Time Management for Creative People

Promoting a creative mind and doing creative work is essential for growth and development. It is only the creative mind which can think outside the box and come out with innovative ideas. Such minds have the ability to get out of difficult life situations and problems. Their problem-solving instincts are best as they are daring enough to create solutions to problems which have never been tried out before.

What do you think was the ability of the Wright Brothers? All scientists, artists, musicians, poets have this ability. We have to help in this creative process within ourselves, and in those who are members of our family and community.

Here is a video during an exercise, where I asked them to discuss time wasters in their lives.

Being creative is the most powerful element in life. We must work hard to develop these qualities within ourselves. I’ve really wanted to conduct a workshop for all those who have creativity within themselves but do not know how to get it going.

As I look back at my last few years of life. How was I able to overcome the overwhelming issues that I faced after my husband’s death six years ago? At the same time, I was fighting for my own belongings, my car and  house,  while doing my MBA, and getting my book published in USA with hardly any resources at all. At the same time, I was completing the construction of my house, and fighting court cases too. How was it all done? Simply – with my Allah’s help –  using my Time Management Skills.  I was able to fight it out. The beauty of this plan is that it keeps you fully aligned with your goals, including your relationship with your Maker and family.

In the following video, I am discussing importance of avoiding negativity and looking at the strengths. To read up on Marcus Buckingham book: Go put your Strengths to Work. Whatever we do, we must be positive and solution oriented.

Today, I’m sitting free and happily in my own home. I’m taking care of  my daughter, and my elderly parents. , People come to me for advice on how to do boring of water, construction of house, getting servants, drivers, jobs, for depression and what not!

Creative abilities are essential in all walks of life.

Here, I’m sharing the importance of knowing best time for creative work:

So, I conducted the workshop on Time Management for Creative People, last Saturday, the fifth of May, 2018. I went ahead, expecting just two persons, as it was on short notice. Well, let me say, happily, much more than two persons did turn up! (The guests themselves turned out to be very interesting persons.) So, I’m so happy I listened to my heart and went ahead. When I put up a few videos  and pictures on Facebook, I was asked by Saira Nisa to write a blog on it for those who can’t come even if they want.

Saira Nisa this blog is for you – and anyone else!

The importance of working on ‘flow of work’ not getting interrupted is important. However, when life interrupts your work, there is a reason behind it. Do not despair and know that when the right time comes, it will be done. However, we must not stop working on it. We have to remain focussed.

Squeezing a two-hour workshop into a fourteen hundred word blog is a challenge, but I’ll try to do my best. Firstly, remember that it isn’t Time Management, but it is Self-Management that we need to do! Nature is very good at managing itself. – Thank you very much! Entire universe, plants and animals know all about time, and when to do what! Only we humans need it. That is why only we humans will have to answer to it all, in the end too!

I’ll try to briefly tell you how I conducted this workshop. In fact, let’s do it together:

1. Importance of Time Management for Creative People can’t be emphasized enough. Each one of us who is so entrenched in our work, our families and geo-socio-cultural scenarios. Unless we are focused, it won’t happen. Your heart tells you what you want to do. It is up to you to make the time for it. Remember, do not do it, at the cost of your responsibilities, at work or of your family. We have to squeeze our personal interests and creative work into this spectrum of a work/life balance. (Yes, ‘life’ is our family and creative work!)
2. A saying of Holy Prophet Muhammad (Bukhari): ‘At the time of death three things will go with you to the grave: Family, wealth and deeds. Two will return, only deeds will go with you to the other world. So, for these deeds, we need to do self-management. Creative work comes within this aspect of deeds, which we hope will be of use for people of this world. Otherwise it is of no use.
3. Make your 24 hours more productive: Realize that this is the litmus test. Our ‘present’ which we need to handle carefully. In order to make this productive we need to be clear where we are going. We must realize that it is the same twenty-four hour day that is allotted to everyone. All great persons like Quaid-e-Azam, Allama Iqbal, Maulana Modoudi, Proffessor Salimuzaman, Dr. Qadir, Dr. Abdus Salam, Ali Zafar, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Mawra Hocain, Urwa Hocain, Imran Khan, – just to name a few who live in this region and Pakistan. They live and have lived in these circumstances.
4. Time-saving Tools: Consciously learn how to use these tools to save time, instead of wasting time! The tools actually are:
   1. Telephone, and Smart phone.
   2. Skype or other such devices.
   3. Email.
   4. Use correct transport.
   5. Using phone calendar to mark appointments.
5. Time saving Methods:
   1. Work simplification.
   2. Pareto’s Law – watch the 80/20 ratio in everything.
   3. Delegation: – outsource, have helpers do it.
   4. Decision making. (Write pros and cons, ‘six hats’ of Edward de Bono). ‘It is not your decision, but what you do with your decision that matters.’ Says Ahmad Bilal, a Pakistani who has worked in Microsoft.
   5. Daily Diary, journals, bullet journals.
   6. Plan everything with a back-up plan. Yes, have your plans A, B, C – Z in place!
   7. The ten-minute rule.

The Pareto’s Law of 80/20 ratio in almost everything we do and have.  For instance, 20 % of people own most the the world’s resources. During our work time, only 20% of time is spent on worthwhile projects, rest of 80% is wasted time…

1. Goals of life:
   1. Short term goals (Annual, monthly and weekly)
   2. Long term goals. (Five year plan.)
2. Roles of life:
   1. Your roles in life: Myself, daughter/son, sibling, mother/father, workplace designation, writer, artist, singer, musician, speaker.
   2. Merging roles with goals of week, month, year and following years.
3. During weekends/holidays make following week’s plan. This will just take ten to fifteen minutes. Next week you will be all set. It can be made on your phone. But best is to have a hard copy of it in your personal diary. Remember not to share it with others. The office, makes their own plans. This is your own version of it, including your personal and family roles and goals.
4. Activity : Make a Five year plan:
5. Activity: Make an annual plan for this year: (add what you did from Jan till now, or simply make one from this month till this month next year.)
6. Make a weekly (or bi-weekly) plan regularly:
7. Creative work:
   1. Attend workshops
   2. Challenge yourself in your creative work.
8. Take creative work-progress in hand:
   1. Learn the latest work in your field. – Use YouTube, and internet for it also.
   2. Engage with people in your field at your own level and above. Enroll with others on a weekly/monthly basis.
   3. Read up on new research in your field.
   4. Join classes.
   5. Stop thinking why you can’t. Find ways how you can.  Start being proactive.
9. Best time of day for you:
   1. Middle of night? (Right after tahajjad prayers)
   2. Early morning? (Right after Fajar)
   3. Afternoons?
   4. Know your prime time, guard it well.
10. Frequency of Creative Activity: I’ve known my mentors Mansoor Rahi and Hajra Mansoor consistently being in their studios every day at 8.30 am. They work six to eight hours daily. I met an artist in Seattle, John Ebnor who works three hours first thing in the morning, every day. He asked me ‘how much time do you give to your work?’ Anne Marie Schimmel wrote three hours first thing in the morning every day too.
    1. So, ideally, it should be daily.
    2. Otherwise, weekly or monthly.
    3. You can work on weekends too. There are many weekend painters.
    4. Note down in calendar, diary or in your phone, whatever works for you.
11. Activity: Make your weekly plan: You can do it merging your roles with your goals. Read the Powerful weekly plan.…and make one now.

The weekly plan begins:

Go for your dreams! 

Note: I am deeply indebted to videos and photographs by Waliya Najib Khan, Mahru Najam and Aslam Khan.