. These habits are an energy drain, and work is constantly on my mind, making me feel guilty about doing anything else at any other point in the day. I'm resolved to create a working schedule that is free of distractions. If you work from home or at your studio and have a similar problem, try this with me:
Keep a list of distractions as they come up.
When you're writing or illustrating happily, and some little "to-do" pops into your head (i.e. online shopping, emailing, cleaning), instead of deviating from your work to "quickly" roam Etsy for 2 hours, keep a blank piece of paper next to you with a list of all the little distractions for you to attend to AFTER work. Write it down, put it out of your head, back to work.
When you're writing or illustrating happily, and some little "to-do" pops into your head (i.e. online shopping, emailing, cleaning), instead of deviating from your work to "quickly" roam Etsy for 2 hours, keep a blank piece of paper next to you with a list of all the little distractions for you to attend to AFTER work. Write it down, put it out of your head, back to work.
Don't forget play time!
Down time is as important as work time, your chance to breathe and clear your head. If you don't stop working at 6pm to do all the stuff you're usually distracted by during work, those lines will start to blur again and it'll be back to the battle of work vs. life. Dedicate yourself to keeping these separations, so that each task gets the amount of focus it deserves. Ask your family to help you with this.
Down time is as important as work time, your chance to breathe and clear your head. If you don't stop working at 6pm to do all the stuff you're usually distracted by during work, those lines will start to blur again and it'll be back to the battle of work vs. life. Dedicate yourself to keeping these separations, so that each task gets the amount of focus it deserves. Ask your family to help you with this.
Balance in your daily life will help with your overall mental and emotional health - keeping you refreshed, an essential part of creating your best work.
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