Michelle Lam

Werk Smart, Not Hard

Added 2019-05-27 00:02:37 +0000 UTC

Being able to work smart, does require you to work hard at first, BUT what I'm trying to say is that becoming efficient helps you make time for the things that actually matter to you, and not push yourself to burnout.

Time management has always been an important part of my life because back when I was little, I had to finish all my homework in time to be able to get to drawing. Nowadays, in order for me to squeeze in time to work out, spend time with friends, and pursue my other interests, I have to MAKE time for them.

My top three tips for time management are 1) Planning ahead of time, 2) Breaking big tasks into small chunks, and 3) Learning to say no. Planning ahead of time lets me know what's going to be coming up, and it gives me time to think about how to approach the work I will do. Then, I break my tasks into small chunks. There's a saying that says, "How do you eat an elephant? You eat it one bite at a time / in small chunks." So if I have a 25 page comic to do, and only 5 days out of the week, I will just draw 5 panels a day in that time span and no more. The rest of the time after I complete 5 panels a day is reserved for other stuff I want to do. And then lastly, I learn to say no to things (depending on urgency / importance) because I've already planned for something I want. There's a balance when it comes to saying no, and normally for me it's trusting my gut feeling. Ultimately, ya gotta do what's best for you in that moment.

But yeah, I don't want people to think that this is a sacrifice of freedom, it's more of just the discipline that comes with getting what you want in life.