Time Management Tips for Artists, Makers & Creative Entrepreneurs

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 Hey, Beautiful Creative! There are so many things that you could be doing with your time right now, and I am so honored that you are spending it here with me. Thank you for being here!

Today’s topic - Time Management….oof. Where do we even begin? This is a tough one that a lot of people have mentioned they struggle with.

Like me, I imagine you’re juggling a lot of different things. Balancing work, family, health, and obligations while trying to make time for things creativity, fun, and focusing on your dreams. It’s so hard and we all have so much going on. Not to mention how easy it is to get distracted. I picked up my phone to look at my calendar, ended up answering emails and now I’m scrolling Instagram wondering how I even got here and why I picked up my phone in the first place. Ack!

So what’s the secret to actually getting things done AND having time to enjoy your life? 

That’s what we’re exploring today! I’m going to share with you my time management tips and give you a peek behind the curtain of how I juggle being a mom to a teenager, managing a household of pets, running multiple businesses, and still have quality time to spend with my partner, my friends, and to play drums in a band!

You may have varying amounts of available time at different stages and seasons of life.

Just one year ago I was spending two to four hours a day driving my daughter back and forth across town, often in heavy rush hour traffic. I tried to make the most of it by listening to podcasts or singing at the top of my lungs when I was alone, but it was still very draining and very time consuming. Now she’s 17, has her own car, and drives herself to school, to work and to meet friends. I suddenly have so much more free time than I’ve had in years. My days feel more expansive and less rushed. 

You may be early on in your parenting journey, not even able to comprehend having more than 2 seconds to yourself. Or maybe you’re at the stage of life where you’re spending a lot of time caring for aging parents. Or dealing with your own health issues. Or working a 9-5 job. Honor where you’re at and make the most of what time you can. Maybe your best use of free time at any given moment is to rest. I’m not here to promote hustle culture. We get enough pressure about that from half the people on Instagram. Know that whatever season of life you’re in is temporary, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now, and enjoy the present as much as you possibly can.

I am living proof that you can make a lot of progress just showing up for yourself and your dreams for short amounts of time each day, if you are deliberate and intentional with how you spend that time. 

Are you ready for Torie’s Time Management Tips?

Let me start by saying that all of our brains work differently and what works for me may not work for you, but I’m going to share what works for me and you can take what you want from it.

The first step to effective time management is knowing what you want to get done.
I know, that is stating the obvious. You can’t do something if you don’t know what it is you intend to be doing. Right? So get really clear about what your goals and intentions are for the week (or the day), so you know what to prioritize.

This could look as broad as defining your goals for the year, breaking that down into quarters or months, and then further into weeks and days. It could also be as simple as just organizing your tasks for the week: scheduling your kids doctor’s appointment, taking your dog to the vet, getting groceries, updating your Etsy shop and posting about your new product on social media.

I’m a huge list maker. I map out my week and assign tasks to specific days. I keep it all on one page so I can see if any tasks don’t get completed one day and need to carry over to the next. Often a few things get carried over to the following week. This works really well for me because it gets the chaos out of my brain and onto a piece of paper where I can see it. I’ll share a photo of what my weekly to-do lists look like over on Instagram. I’m @heybeautifulcreative if you want to check it out!

I created a free downloadable planner for you! If you would like something cute that you can print out where you organize your thoughts, plans, and goals, get the Gold and Goals planner! It’s free and you can get yours right here!

Step 2 is to prioritize your tasks.
Once you know what you want to get done, you can figure out which things are the most important and make sure to squeeze those into your schedule when you can. This is particularly helpful if you’re really busy. If you’re working on your business in tiny bits of time, what can you do that will move you forward the most?

I have a lot of different things going on in my life and I am running multiple businesses. Admittedly, I would probably be better at any of the things I’m doing if that one thing was my sole focus, but that’s just not how I work. So how do I manage it all? Well, I really prioritize. I’m not working equally on all of them all the time. There are times where one business gets more of my attention than the others. For example, if we’re in the middle of planning a big craft market, that’s my main focus and takes priority over my other businesses.  Then I squeeze in small needle movers for the other businesses when I can. Right now I’m getting ready to sell jewelry at a pop-up so the last couple days have been heavily focused on my prep for that show.


Step 3: Create a Routine
The more your day follows a routine the easier it will be to get things done and move from one task to the next.

Figure out what works best for your natural rhythms in structuring your day. For example, I like to do computer work in the morning while I drink my tea after I’ve walked my dog. That’s when my brain feels most clear and able to focus. After a while of computer work, that’s when I like to get up and shower and then transition into whatever comes next in my day. Sometimes it’s heading to work in our retail shops, other times I head into my jewelry studio, or record a podcast episode. 

Maybe you are able fit in 30 minutes to an hour of work after your kids go to bed, then you spend the rest of the evening with your partner. You can get a lot done in those small increments of time if you show up consistently and work with focus. 

Honor your natural rhythms when you can and schedule your day accordingly, but understand that some days you may have to do certain tasks at other times and just push through. That’s just how life is.

Step 4: Add some structure to your schedule if needed
I’ve mentioned in a previous episode that I really struggle with getting things done if I have the whole day free. If I know I only have two hours free today to make jewelry for a shop restock, I’ll get in my studio and bust it out. But if I have the whoooooole day to make the jewelry, I’ll start, then get up and reheat my tea, then decide put some laundry in, and check email, oh now I’m hungry, I guess I should eat…oh I ate and now I’m tired, maybe I’ll take a nap. Then it’s like, “Where did the day go? I didn’t even finish the jewelry!” I basically just float through a wide open day unless I create a plan and put some structure in place. This is why I do better when I’m a little busier. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a floaty day, they can be just what we need - and I’m a huge fan of taking naps - but this episode is about time management so I want to focus on how to make the most of our time when we do have things we’re wanting to get done!

 If a more rigid schedule is helpful to you, you could block out certain times for certain tasks, kind of like a school schedule. This is called time blocking. You could set a timer for one period and then when the timer goes off you move on to the next thing.  Be sure to schedule in time to eat and take breaks and stare off into space a bit.

Personally, I find a set timed schedule hard to stick to for myself. I like the structure and the idea of it, but also need the flexibility to continue working on something if I’m in the zone. If the words for a podcast episode are flowing naturally I’m not going to suddenly get up and go make jewelry just because my timer went off. This is where having more of a routine instead of a set schedule is helpful for me. I walk the dog, do computer work while I drink my tea, then move into my studio when I feel ready. So again, honor what works best for you.

Step 5: Minimize distractions
This time that you are taking for yourself, to work on your business or to create or to follow your dreams is sacred. Treat it as such. Set yourself up for success here. Silence your phone or put it in another room. Let your family know that you’d like to work without being interrupted. Let yourself really dive into the work.

Final Tip: Be where you are
When you’re working on something for your business, be truly there and focused on that. When you’re spending time with your family or friends, be fully present with them. I’m sure you know this is a lot harder to actually do in reality. If you’re like me, your brain might always be reminding you of all the things you want and need to do. This is where writing them down comes in handy. Get them out of your brain. Then take a deep breath and come back into the present moment. Time will expand for you when you’re living in the actual moment. 

In closing…

You don’t need perfect systems to manage your time—you just need to keep showing up, little by little, consistently. That’s how dreams become reality.

I have a growing list of free resources for you, including a free printable planner to help you organize your goals! 

I’m so excited to be on this journey with you as you build and grow your creative business. Thank you for being here!

 Until next time, keep creating and keep moving forward, Beautiful Creative. ✨