There are 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. That won’t change. So how do you use what you have to create the life that you want?

The solution isn’t by figuring out how to do more stuff.  It’s figuring out how to adjust your choices and decisions so that you’re doing the right stuff at the right time.

Time Management is a skill and as a skill, you can learn it.  The problem for most people is that they were never taught.  Instead you’ve been shamed for not already knowing how to manage your time.

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
H. Jackson Brown, Jr. quote

Don’t you think it’s time for you to get a handle on your time?

In this Class, you’ll learn:

• How to figure out what you’re doing right so you can do more of that
• How to set up a system that really works with who you are
• Several tools to help you make the most of your time
• What to do with that To Do list!

Additional Resources for this Class:

• Time Management from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern
• The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be Jack Canfield

Additional ArtistsMBA Classes on this Topic

Time Management 101 is the pre-requisite for all of these classes

• Motivation and Momentum
• Systems Creation – Work Smarter, Not Harder
• Project Management – The Key to Getting Stuff Done!
• Managing Conflicting Priorities

Listen to the Class:

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Your BOP Position is about who you are and what you stand for as an artist, as a business and as a human being.

What is Your Purpose?

In this Class, we’ll discover:

• What is a BOP?
• How some artists are using their BOP to make a difference in the world
• 3 Key questions to help you identify your BOP
• How do you use your BOP to build your Multiple Streams of Art / Music Business?

Your BOP is your BOLD OUTRAGEOUS PROVOCATIVE statement of who you are and what you stand for.  What is your BOP?

Additional Resources for this Class:

Additional ArtistsMBA Classes on this Topic

• All the Multiple Streams of Music/Art Income Classes

Listen to the Class/Interview:

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The first step of this Key is to be asking yourself, as the Former New York Mayor, Ed Koch, was famous for asking, “How am I doing?” Here are a few questions you can use to evaluate how you’re doing:

• What accomplishments and successes did I have today? (no accomplishment is too small)
• What did I think I’d be able to accomplish, but didn’t, and what a) got in the way and/or b) did I choose to do instead?
• What worked and didn’t work, today?
• What were the choices I made and how do I feel about those choices?  What could I have done differently?
• What resources did I use and what resources could I have used that might have enabled me to achieve more?
• What obstacles did I overcome and how did I overcome them?
• What am I proud of myself for and what I am I grateful for?

These questions can be asked on a daily basis and they can also be asked at the end of the period or project as you look back at what happened.

Once you’ve answered these questions – and I think it’s useful to write your answers down – you must follow it up with these two critical questions:

• What are the over-arcing lessons and principles I can take away from today? (These should be the larger concepts that can be applied to multiple areas of your life)
• As a result of these learnings what adjustments or changes am I going to implement tomorrow?

If you approach each day and each challenge with the mind of a student, solidify the learnings and then apply those changes in the future, you will be able to rise to any challenge, adapt to any change and succeed in business and in life.

What lessons did you learn today?

Well the best thing to do is to practice your skills for managing your emotions when you are NOT under stress.  Of course, that doesn’t help you much now, does it.  Here are a few things that might:

Name the Emotions

Sometimes just saying – I feel anxious right now – can actually reduce how anxious you feel.  Notice I didn’t say I “am” anxious.  The difference may seem subtle but it’s profound.  The first is identifying a feeling.  The second is defining yourself by the feeling.  You are not your feelings, right?  You have feelings, they don’t have you…

Here’s my theory.  Your emotions’ job is to get your attention and bring your attention to a particular belief or issue.  If you ignore, suppress, push away your emotions – well, they just have to shout louder to get your attention.  If you dive into them, use them to define who you are or in some other way wallow in them, they still aren’t really doing their job. And so they don’t dissipate then either.

See, it’s not about the emotions.  It’s about the underlying belief or issue that your emotions are calling your attention to.

Try this phrase:

“I’m feeling XXXX right now.  Huh, isn’t that interesting (said in a tone of wonder and curiosity).  I wonder what I’m thinking/believing right now that is having me feel XXX?

The first part of this statement is simply naming the emotion.

