Creative Time Management! - April Issue of My Molds! 2015

News that Inspires Imagination! The Preferred Place for Clay Push Molds. Issue of My Molds Newsletter. Is this not displaying correctly? View it in a new window. We Inspire Imagination!  Crafting for a Cause...    With Memorial Day soon approaching, many are drawn to Tribute Ribbons to show awareness for their cause of choice. Many of you know that a yellow ribbons is a tribute to Support our Troops, but there are many more colors to think about when Crafting for a Cause. Our Tribute Ribbon Mold #875 is perfect to support awareness for many reasons, so it's our featured mold of the month. And since it's a mold, you can create your casting in any color you wish. Find this mold here.  Reminder!  Lately we have seen more interest in paying for your order by mail. If this interests you, we want to make sure you are aware that we do offer payment by mail when you place your order. Just look for this option when you place your order. Also, it does take a little extra time in the mail and clearing your check, but this is a nice alternative for those of you who are nervous about placing orders online.    It's in the Mail!  Creative Time Management!  "How do I find time to create?” Consider these questions: What is it that I really love to do? What part of my project or business doesn't feel like “work” What are the tasks and projects I need to work on in order to grow my business that I put off or avoid? Outside of my handmade business, what are the biggest distractions and drains on my time? Are there things that I do just because I think I “should?” What are the obligations that I cannot change? Managing time is essentially managing your priorities. To achieve effective time management you must think about what you actually need to do and be realistic about how long those tasks will take. Here are a few ideas to help you refresh your calendar and make more time for your business and for the things that you love. Know the time of the day you work best: Save this time for your most focused, creative tasks. For me, this time is early morning. That is when I focus on writing and planning. During this time I don’t check my email (unless I need to write a really important one). I also don’t go on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Block out time on your calendar for specific tasks: This will hold you accountable and help you avoid procrastinating as well as assist you in taking the projects you need to work on seriously. Prioritize and learn how to say “No.” Think of time like a budget. If you have limited time, how do want to spend it so you get the most value for your business in return? For example, in New York it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by social obligations. Someone is always playing a show, having an art opening or birthday. These are All great things, but these can eat into my time budget (and my wallet)! I've learned to identify the events that are the most important for me and I’m the most excited about attending and politely decline the others.  I've also learned to prioritize tasks around the house because I found that I was using housework to procrastinate on my creative work. Now I ask myself questions like, “Do I really need to be doing the dishes instead of working on a new writing project?” and readjust accordingly. Set boundaries. Are there people who are always interrupting you? Even the people you love, like your partner, kids, or best friend, can distract you from your business. Explain to them when you've set aside time to work on your project and when you are available to them. That way you can feel comfortable that you are getting the time you need for your project without neglecting important people in your life. Negotiate: what tasks can be flexible? If you have a day job, explore working  flextime or rearranging your hours to better suit your project or business. If you have a business or life partner are there some tasks or obligations that you can share thereby open up more time to be creative? Remember, your time is yours and it's up to you to make the most of it. Get off Facebook and turn off the TV. Identify time wasters that are not serving you and eliminate them or limit yourself to a certain amount of time per day. Be kind to yourself. Remember, you are a busy, complex person and life and creativity is, by nature, unpredictable.  If you hit a roadblock, get tired, or need to shift your priorities, you must accept that your project may take longer than you expected. Recognize and celebrate what you have accomplished and readjust your schedule accordingly. Time management for creative people is highly personal. Everyone works differently and priorities for your business and your life will shift and change. It may take some time to re-imagine your schedule to find the perfect balance, but when you do, you will be confident that you are spending the time you need to move your business forward. Time well spent is an investment in your business and yourself.          Creative Time Management!      Contact Us!                                           Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter       Fun Links: Free Stuff Free Downloads Creative Ideas Gallery Instructions Newsletter Archives   Molding Tools   Mobile Site     Contact Us!  Comments Welcomed!  How are we doing?  Let us know what you are thinking!   Email Us Website The Preferred Place for Clay Push Molds!   When it comes to service, we break the mold! Thank You! Copyright © 2015 Mad About Molds, All rights reserved. Mad About Molds periodically sends a newsletter to its customers. You received this newsletter because you opted in to receive this newsletter, inquired about our products, or ordered from Mad About Molds. 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