Time Management Hollywood Style

The good news is that you have a job… yeah!!!  The bad news is that you're now working 10-15 hours a day.  So how do you squeeze in all the routine things that come with living a life?  You can take a hiatus from the gym, explain to friends and family that you won’t be seeing them for a while, postpone haircuts and doctors appointments, but you still have to buy groceries, prepare food, pay bills, clean house (a little?), do laundry and call your parents once in a while.  And even those seemingly simple tasks are challenging when you're working long hours, and all you feel like doing on your day(s) off is absolutely nothing.

When working long days, figuring out how to effectively manage your time can be especially daunting when you have other commitments (like a family, home and/or side jobs) you can’t ignore.  So if you’re like me, and there are never enough hours in your day for everything you need to accomplish, here are some suggestions that should help:
 

• Create a to-do list, and prioritize. Ask yourself what has to be done by noon today?  By the end of the day?  By tomorrow?  By next week?  What can wait, and how for long?  And what are the consequences if something isn’t done by a certain time?  Answering those questions will help you arrange your list.

• Schedule all of your time (just like a business).  Block out periods of time for each task, including things like grocery shopping, running errands, straightening the house, answering emails.  If you’ve scheduled an hour to have lunch with a friend, you’re going to be more apt to enjoy the time and meal and not spend that hour worrying about all the other things you need to do.  Once your time is scheduled, you’ll feel more in control of your day.

• Limit your distractions… don’t stop something you’re doing to answer emails, chat on the phone, check Facebook.  

• Break large tasks into smaller portions.  (Better to accomplish something slowly than not at all.)

• On your days off, be sure to schedule in some time for yourself… to nap, read, walk, take a bike ride, get a manicure or massage, have a lovely dinner with someone special or go to a movie.  If you never take time for yourself and are always feeling rushed, that sense of being overwhelmed will never leave you.

• As hard as it often is to do, get enough sleep and eat properly, or you'll deplete your energy, won't function at your best and will possibly get sick.

• Delegate as often as you can.  And if you can afford it: have someone come in every couple of weeks to clean your house and change the sheets; have the dry cleaners wash and iron your shirts/blouses; and find a selection of restaurants in your neighborhood where you can stop off and pick up (healthy) food to-go.

• Don't over-commit yourself.  You’re not a bad person if you have to say ‘no’ once in a while.

• If you freelance, use your time in-between projects to catch up on everything.  And take a vacation if you can.  If you can’t get away for long, sometimes just a day at the beach or a hike in the mountains is enough to catch your breath and feel rested.

LOOKING FOR WORK IN SHOWBIZ IS A JOB IN ITSELF

Over the years, I have met some amazing people in the entertainment industry – smart, creative, hard-working… but even though many of them have remarkable backgrounds and are incredibly talented, they find it excruciatingly difficult to promote themselves and make new contacts.  So they don’t work as often as they should while others less experienced or less talented land one great job after another.  “Not fair” I say!  But who ever claimed that working in this industry is fair or easy.

We all know that looking for work is uncomfortable, but it’s something we all have to do – over and over and over again.  It’s just part of the business we’re in.  And I realize that just telling someone to venture outside of their comfort zone is easier said than done.

While growing up, your mother probably told you not to brag about yourself and not to talk to strangers.  And now all of a sudden you’re being told to get out there and sell yourself and let a lot of important, busy people who don’t know who you are, know how special you are.  It can be pretty terrifying.  But the truth is that if you don’t toot your own horn, no one else will do it for you, and no one will know just how passionate, talented, efficient, organized, funny, hard-working and collaborative you are.  And if you’re not willing to make the effort, or go about it reluctantly with low expectations - you might as well be in another line of work, because you'll be left in the dust while the competition passes you by.  The only good news I can offer is that the more you do it, the easier and less terrifying it becomes. 

So if your job hunt is overwhelmingly daunting, where do you start?

Besides spiffing up your resume and making sure that you have great business cards, start by getting out there and just being with other people.

·      Make lunch or coffee dates with people you’ve worked or have gone to school with in the past and haven’t seen for a while.  Reconnect.

·      Go to networking events, workshops, seminars, screenings… anyplace where you’re likely to meet new people, and then make coffee dates with those individuals you like and connect with.

·      Tell your friends that you want to expand your network and ask for suggestions of people they could refer you to.  Contact them, introduce yourself, and make more coffee dates.

·      Get involved with a networking/support group where others will brainstorm with you.

·      Volunteer to help out on small films or at industry events.

Next:  since we live in the age of social media – create an online presence for yourself.

·      Create accounts for yourself on Facebook and Linkedin.

·      Research Google, Linkedin and/or Meetup Groups that relate to your facet of the industry, and join the ones that interest you.

·      Create a website for yourself (for those less tech savvy, like me… there are sites that can be made with easy-to-use templates).

·      Write a blog about something you’re passionate about.

·      Volunteer to write articles for Websites that focus on your strengths and expertise.

·      Stay on top of job opportunities by monitoring industry-related web/jobsites and trade papers.

It’s much easier to connect with the right people once you put yourself out there – physically and virtually.  And people who like you will often want to help you, without even being asked.

As my brother Peter used to tell me when I hesitated doing something that was difficult... just put one foot in front of the other and start walking in the right direction.  You'll get to where you want to go!