So many of us creatives are overwhelmed and it sucks. One of the reasons is that we think we can do a lot more on a given day than we actually can. Myself included.
We think that a task like writing an email, getting ready for a sale or submitting a grant application takes less time than it really does. Our brains might feel like it's an easy task so we start to believe it'll only take a short amount of time to do.
Or we know it's a task that we have resistance around so we .....draaaaag-it-out. And procrastinate around it.
Having too many things to do on your list creates a sense of dread and overwhelm. You always feel behind because your list never goes away.
To lessen the stress of feeling like you're not doing enough, think about what you can get done just today.
What's Your Capacity Today?
Consider what kinds of things you have energy, and time for. You can think about it as how much can you really get done in one day or over the next few days. It will help you to stop beating yourself up over not finishing your to-do list because it allows you to set more realistic expectations for what you can accomplish.
For example, you've just done a big, two day weekend event with a lot of people coming and going, lots of chatting, making sales, and hauling your art to and from the event. This may energize you in some ways. And it may deplete you in other ways. So when you return to work on Monday, what's your capacity to get things done?
For me, I've had events like this be really energizing. I've also had them be extremely draining where I’ve wanted to crawl into a hole for a full week or more.
To manage my expectations around how much energy I have to get things done on a Monday following a big weekend event like this, I purposely don't schedule more than one meeting on that Monday. And I don't plan to get anything specific sent to anyone for the day.
I know my capacity to do anything highly productive on a day following an energetic event like this will be very low. I know that I'll need to use the day to recharge.
How Do You Recharge?
Do you like to slow down your morning? Maybe you eat a healthy breakfast. Maybe you like to give yourself total quiet time where you don't have to talk to anyone for 2-4 hours. Maybe you spend time in the studio making art.
Perhaps you go for a walk or to a yoga class. Maybe you allow yourself time to sit and read an interesting article.
How you recharge will be different than how someone else recharges. Just like how much energy you have for getting things done will be drastically different from someone else.
It can be annoying to see how some people seem to amazingly get it all done. Honestly, though, they are most likely struggling with their to-do list, too. And, they’re different humans with different capacity levels. They’re not you.
Practice Seeing Your Capacity
One of the best ways to temper things is to estimate how long it takes you to do a task or project, including art making, and then write down how long it actually took. This way you can set the right expectations for your days and how much capacity you truly have based on this information.
I've written so many emails that I now know it will take me anywhere from 1-4 hours to complete the task from start to finish. This includes finding images to go with it, loading it up into MailChimp, scheduling it to send, and writing 3-5 social media posts around the topic.
I know someone who has written their weekly email consistently in less than an hour for years and they're really successful with the way it supports their business. I also know people who spend more like 8 hours to get everything done with their email and are equally successful.
For you, think about how long it takes you to:
Send an invoice
Create a series of ten art pieces
Write an email newsletter
Create a Reel on Instagram
Update an inventory spreadsheet
Add people to your mailing list after a market
Upload a listing to your shop
Submit a grant application
You get the idea. Take the things you normally do with your art and business and get the real amount of time it takes to cross it off your to-do list.
You Do You
Everyone does a task differently. Everyone has a different capacity and energy for doing a project. So when it comes to how long it takes you to do something, don't look at how fast or slowly others are doing a similar task.
Instead, can you look at how you are doing it?
Consider how much capacity you have for a to-do list item on any given day, and use that knowledge to help to decide how you want to tackle it.
This will bring down that chaotic feeling that hits when you look at your long laundry list of all the things you want to get done. It allows you to relax and feel in control of your day and your entire creative practice.
If you're looking for ways to clear the overwhelm so you can actually have an enjoyable art practice and income from it, schedule a call to talk about how you can free up your time by clicking here.