Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Getting Stuff Done...




A few weeks ago I was asked how I manage my time to accomplish items on my to do list. First let me just say that my situation affords me a lot of time to devote towards illustration projects and for that I feel very fortunate. My youngest boy is now 13 and does a lot with his older brothers and friends. My wife was teaching school when he was a pup so I spent a lot of time watering and weeding that one but now I have much more time. I don't have a full time job so that really helps. I know many of you have a lot of responsibilities that demand big chunks of time but here are some of my strategies - perhaps they might give you a few ideas:


I need less money because we've simplified our lives. Fewer activities, reusing items, less extravagant vacations - basically living within our means has allowed me to take on less work- to be choosy and more judicious with my time.


 I work many hours during the day but when I draw I do it on my iPad in the family room so I can be with my wife and kids - not super high quality time but I can still participate in discussions...and arguments :) I do most of the thumbnail and design decisions in my studio where I can think and then refine the finishes with the fam.


I sketch on an iPad - I can't tell you how much time this has saved me. We have some medical issues in our family and find ourselves at doctor appointments quite often. Now I can take my work with me on the iPad. I like it better than a sketchbook because I can completely finish drawings because I never run out of "paper". You can always re-size and keep working. When I'm at school or waiting for one of my kids in the car - at the in-laws, etc. I always have the ability to keep working. I then email the work to myself and when I get home I'm already to start photoshop work.


I love hiking in the mountains and playing racquetball - so I use both of these as incentives. I'll tell myself that I can't leave for my hike until I get x done. Self imposed deadlines have become a way of life - so much that sometimes I forget that they are my deadlines and I sometimes have to remind myself that it's ok to blow one now and then. The hike resets my mind and gives me focus - I'm more productive when I return.


I had to go on an internet diet. One of my indulgences is to check facebook, email, twitter, my blog, my back office sales stats for Amazon and Pubit, other people's blogs, news feeds, etc. The online connections are potentially endless and Seth Godin really helped me by clearly stating that these distractions are NOT work. So while I used to be able to convince myself that it was part of my productivity I no longer can - Thanks Seth! I jump on in the morning and then a few more times throughout the day but then I click out and really try to crank on my assignments.


I visualize a lot too. I begin with the end in mind as Stephen Covey put it in his 7 habits book. Imagining how cool it will be to have children's story apps for iPad and android really gets me going and gives me the motivation to sidestep many distractions that inevitably try to trip me each day.


I also break down each project into small little checklist items. Even if you're only able to cross one little item off each day think what you'll be able to accomplish in a year. Thinking about doing it is good but people sometimes spend years telling themselves, "I'm going to_______."  - make the freakin list - start checking things off!


Probably the biggest thing I've been able to do to boost my productivity and time management is to start saying no to assignments I'm not in love with. Cutting out the projects that bring me down and replacing them with projects I love has me waking up in the morning excited to get going. Sometimes I have to pinch myself that I get to go in my studio and work on some freakin cool stuff. 


Hope this list helps some of you - it's taken me many years to finally figure out what works for me - I'd love to know what works for you...maybe I can steal a few ideas.

30 comments:

  1. great post Will! My wife says I spend too much time on the same stuff online. Very excited for Children's Book this fall!

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    1. Thanks Jared! She's right! but don't think I don't slip up too - I just play an expert here on my blog :)

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  2. For me this is just starting to be a real problem. I just bagged my first book project. And now with working a full time job I've been working into my sleep time. I guess there's really nothing to do about it at this point until I make enough money doing freelance to justify quitting a full time job where I have insurance and an OK wage.

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    1. Good luck! If you ever want more inspiration just check out the movie: "The Pursuit of Happiness" with Will Smith. His character has incredible challenges and yet manages to become super successful - one of his tactics - drinking less so he had to take fewer bathroom breaks. wow.

