The creative process is often a balancing act between two very different types of thinking: creation and planning. It’s no secret that most creatives are not entrepreneurs, but business skills can be helpful for those who are employed full-time by an organization.
This article will outline some of the latest time management tools for creatives and explain how they can help improve your workflow.
Why Time Management for Creatives Matters
Creatives often struggle with time management simply because of the nature of their jobs. They need to respect deadlines, but their projects require an intense amount of thought and creativity.
In addition, creatives often manage multiple projects with many different teams involved. They need to communicate with teams, clients, managers, and more.
Creative Constraints vs. Time Management for Creatives
Although constraints like deadlines seem to put unnecessary stress on a creative process, they can be beneficial.
Constraints allow your brain to focus only on the most critical aspects of a project. They also help you prioritize, which tells your subconscious mind which tasks are most important. In addition to helping you prioritize, constraints prevent endless perfectionism. Many creatives tend to endlessly revise their work, resulting in less productivity and profit.
To put this theory to the test, try one of these five time-management tools for creatives:
Best Time Management Tools for Creatives
1. Trello
Trello is an online project management tool that uses boards, lists, and cards. Each panel represents a particular project or goal, while each list contains specific tasks within the project.
Anything you can do on a piece of paper, you can do with Trello. Each card represents a task. You can drag-and-drop them to prioritize, organize by date, color code, add checklists, and more.
Trello allows members to collaborate and share their work. With over 1,000,000 teams on Trello, this tool has become very popular among creatives.
2. Google Calendar
Google Calendar is one of the best time management tools for creatives. It allows you to create events and tasks, which you can follow up on later. The app’s event feature works like this: You create an event, give it a name, and choose the date and time it should occur. Then you set reminders for yourself so that you don’t forget.
You can integrate Google Calendar with other tools you use, such as Trello or Asana. This link allows you to create a project in one tool and send it to Google Calendar for easier viewing and planning.
3. Evernote
Evernote is a popular note-taking app with many great features – especially for creatives.
This app allows you to create and organize your thoughts in various ways. Some people like to use it as a straight-up note-taking app, while others like to take notes and then transform them into more detailed blog posts or articles later.
Evernote also has project management features that allow you to keep track of deadlines, ideas, and other important information. You can share your notes with collaborators, which is helpful if you work on a team or want to keep close track of certain projects.
4. Asana
Asana is similar to Trello in that it allows you to create events, tasks, and checklists. This tool keeps all of your to-do lists in one place – streamlining your workflow.
Asana also has a mobile app, allowing you to stay connected even when you’re on the go, an essential feature because it helps ensure that your tasks are followed up on and completed as scheduled.
5. Zapier
If parts of your business do not have any existing apps, Zapier is a great option.
Zapier allows you to connect two apps without requiring technical expertise or custom coding. It also helps you automate processes and save time by cutting out excess tasks.
For example, if you upload a new project in Trello, you can use Zapier to automatically create that same project in Evernote. This saves you time by allowing all of your projects and ideas to be stored in one place instead of several different ones.
for Time Management Tips for Creatives
Technology is always great to help boost productivity, but you can also do a few things without any fancy apps or gadgets. Here are a few tips for time management for creatives:
- Remove any distractions
- Prioritize
- Take things one step at a time
- Don’t forget to eat and hydrate
- Don’t work in bed
- Set a Schedule and stick to it
Working as a creative comes with its fair share of benefits and presents challenges.
Creatives are often viewed as having flexible work schedules that do not force them into typical 9-5 jobs. However, this is far from the truth. Creatives have just as many distractions and constraints in their daily lives, which can take a toll over time.
Thankfully, technology comes to the rescue once again. With tools like Trello, Google Calendar, Evernote, Asana, and more at their disposal, there’s no reason for creatives to get bogged down by the creative process.
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