I know that when you’re in the middle of trying to grow your creative business, it can be really hard to step back and take a look at the big picture. Even more so now that the pandemic has disrupted the day to day for so many of us.
But ultimately, if you want to build a creative business that’s sustainable, that supports you, and most importantly, that you actually love, you have to take a look at the big picture from time to time.
Now, the big picture doesn’t have to be that big. For me, thinking about the big picture starts with thinking about my ideal day.
And I think about that ideal day in a couple different ways.
The first is to ask myself what kind of art I want to be making and how I want to spend my time. (Because those two questions are related.) As creatives, we have so many options for the types of work we could make and the types of businesses we want to build, and asking those two questions serve as guideposts anytime I feel out of sorts.
The second way I think about my ideal day is to match my schedule with my energy flow.
Now, if you know me, you know that I’m not super woo-woo. Words like energy flow don’t come out of my mouth very often.
But in this case, I’m not talking about energy flow in terms of higher vibrations. I’m literally talking about how much energy I have (mentally and physically) at various points throughout the day.
By understanding my energy levels, I can create a schedule for my day that not only makes it easier to decide what to do when, but also helps me be more productive AND happier. (Happier because I’m not forcing myself to slog through work when I can’t focus or am not at my best. And happier because I build in time for rest and filling my well, rather than trying to work ALL THE TIME.)
The other thing that’s key about using your energy levels to plan your ideal day is that it takes into account what an ideal day looks like FOR YOU. So much has been written, and so much “advice” has been tossed around, about how successful entrepreneurs structure their days, with the goal of helping you do the same. The idea is that, if it works for them, it should work for you too.
But that doesn’t take into account the fact that we are all different, and that our brains and bodies function differently at different times of the day.
Take one of my all time least favorite pieces of “business” advice as an example – the fact that you should start your work day with a workout. Now, aside from being extremely ableist (and often fatphobic) advice, this is terrible advice for me personally.
Not only is my body super sluggish in the morning (so working out then would lead to an increased risk of injury) but the morning is my peak mental time. (I’m actually cranking out this post at 8 AM and the words are flowing pretty easily.) If I gave over an hour (or more) of my time each morning for a workout, I would lose that time for writing and creating classes and trainings, which is an important part of my work.
And I can’t just make up for that lost time later, because by 2 or 3 PM, my brain is OVER IT for the day. But, my body is warmed up and ready to go, making it the perfect time to go for a run and decompress. (And yes, some days I get caught up in work and never go for a run. And that’s ok too. Because I’m not a professional athlete, and I don’t need to work out like one. I just need to go for a run every few days so that I don’t want to punch people in the face.)
And this is just one of the many examples of the ways that I structure my day to reflect my own energy levels. But it’s one that’s made a big difference in both my productivity and my well-being.
Now, recognizing your own energy levels and planning your day around them takes work. It takes retrospection and trial and error.
That’s why I’m holding a training on this exact topic this Thursday in my online mentorship program, Artists and Profit Makers. It’s the perfect opportunity to take a step back, figure out your energy flow, and use it to create your ideal day.
And since I know that not everyone can just create their ideal day out of scratch (especially if you have kids or a day job) we’ll also talk about mapping your theoretical ideal day onto your very real daily commitments.
So if you’re ready to walk through this process, click here to join Artists and Profit Makers today.
When you join, you’ll also get access to the archive with over 30 other trainings, including ones on answering those first two questions (what kind of art do you want to make? and how do you want to spend your time?) and dealing with overwhelm (something I know many of us could use some help with right now).
Whether you’re looking to figure out your ideal day or need some concrete marketing strategies, you’ll find resources to help you do that inside Artists and Profit Makers. Click here to join today.