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  3. Great post. I work out of my home as well, so I have to self motivate. I used to get along with just keeping a good schedule and forcing myself to hit it, but I constantly fell behind. Find the right internal/intrinsic reword was key for me. I align with you on one thing for sure - hiking with my border collie :). I find that carving out time as a reward to do this is great for my health, spiritually, physically and mentally.

    I love your tips here. I and I always love your posts. Looking forward to more in the future.

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    1. I hear you Dustin! We might have to go for a hike together and let the dogs play. Thanks for the kind words!

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  4. Great post Will.

    I'm on the homestretch right now with that book I started a long time ago. I've got to rewrite the first quarter and the last quarter, and then do one more full draft. It's 100,000 words right now, and I'm not a particularly fast writer. At times it can be difficult to stay focused when I feel like I'll never get to the end.

    Lately I've done two things that help: When I first start my work I give myself preferably 30 minutes (15 minimum) in my art sketchbook and 30 minutes in my writing sketchbook to do whatever I want. After that I just set a timer for 5 hours. Until that 5 hours is up, I don't do anything else. A short little break there, then set the timer again for another 3.

    Unless I'm working for a client, I stop working at 9 hours. Whenever I try to go longer than that for a stretch of days/weeks/months, I eventually crash and end up getting less done than I would have otherwise.

    Thanks for the pointers and the inspiration!

    B

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    1. Keeping working for 5 hours straight it's a lot! You must be very disciplined. I'm still on the 2 hours long chunks of work ;) But probably everyone prefers it differently.

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    2. I love the discipline Bryan! A 5 hour burn is good stuff - you could be a long haul trucker if you ever want to saddle up and experience the open road :)...also like the idea of planned sketchbook time - I might have to try that one.

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  5. Good post Will, I think I may steal some ideas :)

    What keeps me going and constantly motivated is:

    - crossing out all those small tasks on my to-do list; just like you. I cannot imagine working without a list and without this reward of crossing something out.

    - I try to work on few things at the same time. A bit of this, a bit of that - to keep my mind ready to see mistakes and just to stay fresh. It can be tiring when you have to work on the same project for a week, so it's good to do something extra (it may even be a personal thing)

    - when I feel too overwhelmed by procrastination and cannot find the will to work I record my work or stream it online. It doesn't matter if anyone watches it; the very idea of someone seeing me working lamely gets me motivated!

    - lately I've been listening to audiobooks while creating and it inspires me on an absolutely different level than listening to music or radio. I think that my brain is on a higher gear then. It's worth trying. And it's also like: 'one more chapter and then I'll have a break... or maybe two more chapters. Or three?' ;)

    I think that's it. Hope you will find those points inspiring :D

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    1. Recording your work so others can see you sink or swim - I'm diggin it. Self imposed accountability. I do the same thing with audio books - kind of gives you focus - like it's not time to quit until....

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  6. Internet diets...
    is it anything like the Atkin's?

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    1. LOL Heath! Sort of but without all the tasty meat and salad burnout. :)

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  7. Will once again your words cut me to the core. Talk about living the dream! Your life, the way you described your work, family and lifestyle in this blog- thats EXACTLY the life I want! I want to wake up each day excited to work, instead of tired, resentful and piddling around all day while "thinking" of my beloved projects which gather dust. I want to visualize success and go on hikes! I want my kids to be older and self sufficient (lol. just kidding but you know, it'd be nice. they are 3yrs and 1yr, two highly emotional girls!) But most of all I want to go pro, I want to be the linchpin, I want to share my gifts with the world!
    None of that is going to happen in my current state. I know I'm getting there, changing for the better all the time. But I just feel like I lack DRIVE. Well I think the first step is to go on the internet diet and the second is to put myself in "Time Out". I don't remember which author said this, Seth Godin or Steven Pressfield, but you might recognize it. Its the idea that when we are not working on our project, we STOP. We eat or sleep if we must but do not engage in any form of entertainment until we get back to work. This isn't like cutting out your hike... this is more like cutting out video games, movies, frantic house cleaning, anything leading to resistance. If I need a walk or to go to the store or clean, I will. But I think Resistance has got me by the neck these days and the only way I can think to fight it, is to keep reading things that will inspire me to action (I know, reading them is a bit of Resistance too, but its the lesser of the two evils) and just put myself in Time Out until I start craving my true agenda once more.

