In this episode, Cheryl B. Engelhardt dives deep into one of her favorite topics: time management for musicians. She shares a game-changing strategy that challenges the traditional use of to-do lists and instead emphasizes the power of a calendar system. Cheryl explains why to-do lists can often become overwhelming and how shifting tasks into a structured calendar can create more time, reduce stress, and ultimately help you become more effective in your music career.
Ditch the To-Do List: Cheryl highlights the limitations of to-do lists, which often become overwhelming and lead to a sense of constant pressure. Instead, she advocates for transferring tasks directly into a calendar, where they can be managed in time and space.
Embrace the Calendar System: By scheduling tasks in a calendar, you can alleviate mental clutter, trust your future self to complete tasks, and create a reliable structure that supports your goals.
Flexibility within Structure: Cheryl discusses the importance of being flexible with your calendar, allowing yourself to move tasks if needed, but with a rule: don’t move a task more than three times. This helps maintain integrity with your past self and keeps you accountable.
Prioritize Your Own Goals: Cheryl encourages musicians, especially those who are prone to people-pleasing, to prioritize their own goals in their calendars. She discusses the common pitfall of only scheduling commitments for others and not leaving room for personal projects.
Align with Your Champagne Win: Focus on doing at least one thing each week that will move your career forward. Cheryl emphasizes the importance of small, consistent actions that lead to progress over time.
Overcoming Emotional Blocks: Cheryl provides tips for overcoming emotional resistance to completing tasks, such as fear or procrastination, by building a strong relationship with your calendar and honoring your commitments.
Try It Out: For one week, ditch your to-do list and use a calendar system instead. Schedule every task and honor those commitments as they appear in your calendar.
Create Boundaries: Ensure that your calendar reflects your priorities, not just the needs of others. Schedule time for your personal projects and goals.
Set Weekly and Daily Goals: Each week, set one goal that will move your career forward. Break it down into daily actions that you can realistically achieve.
Be Gentle with Yourself: Adjusting to a new system takes time. Be patient and give yourself grace as you transition to this new way of managing your time."The best calendar system is the one that you use. It’s about creating a system inside your calendar that lets you thrive, not just survive."
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