How To Manage Time Like A Slacker

Have you tried every to-do list out there, only to find that you quickly get behind and accumulate a list of unfinished tasks the size of a Charles Dickens novel?

There’s a trick that slackers everywhere use to manage their days and keep a long list of obligations from harshing their mellow, and I’m here to let you in on it:

Schedule less than you think you can do.

That’s right. The key to a successful to-do list is to underwhelm yourself with expectations.

But, wait…what?

You may be asking yourself how you could possibly be more productive during your busy, over scheduled day with fewer expectations. Read on, grasshopper.

Schedule less than you think you can do. Click To Tweet

Realize That There Are Only So Many Things You Can Do In A Day

Even if you are the Queen of Getting Stuff Done (and let’s face it, most of us are not), there are only so many things you can do in a day.

There’s a limit on time and a limit on energy, and at some point, you’ll run out of both.

So, accept your very human limitations and only pull a few items from your brain dump list to add to your to-do list on any given day.

Realize that there are only so many things you can do in a day. Click To Tweet

Under Promise And Over Deliver

You know that adage in the business world about dazzling customers by under promising and over delivering?

Do the same for yourself.

If you happen to get through that day’s items and get something extra in, then yay! It’s an amazing feeling to get more done than you planned, and won’t you feel like a superhero then?

 It’s an amazing feeling to get more done than you planned, and won’t you feel like a superhero then? Click To Tweet

Understand The Difference Between Tasks And Deep Work

So, if you’re expecting less from yourself, how will you ever accomplish the big things in life, like creating a new series of paintings or finishing a big sculptural piece?

The answer lies in differentiating between “tasks” and “deep work.”

What’s the difference?

• Tasks are all those things we all have to get done to keep our lives moving smoothly, like paying bills and signing up for a better internet plan.
• Deep Work is a phrase I first read about via Cal Newport’s productivity writing that refers to  bigger, more meaningful work we accomplish over a period of time, such as creating a body of artwork or writing a novel.

While it’s easy to fill our time with quick and easy tasks that we can feel good about checking off a to-do list, most of those won’t lead to achieving the soul work most of us want to do in our studios.

So if you find yourself constantly filling your days with a never ending list of things like “pay the cable bill” and “drop off the dry cleaning” see what you can ditch, delegate or delete.

It’s okay if the only thing on your to-do list some days is “sketch faces for portrait series” or “get my hands into some clay.”

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Why The Slacker Approach To Time Management Works

Most of us expect too much from ourselves now.

And if you are a creative person, you are probably balancing studio time with all your other family, life and work obligations. Add in technological advancements, which make it possible to be on call and available 24/7, and there is just too much to do.

Every. Single. Day.

We really can’t do everything, and it’s time to accept our limits.

Setting ourselves up with too many to-do’s every day is unrealistic and leads to failure and overwhelm before we can even get halfway down the list.

More importantly, the business of trying to check off these endless tasks blocks us from spending time on the bigger things we really care about, like creating.

So, take the slacker approach to time management and only put a few things (at most) on your to-do list for the day.

You might not be named Queen of Getting Stuff Done, but you’ll certainly find yourself happier, more relaxed, and more able to tackle that deep soul work that really matters to you.

With only a few things on your to-do list, you’ll be happier, more relaxed, and more able to tackle the work that really matters to you. Click To Tweet

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