How To Accomplish Twice as Much
in Half the Time -- and Still Have A Life!

by Tom McKay

Originally published in The Crafts Report

Martin had a problem. After seven successful years as a craftsperson, he was burned out. Stressed out. His concentration was shot. Each morning he’d begin work, but was never sure what to focus on first. So he hopped from task to task as he remembered things that needed to be done. He was constantly interrupted by phone calls. Orders and payments disappeared into the mess on his desk, then he’d waste hours frantically searching for them. When Jennifer, his eight year-old daughter, dropped in for a visit after school, he was so tense and irritable he snapped at her. She ran out in tears. Martin felt terrible. He tracked her down, apologized and spent 15 minutes playing with her trying to make up for the way he’d acted.

Where did I go wrong, Martin wondered. He’d begun to hate his business, knowing it was suffering as much as his personal life. He almost missed his best show because he was late sending in the check. He blew a lucrative wholesale order after he forgot to call about delivery dates. His productivity was low, so he tried to make up for it by working late. That left even less time for family, fun or just relaxing. Naturally, he felt guilty and resentful.

Sound familiar? Martin’s dilemma is typical not only of today’s craftsperson, but of many others in the overworked, overstressed 90’s. But there are simple steps you can take toward a solution.

The path to productivity

Getting organized, explained Christopher Robin in Winnie the Pooh, "is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it’s not all mixed up." Artistic individuals sometimes resist the idea, fearing it will rob them of their free-spirited creativity. Actually, getting organized frees us to be more creative. Our minds aren't distracted worrying about things we might have forgotten. Here’s how to get organized.

-- First, create a detailed to-do list. Knowing exactly what you need to do each day saves time by reducing false starts. It also reduces stress, allowing you to do more and better work. "Your mind can hold only about seven chunks of information at once. Why push your luck?" asks Dianna Booher, author of Get a Life Without Sacrificing Your Career (1997, McGraw Hill).

-- Next, prioritize all the items on your list. Label the most important jobs, the ones that must be accomplished today, as "A" items. The tasks you should accomplish today, mark "B". Chores which would be nice to get done should be labeled "C". Now focus on doing all the "A" jobs first. Don’t get sidetracked by less important tasks. Time management guru Alan Lakein says the 80/20 rule applies to lists, too. If there are ten things on your to-do list, and you manage to finish only the two most important "A" items, you will still reap 80% of the value of the entire list! That demonstrates the importance of always doing the most important jobs first. Throughout the day, ask yourself, "What’s the best use of my time right now?"

-- Set a deadline for each item -- and don’t give yourself too much time. Deadlines are highly motivational. For example, if it normally takes you an hour to send out invoices, give yourself only 30 minutes. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can get something done when you push yourself. Remember, a goal without a deadline is just a nice thought.

-- At the end of each workday, set aside a few minutes to write up tomorrow’s to-do list, carrying over today’s unfinished items. This saves valuable time in the morning. You never want to begin work wondering, "What should I do today?"

There’s another, more important bonus to this preparation. If you ask, your subconscious mind will begin working on your to-do list without you even being aware of it. While you’re eating, relaxing or even sleeping, your subconscious will ponder possibilities and produce solutions. Thus you become more productive instantly. But remember, you must ask your subconscious to tackle your problems. The answers, by the way, usually appear as hunches or intuition -- strong "feelings" that you should or shouldn’t proceed in a certain way. When you get those feelings, follow them.

Tickle your memory

"Most people waste at least an hour a day looking for papers that are lost on top of their desk," says Jeffrey J. Mayer, author of If You Haven’t Got the Time to Do It Right, When Will You Find the Time to Do It Over? To clear the clutter off your desk, create a "tickler" file. It will automatically remind you of future chores, and give you a convenient place to put papers you’ll need next week or next month.

It’s easy to set up a tickler file. Take 12 manila folders and label one for each month of the year. Label another set of file folders 1 through 31, one for each day of the month. Arrange the files in a convenient location off your desktop. The front section of a file drawer is ideal. Put the daily files in front, and behind them store your monthly files. If you prefer, two large accordion files will work just as well.

Now stash all those future to-do items -- calls to make, bills to pay, applications to mail -- in the appropriate file. A show application due in August goes in the "August" folder. If a wholesale account wants you to call them in mid-October, tuck a note in the "October" folder. If the phone bill is due on the 25th, drop it into the #19 folder so there’s plenty of time for it to arrive. On the first day of each month, transfer everything in that month’s folder into the appropriate day’s folder.

Now relax! Between your to-do list and your tickler file, you’re back in control of your life and time. Your important papers are right where you can find them, those messy piles of paperwork are off your desk, and you can finally relax because nothing important will ever be lost or forgotten again. It sounds simple, and it is. More importantly, it works. Just remember to check today’s tickler file every day, and add those items to today’s to-do list.

