Making Progress on Your Business When You Don’t Have Time

Today, I want to talk about a topic that you might be struggling with if you’re just getting started, and that is making progress on your art business when you feel like you just don't have time.

We all have those days, weeks, or even months when life gets so busy that finding time for your art business feels impossible. But don’t worry, I've got some practical tips and personal insights to help you keep moving forward, even when time feels tight. 

1) Prioritize Your Most Important Tasks 

So, first things first, I want you to identify your most important tasks. When you're short on time, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything you could be doing. And when it comes to building your business there are literally hundreds of things you could be doing. So you need to get focused on what is actually going to move the needle for you. Instead of trying to do a little bit on a lot of different projects, you need to just focus on one thing at a time.

If I gave you a hammer and 10 nails and told you to hammer those nails into a piece of wood you’d say no problem. But if I told you you were only allowed 10 whacks with the hammer to do it, then what would you do? You could give each nail one whack and have a bunch of nails barely sticking into the wood. Or you could whack one nail ten times and get that one totally done. If you think of those nails as your hundreds of projects and the 10 whacks as 10 minutes of time you can see how it makes sense to spend all your energy on one thing. You’ll be able to see actual progress and that will keep you moving forward. 

2) A Little Bit of Time is Enough

This next one is a bit of a mindset shift.

You need to recognize that 10 minutes is enough time to make progress on your goals. Ten minutes every day for a month will see you accomplish big things. The problem is that we don’t think 10 minutes is enough time to do anything, or we think the task we need to do will take a lot longer than it does. I used to think that I couldn’t paint unless I had at least an hour to get into it. But that is just not true. Jumping into a painting for 10 minutes can often be enough to get my brain going and then when I have to leave - I know exactly where to pick up when I can come back again.

We all have those little pockets of time throughout the day – waiting for an appointment, during a lunch break, or even while dinner is cooking. Use these moments to work on your most important task, whether that's writing descriptions for a collection release or working on social media posts. These small bursts of productivity can add up and help you move forward.

3) Automate and Delegate

Another tip for you is to automate and delegate whenever possible. There are so many tools available that can help you save time. For instance, use social media scheduling tools like Planoly to plan and schedule your Instagram posts in advance. Batching your work not only helps keep you focused on one goal at a time, it's a more efficient way to work. And of course, if you can afford it, consider hiring someone to help with easy-to-delegate tasks like household chores so you can free up more of your own time to focus on your business.

4) Set Realistic Goals

One thing I have learned on my journey is that it is important to set realistic goals. When you’re juggling multiple responsibilities, aim for progress, not perfection. At first, it might be difficult to know what is realistic for you, but as you get some more experience under your belt you will know how much you can expect yourself to happily accomplish in a week or a month.

So set some goals to keep yourself accountable, but be kind to yourself if things don’t always go as planned. Remember, every small step forward is still progress.

5) Create a Flexible Routine

Finally, as a creative person trying to fit this new business around your existing life and responsibilities, you need to create a routine. If mornings are hectic, try working on your business in the evenings or vice versa. The key is to find a rhythm that works for you and allows you to consistently make time for your business, even if it’s just a little bit each day. Though that little bit of time might not seem like much, if you make the most of it every single day you will be amazed in a year’s time how much you have accomplished.

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Alright, my friend, those are my tips for making progress on your art business when you don’t think you have time. Remember, it’s all about taking consistent action on your priorities and being kind to yourself along the way. I hope you found these tips helpful and feel a bit more empowered to tackle your art business, no matter how busy life gets.

All the best,

Jennifer