Take Time with a Grain of Salt

Time management is one of the key parts of running your own business, or getting an education, or ensuring that work and home run smoothly. It's something that can be both incredibly easy, and yet incredibly difficult to manage properly, mainly because its so freakin EASY to just waste away an entire day and find yourself thinking "WTF have I done with myself???"

Time management has been on my thoughts a lot lately.

Mainly because it's something I am REALLY BAD AT!

Procrastination must be a genetic trait; ingrained into my personality. I've been this way since... well.. as long as I can remember, despite my parents best attempts to curb this habit. Though in my defense... once deadlines approach and my brain finally kicks into high gear, my work tends to come out pretty good.

It's this tendency to slack off that is proving to be a constant hindrance with my work. I am far too prone to letting time slip by when I should be using it more productively. And it is a constant source of self-annoyance, let me tell ya.

But this isn't the only road block I have to navigate around from week to week.


More often then not, my weeks start out looking pretty clear, and so I think to myself "Hey, I have plenty of time to be at the shop!"

Except then I realize that I've run out of materials, and have to make a trip to the steel yard... or I have to go check out the thrift stores for recyclable materials for sculptures... or my equipment needs replacing... gloves develop holes... welder runs out of wire... plasma cutter runs out of tips...

Sudden doctor appointments eat up more time... Or spurr-of-the-moment client meetings... Last minute plans with friends and family... and of course, sudden job opportunities. As a small business owner not yet able to support myself, I often take small jobs here and there to supplement my income, and this can throw a wrench in my weekly plans.

Not to mention time spent making things... art is not easy, and sometimes it takes a LOT LONGER to create something then I thought it would, even when I have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing.

Take the last couple weeks for instance. I was finally able to find a part time job which started immediately. I also had work dog sitting for about half a week. I had to pick up materials for some projects. Had to replace parts on my machines. Had maintenance on my truck. My parents went out of town, so I had to be home to go over things to do while they were away. Bro came home from college, and sis came down to visit from out of state. Not to mention a continuous lack of sleep due to uncomfortable sleeping conditions.

All of this going on while I'm trying to juggle things at my shop because I DO still have some projects on my list, and I have to start cranking out products for some farmers markets and an art festival later this year.

Time management. It all comes down to managing my time more efficiently. Something that I am notoriously bad at doing. But it's something that I need to be better about. Especially now that I have this job... I have to cut back my hours at my shop to do that, but I also have to make sure I am at my shop to get work done.

It will take time for me to settle into my new routine and work out a schedule. And part of that is making sure clients know that if they make a commission request, they may have to wait on it for a bit. I have 2 part time jobs now... which means less time spent crafting. Any time estimates I make are just that... they are ESTIMATES. Because I never know when something unexpected will pop up during my week and eat up all my free time. Or if a projects proves to be a lot more difficult and time consuming then I anticipated (this happens a lot actually...)

This is why I say Time should be taken with a Grain of Salt. I'm not the most disciplined person in the world, and I realize that. And I HATE having things just hanging, waiting to be finished. But I also find that my life is constantly flowing and changing, and so I can't always guarantee that things will be finished in the time frame I *think* they would be. More so now then ever before!

But let me tell ya... the wait will be worth it.