The shortest distance

Two skippers race their speedboats to a distant harbor. One sets a course directly for the destination. The other tacks back and forth. Which boat wins? Obviously, the one that took the direct route, the shortest distance. It’s the same in your crafts business -- the more often you switch directions to work on different tasks, the less efficient you are and the less you accomplish.

Concentrate on one thing until it’s complete. No zigzags. Don’t let yourself be distracted. The time you spend producing your art or craft, in particular, must be as continuous and uninterrupted as possible. Cultivate what sports teams call "Big Mo" -- momentum. It’s essential for high productivity.

Organize your other chores into batches too, and work on each until it’s complete. Bills to pay? Write all the checks at the same time, preferably no more than once a week. Send out the entire week’s invoices at once, not when you ship each package. Complete each set of tasks, then move on to the next batch. Like the winning speedboat, set your course and stay on course.

Use appropriate tools to speed up your chores. Computers, in particular, can improve your productivity dramatically, especially for routine but time-consuming jobs like balancing checkbooks, generating invoices, etc.

Know your enemies

Every working day we face three major interruptions. Like vampires, these time wasters will suck hours out of your day -- if you don’t know how to deal with them wisely.

-- Paperwork and Mail. Most junk mail is just that -- junk. Trash it without wasting time opening it. That will eliminate about half of each day’s mail. The remainder should go into the appropriate tickler file immediately. Do the same with your other paperwork.

-- Phone calls. Unless you take a lot of orders by phone, incoming calls should be handled at your convenience, not the caller’s. Let your answering machine or voice mail screen incoming calls during work hours. Pick up only the most urgent. Make and return all your calls at the same time, ideally just once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Add "return phone calls" to your to-do list, and give yourself a time limit. After all, it’s your own time you’re saving.

-- Visits. Most artists and craftspeople work at home, so interruptions usually come from well-meaning family, friends and neighbors. Family is one thing. Many of us pursue crafts specifically so we can be home with our children. That’s fine, but you must still strike a balance between work time and family time. On the other hand, neighbors and friends sometimes drop in freely because they mistake working at home with doing nothing (if they only knew). It’s difficult, but you must politely inform them that you're terribly sorry but you’re working right now. However you'll be free from 4 to 4:30pm (or whatever time you decide on) and you’d love to see them then.

Recycling time: from wasted to worthwhile

Recycle chunks of time which would otherwise be wasted. Ten minutes here, 15 minutes there, can really add up. Like gold, little nuggets of time are precious. Use them to accomplish the many small tasks we all need to take care of every week. Waiting for a haircut or your car to be repaired, you can pay bills or read articles you've put in your "Reading" file. Answer letters. Fill out show applications. Jot notes on your to-do list. Read a book -- or even write one! Scott Turow wrote most of his best-seller Presumed Innocent while riding the train to and from his Chicago law office. Never underestimate what you can accomplish with "recycled" time.

Washing dishes, or taking a long drive? Listen to an audiocassette version of that book you've been wanting to read. Borrow them free from the library or rent from your local video store. Carry a microcassette recorder or pen and paper to make notes to yourself. Often our minds are most creative while our hands are busy doing routine chores. A single idea can make you rich, so don't let any good ones get away.

Of course, this doesn’t mean all your free time should be spent working. You should take breaks, enjoy time to relax, and just have fun. In fact, you should plan and schedule breaks and vacations -- otherwise, you may never take one. Just don’t squander nuggets of precious time.

Would you like to free up dozens of extra hours every week, to work or play as you wish? Want to develop a more positive attitude? Craving more time for your loved ones, your hobbies, your life? Perhaps the biggest and most positive change you can make is simply to quit watching TV. At least cut back to an hour or two a day. The average American family has the TV on for 49 hours each week. That’s a staggering seven hours per day. "Television is a time-consuming addiction," warns author Dianna Booher.

Reclaim those hours and volunteer at a non-profit organization, one whose mission stirs your soul. Or play a game with your kids -- they’ll be grown before you know it. Take a course in a subject that has always fascinated you. Visit more museums and galleries. Get out of the house and interact with other people. Artists and craftspeople spend too much time in isolation, and creativity and joy do not flourish in a vacuum. You'll get great ideas and make valuable contacts mingling with others. You'll also keep in tune with what's really going on -- as opposed to what TV tells you is happening. Your art, your business, your life, will all become more meaningful and fulfilled. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

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Tom McKay is a business writer and speaker. This article is adapted from his seminar, How to Do Twice as Much In Half the Time -- and Still Have A Life!

How To Accomplish Twice as Much in Half the Time -- and Still Have A Life!

How To Accomplish Twice as Much
in Half the Time -- and Still Have A Life!