Identify the Belief

The second part of that statement is about allowing yourself to become aware of the thought/belief that is stimulating that emotion.

Now, if you’ve taken my Transform Your Belief – the Key to Success class, you already know that I subscribe to the belief that no beliefs are right, real or true.  (I know it disturbs the time/space continuum).  So, identifying the belief isn’t about deciding if it’s right, real or true – because I already know it’s not.  And it’s not about proving that it’s not true or even really engaging with the belief in any way that leads to taking any of this too seriously.

For example:

I’m sitting down to do some work and all of these other things float into my head and I start feeling really anxious.

“I’m feeling anxious right now.  Huh, isn’t that interesting?  I wonder what I’m thinking/believing?  Oh, that’s interesting.  I’m believing that I’ll never get it all done and as a result I can’t succeed.”

There.  I’ve said it – that’s the belief.  Now remember, I’m not taking it too seriously.  I’m not surrendering to that as “truth” and then wailing about the injustice of it all.  I’m just observing – that’s the belief.  Huh.

What you may notice at this point is that you already feel a bit better.  Just naming the emotion and naming the belief connected to it can relieve some of the stress.  See, it’s done it’s job.  It got your attention.

But now what?

Reframe

So, sometimes looking at a belief, you can see that it has some real-world meaning for you, right now.  Like if you have a deadline and your feeling anxious and the belief is you’re not going to make the deadline – you may be right.  And there may be an immediate set of actions that you can take once you’ve made that assessment (see the 4 D’s in Key 2).  You can talk to the person who has given you that deadline and ask for more time.  You could reduce the size of the project or reduce your self-imposed expectations and decide when good enough is good enough.  You could choose to do whatever it takes to meet that deadline and just get to work.

But often, that belief is old stuff.  Beliefs from a long time ago, which probably have nothing to do with the here and now.  In which case, the best thing to do is to reframe the belief.  In other words, choose a different way of looking at it.  I don’t recommend trying to directly oppose the belief (I will get it all done and I will succeed).  Because what you resist persists.  By pushing directly against it, you actually end up reinforcing it.  No, use a bit of Aiki which allows you to blend and shift the energy without directly confronting it.  Choose a belief which you already believe and that is just slightly off center.

For example – “I’ll never get it all done.” could become “I make progress every day.” or Lao-tzu’s quote – “The Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Or you could look at that belief and realize – so what?  “I’ll never get it all done, because as soon as I’m done with this project I’m creating another one.  That’s what I love about my life.” That’s not a reframe of the belief, instead it’s a reframe of your attitude towards the belief.

And if all else fails there’s always:

The 10-second Freak Out

This is one of my favorite methods when I’m really, truly terrified.  This has come up often as I’ve confronted my technophobia.  Yes, it’s true – I’m a technophobe.  The mere hint of learning some new technology can completely overwhelm and freak me out.  And yet, if you know me, you know that I’m pretty darn tech savvy.  That’s because its my doctrine that when I’m afraid of something I dive into it (unless it’s skydiving – no way you’re getting me to do that!).  But getting up my courage for that leap off the high-dive board can really mess with my focus.

So, I give myself 10 seconds to completely freak out.  That can look like kicking, screaming (usually into a pillow so I don’t freak out the neighbors), crying torrents, jumping up and down shrieking “NONONONONO!“.  Freaking OUT!

10 seconds of that, then, I take a breathe and I jump.  And usually, I discover that I can do it, I can handle it, and sometimes, I can even enjoy it!

So tell me – what belief have you shifted today?

1. Delete
2. Delay
3. Diminish
4. Delegate

The 3rd Key is all about delegating.  It’s about taking the things that you’ve got left on the plate and asking the question – for which of these things is it critical that I do them personally and what can I give away?

In this society, we’re taught that it’s wrong to ask for help.  You should be able to do it yourself, right?  Just pick yourself up by your bootstraps and get to work.  But the truth is that the really successful people understand that no one gets there by themselves.  You have to be willing to ask for help.

