Time Management for Freelance Artists
Since freelancers run on their own schedule not only do they need to know how to budget their money but they also need to know how to spend their time wisely. (read Part 1 here) I used to always fall into the hole of either a) procrastinating or b) putting too much effort into the wrong thing at the wrong time. Over the years, I’ve learned from my many painful mistakes.
How I Prioritize My Tasks: 2x2 (Impact Effort Matrix)
I prioritize my tasks by using a 2x2 Impact Effort Matrix. Since I also run a remote consultancy besides my illustration business, tasks can get overwhelming fast.
My partner and I have made it a habit to always regroup and look at everything we have to do and how they all relate to The Big Picture.
We normally put all of our tasks and to-dos in a whiteboard (using something like Miro) and plot them along the matrix to see which ones have to be done first. The ones that are prioritized bring good things later on whereas the ones that don’t deserve the mental effort do not. The point of the matrix is to see what solutions are worth the effort, easy solutions with high impact are the section of the matrix we tend to prioritize. With this method, we take into account motivation and mental effort as the part of the Effort qualifier in the matrix. Similarly, it’s just as important to prioritize your clients.
I apply this to my freelance art hustle, too. I normally put all the tasks, including budgeting, replying to client A, client B, client C, drafting out proposals, drafting out storyboards, etc. in a board. Then I link together tasks that depend on other tasks. I also separate tasks such as cleaning up line art, adding color flats, coloring, sending out copies for approval, into this board. This really helps me figure out where to put my energy first and helps conserve the mental effort of STRESSING THE F OUT from having too many things going on at the same time.
The first thing I usually do is list out all my tasks and put them into stickies. Next I color code them according to due date. Then I put them on the board to see how much mental/physical effort it takes to actually do them, this takes into account the amount of motivation I have to do the task, too. Once they’re all on the X-axis by effort, I then move them up and down the Y-axis according to how beneficial they are, or how much they will affect other tasks. Some tasks are linked.
Once that’s done, I now have tasks grouped into four boxes more or less:
- Quadrant 1 (low effort, high impact): tasks that don’t take much but I’ll thank myself for doing later.
- Quadrant 2 (low effort, low impact): tasks that can wait and be done after I’ve done everything else — this is my “Asia, stop stressing about these things because these can wait” box
- Quadrant 3 (high effort, high impact): tasks that take a bit more time, effort and planning, but that are urgent, pending, and will affect all the other tasks and my day-to-day life. These tasks get broken down into smaller tasks later on.
- Quadrant 4 (high effort, low impact): tasks that I know will zap my energy but won’t really affect anything else.
Having these four boxes handy, helps me on to the next part of budgeting my time.
How I Prioritize My Clients: Timeboxing
To-do lists don’t work for many people. To-do lists lack the context to keep us motivated enough to get the task done and don’t feel urgent. That’s why timeboxing is a much better alternative. Timeboxing into a calendar helps you visualize when you need to get what done. For example, if you have artwork due on Thursday and it usually takes you 2 days to finish it, you can set a timebox on your calendar for Tuesday so you get that artwork done by Thursday. Not only will this method help you visualize when you need to do certain tasks it will also help you prioritize what you should be working on based on your deadlines. Putting important tasks on your calendar helps you stay on schedule and it helps your colleagues see when you’re busy or not and they will work around your schedule as well. Timeboxing also helps you see what you’ve accomplished each week. Maybe you had an extra stressful week, you can clearly see what you got done and when you did it.
One of the greatest benefits of timeboxing is that you’ll feel more in control of what’s in your upcoming week because you’ll have already prepared for it.
So, how do I use my board from before to timebox? Well this is a hack for my own brain. So if you’re as anxious or as dreadfilled as I am whenever I open my inbox, then it might work for you, too. I like to warm myself up by doing easy tasks to trick my brain into thinking I’m in productivity mode so I do tasks from Quadrant 1 first. Easy, effortless, but things I need to do nevertheless. I then plot out those tasks depending on their due dates in the first half of my work day. I decide on which emails should only take 5 minutes, or which proposals should only take 20. I also set aside time to strictly, and only work on SOME subtasks from Quadrant 2. This way throughout the week I have easy tasks I’m not afraid to do, and I’ve sandwiched in subtasks from Quadrant 2 that I can chip away at.
The important part of timeboxing however is remembering to stick to it! If I give myself only 45 minutes for one task, I force myself to stop. This was a hard habit to form, as I used to just keep going and going until I burn out. The great part about timeboxing is you also see how much time you’re actually spending on certain things. Whenever I end up with free time between these time boxes, I chip away at Quadrants 3 and 4.
How I Manage My Energy In Between Tasks: The Pomodoro Technique
If you can’t stand working for hours at a time and would rather work during small manageable amounts of time, then I would recommend using the Pomodoro Technique. It’s also a really good habit to build to avoid carpal tunnel and get in those wrist, finger, neck, and upper body stretches. In this technique, you would break your work into 25-minute blocks and after each block, you have a five-minute break. These intervals are called Pomodoros. After completing four Pomodoros you get a longer 15–30 minute break. Since these intervals are only 25 minutes, it creates a sense of urgency and you’ll leave your distracting habits like your frequent bathroom breaks and phone-checking for your five-minute break. It’s a bit tedious to constantly set timers on your phone so if you decide to use this method I recommend downloading a Pomodoro Timer app. Personally I prefer working in 45 minute intervals and taking 15 minute breaks. It forces me to step away from my work and see things I normally wouldn’t see if I was staring at my canvas the whole time.
As a freelancer, time and money are extremely valuable, and learning how to use both effectively will make all the difference. It’s also really important to set boundaries for yourself, especially if you work from home like I do.
Part 1 on Budgeting Money here
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Originally published at https://www.asianoble.co.
