When you’re busy balancing side jobs, auditions, self-tapes, acting classes, and workouts, time management skills become necessary. And honestly, even without a busy schedule, time management skills are useful for propelling us toward success.
I don’t know about you but for me, time management skills are really hard for me to enact when my schedule is fluctuating week to week and day to day. I mean, some of us don’t even know our work schedules until the Sunday before our workweek begins! Talk about a time management challenge!
And forget about the regular fluctuations of a dancer’s schedule, the holidays are coming up and calendars are about to get hectic. So how can we use basic time management skills despite having a fluctuating schedule?
Let’s build a toolbox, shall we?
Keep A Calendar (Yes, Even for Social Events)
Okay, first things first, let’s talk about keeping a calendar.
For those who are calendar averse, I know this might not be your favorite of the time management skills we discuss today.
And listen you’re not alone. If I had a dollar for every half-used planner I’ve purchased…well, I’d have enough to buy a latte at least.
BUT, I do keep track of my commitments on my phone calendar religiously.
Keeping a calendar not only helps me balance multiple gigs and jobs but it also allows me to schedule hangouts with friends on the spot.
I pull out my calendar, and we make a plan. Then, I create an event and I share the event with my friend. This prevents cancellations and, more importantly, keeps me from over-stacking my schedule in a way that forces me to blow off a coffee date or wine night.
Now, this is especially clutch during the holidays.
Did I get a holiday party invite? Add it to the calendar.
Work schedule came out? Added to the calendar.
Now, when I look at auditions and work deadlines, I can see how I need to plan my week to get everything done.
And listen, if tracking on an actual calendar doesn’t work for you, that’s fine.
You can also just create a list of your commitments for yourself.
Whichever way you do it, try to sit down once a week (it doesn’t have to be the same day every time) and look at the upcoming week.
Maybe you do this on the same day that your work schedule comes out. Maybe you do this on a somewhat reliable rest day for you.
No matter what just take a moment each week and walk yourself through your physical commitments for that week.
If you don’t use a calendar, it might look something like this:
-Audition Monday 10 AM
-Work Monday 4 PM – 11 PM
-Physical Therapy Tuesday 12 PM
-Voice Lesson Tuesday 3 PM
-Holiday Party at Sam’s House Tuesday 6 PM
-Commercial Self-Tape Due Wednesday at 12 PM
-Dance Class Wednesday 2:45 PM
-Work Wednesday 5 PM-Close
-Wine Night with Claire Thursday – Happy Hour (Text to confirm time)
-Friday 7 AM Flight home for Christmas
Now you at least have a working idea of what your week looks like as far as physical commitments you have to show up for.
Then you’re able to move on to the next of our time management skills: prioritization.
Make a List – Then Prioritize
Now that you have your physical commitments clearly laid out, the next thing you can do is make a list of “Crap that needs to get done this week.”
It sounds simple (and maybe a little stressful) but writing down everything you want to accomplish is a good tool to use when you’re prioritizing how to utilize your time. Learning how to prioritize your time is one of the key time management skills that can help you when you’re busy.
Your “to-do” list might look like this:
-Get Groceries
-Laundry
-Clean the house
-Buy a hosting gift for Sam
-Memorize my sides for Audition
-Practice new song for voice lesson
-Pack for Christmas Vacay
-Get Mom’s Christmas gift
-Edit footage for Self-tape and submit
The next step is to go through this list and prioritize these tasks by urgency, importance, and difficulty.
Urgent tasks are things with an impending deadline. So in this list, that would be, memorizing your sides, buying a hosting gift, practicing for your voice lesson, and editing/submitting your self-tape, and practicing for your voice lesson.
Next, you’ll look at these tasks and organize them into importance.
Using this example I’d say, that memorizing the sides is the most important as that is an opportunity to land a job. Next, for the same reasons, would be submitting the self-tape. Then getting a hosting gift for Sam. And, finally, practicing for your voice lesson.
Now, it might be tempting to do the self-tape first because that’s the easiest task. You already have the footage filmed, you just need to edit and submit it.
But, studies have shown that doing the harder, more time-consuming task first, is more beneficial for your productivity. This is because completing easy tasks can give you a false sense of accomplishment.
You can then move on and apply this same method to the other tasks on your list.
Maybe you have to do the laundry before you’re able to pack.
Maybe you can get your Mom’s gift online and have it shipped directly home instead of having to pick it up in the city.
Taking five minutes to think through these tasks can help you determine the most effective way to complete every necessary task.
Automate What You Can
Now, this is one of those time management skills that I know comes with a lot of privilege. But, if you are able, take a look at what things you and automate.
For example, maybe instead of going grocery shopping during this busy week, you could instead have groceries delivered.
Maybe, you’re able to have your laundry sent out instead of spending an entire afternoon schlepping to and from the laundromat.
Of course, doing this consistently would be financially straining. But, in a pinch when things are starting to pile up, automating the more menial tasks during your week can spare your mental load and save you time.
Be Flexible and Realistic
Let’s talk about being realistic when it comes to our time management skills.
Is it realistic that you’ll have enough time between Monday and Tuesday to practice for your voice lesson? Will removing that from your to-do list cause any problems for you? Likely, no. Ideally, you’re able to practice. But, if something has to get the boot, that might be a good option.
What about buying Sam’s hosting gift? Is that something that requires designated time, or could you pick up a bottle of wine or a pie on your way to his party?
Taking time to think through what’s realistic and being flexible with how and when things get accomplished is a game changer when it comes to completing tasks with ease.
Wake Up Earlier
Alright, the last of our time management skills might hurt a little to hear, but if you’re really struggling to “get it all done” try waking up earlier.
I am not a morning person so it might shock you to hear that waking up earlier has increased my productivity and bolstered my time management skills.
You see, I am the type of person who doesn’t just wake up ready to crank things out. I need to ease into my day. If I wake up even just 30 minutes earlier, I can lay in bed, and lounge around while I drink my coffee, and it’s no longer taking away from my working hours. Suddenly instead of waking up at seven and lounging around until 8. I’m waking up at 6:15 and starting my day at 7! That’s an entire hour of gained time!
Conversely, if you are a morning person. Getting up and starting your day earlier gives you all the more time to get a jump start on those tougher tasks on your to-do list.
Are any of these time management skills something you’d be willing to try? I hope so. I have found that organizing my time has helped me accomplish way more than I ever could have had I just been “winging it.”
And listen, you’re going to be perfect. Hectic schedules are hard to sustain. But, hopefully, one or two of these time management skills can help you get through your busier seasons.
Want more tips like these? Check out these quick reads: 7 Helpful Journal Prompts for Dancers, Let’s Talk About Stress, Ba-by! Stress Management For Dancers, Performance vs Outcome Goals: The Role of Each In Productive Goal Setting