“But Debra,” you say:

• If I ask for help, don’t I look weak?
• If I ask for help, aren’t I vulnerable to being taken advantage of (could also sound like, what if they steal my material?)
• I can’t ask for help, everyone else is just as stressed and overwhelmed as I am!
• What if they say “No?”

Regarding the first point – ask yourself this, if you don’t ask for help, and aren’t able to come through on your promises as a result – how will you look then?

Regarding the second point – I’m recommending delegation, NOT abdication.  Be smart in how you work with people -and set up accountability procedures.

Regarding the third and fourth point – whenever you ask, you must be OK with them saying, “No.”  If you don’t allow the “No”, then you’re not asking, you’re manipulating.

But let me ask you this – when someone you love and care about asks you for help, how do you feel?  I’m not talking about the person who always asks and never offers, always takes and never gives. I’m talking about the person who mostly does for themselves – when they ask for help, how do you feel?  If it’s someone you really care about – I bet you feel honored and grateful to be able to give to the people you love.  By not ever asking for help – you are holding out on the people you care about.  You’re cheating them of the opportunity to contribute to you and to express their love and caring for you.  So asking for help is being generous – isn’t it?

And if it’s OK for them to say “No.” because they just can’t this time, then they will also have the space to say, “Yes.” if and when they can.  And you need to trust people to take good care of themselves.  Support them in being honest with you – let them know that it’s OK if they say no.  And then accept their generosity graciously and with gratitude.  You could also look for ways to give back and help them out when they need it.

When it comes to asking for help from your fans and followers, as an artist, you are offering them an opportunity to play with you at a deeper level.  When fans volunteer for an artist they love, they become more committed and invested in your success.  And as a result, they are more likely to share you with others, buy from you, and commit to being your fan for the long term.

And isn’t that really what you want?  Committed, passionate lifetime fans?  The best way to create that relationship with your fans is to ASK FOR THEIR HELP!

So who are you going to ask for help?  Let me know how it goes!

In the ArtistsMBA Classes on Time Management and Project Management, we look at how to prioritize and design your systems to choose what to accomplish when. But when you sit down to actually do what you have chosen to do …

How do you filter out all of the distractions, both internal and external?

“The shorter way to do many things is to do only one thing at a time.”
Mozart

Without focus, your efficiency and effectiveness suffers AND you have a lot less fun!

In this Class, you’ll learn:

• The 3 biggest focus stealers
• How to set clear internal and external focus boundaries
• Simple and easy exercises to focus your mind

Whether you’re creating your art or music, marketing and promoting yourself or spending time with your family, improving your ability to focus will improve your success.

Additional Resources for this Class:

• Managing Conflicting Priorities Article
• Time Management from the Inside Out
• Organizing from the Inside Out

Additional ArtistsMBA Classes on this Topic:

• Time Management 101 – The Art of Juggling
• Project Management – The Key to Getting Stuff Done
• Project Management – the Performance Results Description Tool
• Managing Conflicting Priorities Class
• Get Organized

Listen to the Class/Interview:

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5 Keys to Manage Chaos

1. Acknowledge the reality of your current circumstances
2. Take everything off the plate that you can
3. Ask for help
4. Manage your emotions and thoughts through the experience
5. Get the learning

And now for the second key:

Take it off the Plate!

If most of what you’re dealing with is Holiday related or otherwise short term, then the best thing to do, once you’ve identified all the stuff that’s floating through your brain, is to take everything off your list that doesn’t absolutely HAVE TO GET DONE before the end of your unusually busy time.  In other words, take it off your plate.  In fact, I recommend taking everything off your plate and then only add back in what absolutely must get done or the world will end (or the consequences are too much to bear!).

In order to do this, you will need to communicate with the people you think are expecting you to do all those things you think they expect you to do.  Perhaps you bake holiday cookies for the office every year.  What would happen if you just didn’t this year?  Perhaps, just this once, you pick up cookies from Costco or your local bakery.  I think if you actually talk to them, you’ll discover that most of this pressure was internal – at some point you decided that you were expected to do XYZ.  When in reality it’s optional!

