Time Management for Musicians: How to Get More Done and Save Time in the Process
This post helps you get started, but that’s only the beginning. My Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program will take you step-by-step through the artist development process to build your artistry and career. This is the same process I’ve used to help my clients win Grammy Awards, get featured in Rolling Stone, secure major licensing deals, get signed to management and labels, and live the dream. What would it feel like to be regularly performing to thousands of people singing the words to your songs and supporting your career by the end of this year? Grab a seat in my Step Up Program and find out how. 10-Day Free Trial at signup!!
Time Management for Musicians: How to Get More Done and Save Time in the Process
Time management is an art. Especially for musicians with a day job on top of their full-time music career. Where do you find the time and how do you manage everything that needs to be done without losing your mind?
1. Organize your time into categories
Half of the battle is clocking how much time things take and anticipating extra time for research and learning. I like to start by organizing how much time I want to spend on what.
For example, start by listing the bulk of the tasks each week and how much time you have to spend on them.
- Day job – 35 hrs a week, 7 hours a day
- Social media and marketing – 2 hrs a week, 30 minutes a day
- Creating music: writing songs, recording, collaborations – 6 hours a week
- 2 nights a week 1-hour x 2
- Weekends – 4 hours
- Daily musicianship practice: vocals, guitar/piano, theory – 30 min day, 3.5 hours a week
- Learning new things: new software, new techniques – Weekends, 3 hours
- Music career + business – Weekends, 3 hours
Summary:
- Weekdays: 8 hours
- Weekends: 10 hours
When you break it down like that it seems more doable.
Get my time management calendars for musicians in Module 1 of my Step Up to the Spotlight Kickstart Artist Development Program here. 10-Day Free Trial!
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2. How to stretch time
Learning to stretch time starts by realizing that time perception is a subjective experience. One hour of writing a song is not the same as one hour of waiting in line at the doctor’s office.
So if time operates differently spending it on things we like versus things we dread, how can we stretch our perception of time to get the most out of our time?
You guessed it —do more of what we love more often.
Try this:
- Spend more time in smaller increments on things you love, like working on your music.
- Even when doing more boring tasks like vocal practice, think about how much you love music and look forward to the results of your practice before you run your scales to fall in love with your daily practice and watch the time fly.
3. Keys to increasing productivity
Studies show that we overestimate what we can do in the short term and underestimate what we can do in the long term. Studies with disciplinary tasks such as practicing or working out show that a small amount of time spent every day produces better results than a longer amount of time a few times a week.
Try this:
- Learn to say no: Since you have limited time and bandwidth, it’s important to focus on tasks that can help you meet your goals. To improve your productivity, learn to say no to other requests that take away from your energy and don’t contribute toward your goals.17 Otherwise, it can feel like you’re always busy but never able to complete anything you need to get done.
- Tidy up: Tidying up your workspace and getting rid of clutter can not only improve the utility of the space but also improve your decision-making ability, productivity, and overall well-being
- Focus on one task at a time: Avoid trying to do multiple things at a time. The human brian is not wired to multitask, so you’ll be more productive if you focus on one task at a time, rather than trying to switch between multiple tasks
4. Prioritize the top, delegate the middle and leave the bottom for another life
Any entrepreneur will tell you that there is always a long list and you never get to everything. That’s a fact! But the key is to prioritize what sits at the top delegate the middle and leave the bottom for another life!
Try this:
- Top priority: These start with the non-negotiables that must be done each week – get them out of the way first. Then work on the top project for the week!
- Middle priority: Look for an expert who can help you with the middle of the list. Can you find a VA (Virtual Assistant) to help with social media and content creation? Or maybe with business stuff such as bookings or submitting for festivals?
- Bottom of the list: Notice what falls to the bottom of the list. If you find some non-negotiables like your daily practice falling here – you’ll need to have a real talk with yourself to move that up to the top priority. But generally, the tasks that fall here are not things you are interested in. So either delegate them or just let them go!
5. Schedule all of your projects in your calendar and assume it will take more time, not less
One of the things I have always practiced is the art of “living the calendar”. I teach this in Module 1 of my Step Up to the Spotlight Program which helps get your artist development side of things organized.
When you schedule your tasks right on your calendar it makes it easier to see what needs to be done. You don’t always have to follow a rigid schedule, but just don’t delete non-negotiables but move them to a different time of day or a different day.
For instance, when I wanted to get good at my daily vocal practice, I made a rule that I would practice 5 days a week to get the results I wanted. So if I missed Monday’s practice I had to move my weekly practice to Tues – Saturday. If I missed Tuesday as well, then I moved it to Wed – Sunday. I didn’t like doing my daily practice on weekends which I liked to reserve for songwriting and recording (more fun things), so it helped to keep me on track. I also made a rule that I did my daily practice before I left the house for work. Then I patted myself on the back all day knowing I got my practice in!
Ready to kickstart your artist development? I created a step-by-step process for artist development so artists anywhere in the world can transform their music and step into the dream.
What would it feel like in just 6 weeks to— walk away with an ENTIRE Step-by-step map and PLAN for your music, your brand, and your plan — with a brand new mindset and perspective to completely uplevel the game for you?
If you’re ready to commit just an hour of your time every week to get a full understanding of what the path is—then don’t hesitate to get this information into your hands right now.
Get the 10-Day Free Trial here: Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program
To get started on your journey – Get the 10-Day Free Trial to my 6 week Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program. We give you a step-by-step system of how to step up your artistry and carve a successful path in music inside. Become the artist of your life and astonish your audience!
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Hi, I’m Cari Cole.
You’ve got talent, but you want to become great at it. You’re in the right place! My mission is to help you refine your unique artist vision to bring to the world.
About Cari Cole
Cari Cole is the CEO / Founder of caricole.com and CCVM: Label Without Walls. She is a Holistic Vocal Coach, Artist Development Expert, A&R Director, and Songwriter based in New York City helping artists for the past 38 years. She is a mentor for Women in Music and The Association of Independent Music Publishers.
Her latest venture, CCVM a label services company, provides artists with a seamless path from creation to completion. After 30+ years of observing the overwhelm and challenges that artists face, Cari pulled together the best top creative professionals and designed a new approach to supporting our artists.
Disclaimer:
The information provided on Cari Cole's website is informational only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Cari Cole's website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
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