    Your blog today gave me an enormous sense of hope! I mean.... HUGE. I'd hug you if I could, big guy. ;) Thanks for being you, cuz it inspired me to be more ME and stop piddling around, wishing I could!
    Oh. Also. Thanks for sharing the wicked cool bird drawing above ^^^ I think the raven is perfect for this! Plus I love birds, they are my spiritual talisman. All around perfect way to start my day!

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    1. Thanks Rachael! cyber hug back! We all fight that resistance and probably my biggest weapon for that one is the checklist. I think the resistance gets overwhelming when we think of the entire project. Thinking that I can get one step closer just by doing a few relatively small tasks makes it seem so much easier. In fact - if you gave me the monumental task of writing 200 essays I would crawl under a rock - but that's just what I've done with this blog....one post at a time. :)

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  8. thanks Will. This was a great post! I guess I better stop checking this blog and calling it work.... just kidding... sort of.

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    1. lol Cam - I almost didn't want to put that one in there :) No, the thing is you can make time for just about anything you want - so long as it doesn't grow out of control right? I blog hop all the time but I usually do it at the end of the day after I've checked stuff off the list.

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  9. I almost read the whole article. But, then I got the the part where checking other peoples blogs does not constitute work and stopped reading right there and got back to work. THANKS!

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    1. Haha Shawn - Cam stopped before you :) ....was that a blog killing piece of advice?

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  10. Will, can you explain your work flow with the iPad. Sounds like a cool idea but how do you use photoshop without pressure sensitivity for example? Good post.

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    1. Hey Brad, I'm using the Brushes app - just like the simplicity of that one better than many of the others I've tried. I also dig the playback feature. I'm not finishing my digital paintings on the ipad - just the sketches. I still have to mail them to my desktop to paint in photoshop. My perfect device would be like an iPad but about 50% bigger screen area, have pressure sensitivity, run a full iOs or windows, AND - not get super hot - AND still have 10 hours battery life...and if this really is my dream - be able to open multiple programs at the same time........and super dream land - be able to remote my TV, lights, vacuum, oven, shut the kids up, and know exactly what my wife is thinking :) Check out Brushes: http://willterry.blogspot.com/2011/11/give-your-ipad-finger.html

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  11. What!?! I'm not working right now? Darn... There goes my excuse for catching up on every ones blogs.

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    1. Sorry Karen :) ...everyone is taking me to task on this one - haha.

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  12. Actually, I'm done with work for the day, so it's ok for me to be here ;)

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  13. Helpful post, Will. Thanks. Btw, when you draw on your ipad, what app do you use, and do you use a stylus?

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    1. Hi Elizabeth - here is a video I made a while back - I can't tell you how in love with the iPad I am....and I was a nay sayer in the beginning on the iPad - it was a student that had one in class that changed my mind when he let me play with it....

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  14. PS I love the crow...and I want that necklace ;)

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    1. OOps - here's the link: http://willterry.blogspot.com/2011/11/give-your-ipad-finger.html

      So glad you like the crow - it was so much fun!

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  15. The distractions of home are tough, especially during the summer, which is when I find it most challenging to stay motivated and in the studio. Being a mom of three this is a constant juggle, plus as you mentioned, the pull of being present when they are around. Trying to live more simply, being patient with myself and "going with the flow" plus staying true to projects that inspire and are meaningful are my ultimate goals. Still a work in progress. :)

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    1. I really feel for artists like you who have more responsibilities that tug at your time. I know I have it easy in that department - keep fighting!

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