Songwriting and Time Management

Time management skills are important no matter what you are trying to accomplish. It would be nice if I had some. They're especially important if you're trying to make something a career when you still have to work a regular job. When so much of your time is taken up by a full time job, you need to manage the time you do have wisely. That means that your off days are not off days. Those days you are not at your job are days for you to be working towards something that's more important to you.

In a previous post I mentioned the importance of having your planner (notebook/schedule/whatever you use) full of activities that will in some way move you forward or at least keep you facing in the right direction and focused on your goals. Don't view your free time as free time. If you want it to become your job then treat it like it is your job. If you act like it's just a hobby that you're only involved in when you "feel like it" then it will most likely always remain a hobby.

Let's say you have a day off and you would normally work an eight hour shift at your job. What are you gonna do to work on what you really want your job to be for eight hours? That's what time management is all about-taking the time that's available to you and using it to be productive.

For me, it's not so simple as setting aside eight hours to work on something. I find it more helpful to assign activities to each hour. For example, I might spend two hours just going over the lyrics that I have, adding to them, and editting them. Another two hours can be dedicated to reading and educating myself on songwriting techniques and music in general. That leaves me with four more hours to dedicate to doing other research, looking online for opportunities, bands, and writers to connect with, taking part in writing exercises, and taking a look at what other songwriters have done to become successful.

It may seem like overkill to assign an activity to each hour and for you it may be. I find that when I don't break it down like that it's more difficult for me to stay focused and accomplish as much as I can with the time that I have.

No matter how you plan your time, the bottom line is that you need to make sure you use the time you have wisely. If you want something to become more than just a hobby then treat it that way.

~Eliza