This article is brought to you as part of the ASCAP Wellness Program.

Compared to a typical nine-to-five employee, independent creators experience a completely different level of freedom and autonomy in their work lives. However, as a wise uncle once said, “with great power comes great responsibility.” 

The truth is, in the absence of institutional structure, creators need to be even more disciplined time managers than most in order to maintain productivity and forward momentum towards their goals. 

Songwriters and composers frequently engage in deep work, such as writing or recording, which requires you to step away from the world and immerse yourself in a creative activity, says Alexis Haselberger, a time management, productivity and leadership coach who has worked with creators. But there are also unavoidable routine administrative tasks – like emails, invoicing and scheduling for example – that can’t be neglected without incurring negative consequences. At the same time, there needs to be a degree of flexibility in your schedule, so that you can capitalize on spontaneous moments of inspiration whenever they strike, Haselberger says. 

Fortunately, with a little foresight and structure, it’s possible for creators to manage their time in a way that can make everything flow a bit smoother. Here, Haselberger offers six tips to help equip creators with the insights, advice and tips to help you not just manage your unique creative process, but let it sing.

Use a task management system

Haselberger’s first and most pressing recommendation for creators to make the most of their time is to use a task management system. This term might sound technical, but can be something as simple as a weekly planner notebook or a wall calendar marked with sticky notes.

Plotting your course for the week or month ahead and assigning tasks to specific days can be a game changer for tackling your work week feeling calm, centered and ready to be productive rather than overwhelmed.

“It's important to get everything out of your head, not only so that you can prioritize more easily, but so that you have more of your brain space available for your creative work,” Haselberger says. “The more you can offload the stuff you have to do out of your brain and into a system you can access, the more of your brain is available to focus on the task at hand.”

Protect large blocks of time for deep work

Another essential strategy that Haselberger suggests for creators is scheduling  out dedicated blocks of time on your calendar for uninterrupted creative work.

This is likely the work you enjoy most, and sectioning off these sessions in your weekly schedule will ensure you are able to consistently engage with the activities that nourish your creativity and artistic development. The key is to literally put this on your schedule, rather than simply thinking “I’ll get to this at some point today,” which opens the door to your creative time being waylaid by administrative tasks and procrastination.

It might take some trial and error to narrow down your most productive hours, but once you’ve figured out your rhythm, block out those hours on your calendar and be disciplined about sticking to them. 

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Reduce or remove notifications during creative time

Research shows that interruptions and distractions can cost you valuable time – up to one third of a work day for most people! It’s not only the time spent on the distraction that you lose, but also the time it takes to refocus after each interruption. 

To minimize interruptions and make the most of the time you’ve allocated to a given task, Haselberger has a number of suggestions:

Take breaks

While breaks are, by definition, not “work,” they are an indispensable tool for productivity. Research shows that taking small, regular breaks (notably, not the same thing as getting a notification on your phone and going on an impromptu social media scrolling spree) helps to improve productivity, focus and creativity. 

“If you don't take regular breaks, you risk burnout,” Haselberger says. “When you feel yourself starting to fidget, or starting to feel unfocused, listen to your body.” In these moments, Haselberger recommends activities like going for a walk around the block, stepping into the kitchen for a glass of water, reading a few pages of a book or listening to a short podcast. 

Schedule a routine “power hour”

In the same way that you can and should schedule blocks of time for deep creative work, small but necessary administrative tasks (emails, invoices, bills, etc.) can be batched together into dedicated sessions.

Haselberger calls this a “power hour” – a time to knock out all those tedious little tasks that would otherwise pepper your day and drag your attention all over the place.

The number of “power hours” you’ll need each week will depend on how long it generally takes you to handle these tasks. Haselberger only advises that you avoid scheduling them right at the end of your day or week, as it can be tempting to kick the can down the road when something is important but not immediately urgent.

Take advantage of your freedom

While the absence of an enforced nine-to-five schedule means creators need to be extra vigilant about time management, it’s also a unique and valuable opportunity to tailor a schedule that fits your preferences. 

Simply put, you don’t have to work the same hours as everybody else. And if that means starting your day at 7am – or at noon – so be it!  

“Spend a few days tracking when you get your best work done, when you're lethargic, when you're most focused, when you're most creative, and then build a rough schedule around that," Haselberger says. “It's much easier to work with who you are than to force yourself into something.”