The principle I’m employing here comes from Julie Morgenstern in Time Management from the Inside Out.  She calls them the 4 D’s:

1. Delete
2. Delay
3. Diminish
4. Delegate

Delete them off the plate.  Delay them until after the holidays or short term crunch has passed.  Diminish the size and complexity of the task (e.g. buying holiday cookies instead of baking them from scratch).  And Delegate… which I’ll discuss in the 3rd key to maintaining focus!

What have you decided to take off the plate?

Time management and project management systems are critical to your success at all times and I cover them elsewhere in the blog.  Very often, when faced with unusually busy times, all of our time management skills fly out the window. So, this series of 5 blog posts will answer the question – How do I maintain my focus and my sanity in the face of chaos?

5 Keys to Manage Chaos

1. Acknowledge the reality of your current circumstances
2. Take everything off the plate that you can
3. Ask for help
4. Manage your emotions and thoughts through the experience
5. Get the learning

Over the next week, I’ll be expanding on all 5 keys.  Here’s the first one:

You Current Circumstances

Sometimes the best thing you can do is just sit down and do a big brain dump:

• List all the things you have to do
• List all the things you want to do
• List all the things other people are expecting you to do
• List all the things you think you “should” do

While you’re at it, how about doing a brain dump of all the things you’re worrying about as well:

• List all the what ifs
• List all the Yeah buts
• List all the fears of what other people with think if you…

Just get them all out of your brain and onto the page (or computer screen or digital recorder).  Now ask yourself – what’s the truth?  What commitments have you actually made?  Which of the shoulds and which of the expectations of other people are real and which are assumed?  Which worries are really warnings you need to heed and which are the recurring messages you already know aren’t true.  If you can just empty all of that stuff out on the page and take a good clear look at it, I think you’ll find that it’s really not so bad and you can handle it.

What did you discover while doing this brain dump?   Please share with me in the comment section below.

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In this class you’ll discover:

• The 3 biggest misconceptions about Marketing
• How to use marketing to create lifetime fans and a sustainable career
• What it takes to create a Marketing Plan and implement it in a systematic and repeatable way.

Without promotion something terrible happens … nothing!
P.T. Barnum

You can create the most brilliant product, but if nobody knows about it, you will not succeed.

Additional Resources for this Class:

• Sales & Marketing Resources Page
• Music Resources Page
• Bob Baker, the Buzz Factor
• Niche Marketing Article 
• Multiple Streams of Music Income Self-Study Program
• Create Your Vision Master Class

Additional ArtistsMBA Classes on this Topic:

• Multiple Streams of Art/Music Income (Academy Class)
• Niche Marketing – How Thinking Small Can Payoff Big!
• How to Create Buzz and Stimulate Word-of-Mouth Marketing, An Interview with Bob Baker
• Interview with Patrick Schwerdtfeger, Internet Marketing Expert
• Systems Creation – Work Smarter, Not Harder
• How to Embrace Your Unique Voice as an Artist
• 5-Year Plan – Got Goals?  Get a Plan!
• Multiple Streams Program Level Classes

Register for the Class:

Thank you for your interest. This content is visible to ArtistsMBA Foundation, Professional, Professional_mentorship Program members only. Click here to access.

In this class you will learn:

• The difference between Copyright and Trademark and how it pertains to you as an Artist
• How to protect your rights as an Artist
• How to avoid costly errors when using other people’s intellectual property (e.g. covering a song)

Protecting your work and your brand identity is critically important to your success.

Additional Resources for this Interview:

• Jeff Fabian Resources Page
• Jeff Fabian Free e-book
• ASCAP
• BMI
• SESAC
• Harry Fox
• US Copyright Office
• US Patent and Trademark Office

Listen to the Interview:

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Jeff Fabian is the owner of Fabian, LLC, a boutique law firm that assists musicians, creative industry professionals and entrepreneurs in trademark, copyright and contract matters. His experience includes copyright registration maintenance and licensing, trademark protection and enforcement, and contract drafting and negotiation for record deals, music licensing agreements, online music distribution, and more. Visit www.fabianlegal.com for more information, or follow Jeff on Twitter: @jsfabian.