In this second piece, we will look at how to make more time and less stress to increase your success. The creative professional is constantly in a balancing act between the art and the commerce of their discipline. Whether it is illustration, photography, design or any other creative process, you still have to meet your client's needs AS WELL AS YOUR OWN. Here are some tips to create more balance.

• TIP #4 FINDING MORE TIME
  You know that any activity expands to fill the time given to it. So, unless otherwise managed, your day will fill up with "things to do". You need to find the time to do everything you need to do (marketing) and want to do (great jobs for your clients). The time is there. All you have to do is UNCOVER it.
  
  
  • Step 1
    Take your marketing plan and your goal getting plan along with your daily calendar and transfer every item onto the calendar. Be sure each item is specific and in "bite size tasks" and be careful to allow enough time. Do you KNOW how long it takes to pay bills? Process the daily mail? Write a press release? You'll quickly find out. Don't forget vacations and holidays!
  • Step 2
    As things come to your attention during the day( whether they are papers, phone calls or people) you must handle it immediately and completely or you must SCHEDULE the handling of it. For example, your best client calls you to request a new brochure and they want "something different". Rather than drop what you are doing that moment, ask your client how they feel about meeting at a time convenient for you and use your daily calendar to find a time more appropriate to deal with this request. Everything goes on the calendar. No more lists of things to do!
  • Step 3
    The key to finding more time is to handle everything you touch only once. Then, deal with it immediately or schedule it. This will not only help you find more time but will do two other things important to a successful business. One, instead of waiting to find the time for marketing and management (and you never will), they simply become daily scheduled chores. Two, instead of getting depressed when you have a blank calendar, you will always have something on your calendar to work on that will help you move towards success.

• TIP #5 STRESS MANAGEMENT
  Most stress in a business comes from trying to balance conflicting needs. You need to be business-like and you want to be creative. You need to dedicate yourself to your work and you want to spend time with your family. Sound familiar? You could probably write an endless list of personal and professional stressful situations. The important thing to accept is that this stress is normal. Try these stress-busting rules of the road!
  
  
  • Step 1
    You'll never be caught up, so stop trying. There will always be a never-ending succession of business and marketing tasks as well as your work to do. Stop waiting for the in-basket to be empty. Stop anticipating feeling "caught up" with your work. Stop waiting to arrive, start enjoying the journey!
  • Step 2
    You'll never make everyone happy. There will ALWAYS be a client that will want you to feel or behave differently (especially with pricing). Stop expecting people around you to always approve of you or be happy with you. You can only do your very best to please your clients AND run a profitable business. You can't control other people's feelings about you.
  • Step 3
    Learn to say "NO". Often, stress is created when you say "Yes" when all logic and common sense tells you to say "No". Pricing a job is a perfect example. A client makes an assignment or pricing request and you KNOW that an unqualified "Yes" will cause great stress (and reduced profits). Since you can't walk around saying "NO!" to clients and stay in business, try these three options, "No, BUT here's another way to do that" or "Yes, AND this is what that kind of project will cost" or "I'll get back to you" and buy time to create a solution. In each case, you have presented further considerations that will reduce the stress of saying "Yes" when you mean "No".