Did you know that 85 to 90% of people in America are dissatisfied with their job? The percentage of people actually doing a job they love is much lower. So to have the ability to move out of a dissatisfying career into one that inspires you daily, gets your artistic juices flowing and pays well is a really exciting step.
If you are serious about turning your reborn doll passion into a career then managing your time is essential. Working from home is difficult unless you are very disciplined and this can be accomplished with good time management skills, which are easily learnt.
1. Prioritize your time. Spend ten minutes every morning or evening making a priority list of the day's activities from most important to least important and stick to it. Create and keep your "To Do List" handy. Don't skip over the difficult items when checking to see what needs completing next. Always give yourself a little time for emergencies or things that do not go to plan. It has been well documented that most people spend 80% of their time trying to complete 20% of their tasks.
2. Time management plan. Have a time management plan that if necessary sets out the whole day inhour increments. This is a good way to start using time effectively and all you need is a clock or watch to stay on track. Set goals for yourself using this formula; give yourself deadlines and stick to them as you would for any other work.
3. Avoid distractions. If working at home, do not get side tracked by housework or any job to do with your home. Always imagine yourself at the work place and in working hours. The wonderful thing about working from home is you can choose your hours so you can take time off to care for family when necessary but you must make it up again. For example, if you are finishing work at 3pm to spend a few hours with your children, put aside time at night to complete the day's workload.
4. Look after your body. Get the right amount of sleep. Seven to eight hours is recommended for adults but oversleeping makes you feel tired. Eat a healthy breakfast; take time out for a light healthy lunch. A light lunch will stop you getting tired in the afternoon. Take regular short breaks away from your computer - at least every two hours. Resist the urge to talk yourself into a long rest when you have your own couch waiting in the next room. Exercise early in the morning or in the evening, not in the workday period.
5. Create a mini production line. Paint more than one doll or part of a doll at a time. Preparing paints takes time so if you can paint more than one doll/part at a time this actually cuts down on time. Any job where multiple dolls can be prepared is time saving. If photographing dolls for sale, use the same set up for more than one. Your mini production line can be an effective way to achieve results much faster.
6. Talk to your spouse and children explaining to them that you are now working at home; the emphasis being on working, and just because you are at home does not mean you are at the beck and call of everyone or that you will not need help in the running of the house. Explain that you are at work from #hour - #hour and need to be treated as if you are in any work place and unavailable - in the same way as everyone else who leaves the house to go to work.
7. Work now, play later. It's human nature to want to do the fun things first. Train yourself to complete the work on your list first, starting with the day with the things that may not be pleasant for you. This way they are out of the way and you can concentrate on the more enjoyable tasks without guilt or worry. Reward yourself. Whenever you complete important tasks within a stipulated period, give yourself a little treat. This will give you an incentive to complete work on time.
We hope this is beneficial to seeing you become a full time reborn doll artist. By following these tips you will start taking yourself and your work more seriously and before you know it will have a wonderful collection of reborn dolls that need a good home.
We wish you all the luck in the world
Fran and Nicola
If you are serious about turning your reborn doll passion into a career then managing your time is essential. Working from home is difficult unless you are very disciplined and this can be accomplished with good time management skills, which are easily learnt.
1. Prioritize your time. Spend ten minutes every morning or evening making a priority list of the day's activities from most important to least important and stick to it. Create and keep your "To Do List" handy. Don't skip over the difficult items when checking to see what needs completing next. Always give yourself a little time for emergencies or things that do not go to plan. It has been well documented that most people spend 80% of their time trying to complete 20% of their tasks.
2. Time management plan. Have a time management plan that if necessary sets out the whole day inhour increments. This is a good way to start using time effectively and all you need is a clock or watch to stay on track. Set goals for yourself using this formula; give yourself deadlines and stick to them as you would for any other work.
3. Avoid distractions. If working at home, do not get side tracked by housework or any job to do with your home. Always imagine yourself at the work place and in working hours. The wonderful thing about working from home is you can choose your hours so you can take time off to care for family when necessary but you must make it up again. For example, if you are finishing work at 3pm to spend a few hours with your children, put aside time at night to complete the day's workload.
4. Look after your body. Get the right amount of sleep. Seven to eight hours is recommended for adults but oversleeping makes you feel tired. Eat a healthy breakfast; take time out for a light healthy lunch. A light lunch will stop you getting tired in the afternoon. Take regular short breaks away from your computer - at least every two hours. Resist the urge to talk yourself into a long rest when you have your own couch waiting in the next room. Exercise early in the morning or in the evening, not in the workday period.
5. Create a mini production line. Paint more than one doll or part of a doll at a time. Preparing paints takes time so if you can paint more than one doll/part at a time this actually cuts down on time. Any job where multiple dolls can be prepared is time saving. If photographing dolls for sale, use the same set up for more than one. Your mini production line can be an effective way to achieve results much faster.
6. Talk to your spouse and children explaining to them that you are now working at home; the emphasis being on working, and just because you are at home does not mean you are at the beck and call of everyone or that you will not need help in the running of the house. Explain that you are at work from #hour - #hour and need to be treated as if you are in any work place and unavailable - in the same way as everyone else who leaves the house to go to work.
7. Work now, play later. It's human nature to want to do the fun things first. Train yourself to complete the work on your list first, starting with the day with the things that may not be pleasant for you. This way they are out of the way and you can concentrate on the more enjoyable tasks without guilt or worry. Reward yourself. Whenever you complete important tasks within a stipulated period, give yourself a little treat. This will give you an incentive to complete work on time.
We hope this is beneficial to seeing you become a full time reborn doll artist. By following these tips you will start taking yourself and your work more seriously and before you know it will have a wonderful collection of reborn dolls that need a good home.
We wish you all the luck in the world
Fran and Nicola
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