Work Smarter, not Harder...

Last weekend was Labor Day -- now it's time to get back to work! I think it's important to take breaks every once in a while; it allows you to reflect on your work (not only on what you're doing, but how and why you're doing it), and to come back with a fresh perspective. If you don't stop and take time to think about these things, you'll just keep doing the same things the same way, getting the same results and banging your head against the same wall. It will drive you crazy! Stop it. It doesn't have to be like that. Let me share some things I've learned over the years to help you out; maybe it'll help, maybe it won't.
Organize the work. With Patch of Gravity, there are really only two major categories of work -- Administration and Operations. Everything we do as a band can be lumped into one of these groups, whether it's social media, finances, rehearsals, practice, finding gigs, transportation, making swag, or networking with other musicians. So in this little example, Admin would encompass Social Media, Finances, Finding Gigs, Swag and Networking. Ops would contain Rehearsals, Practice, and Transportation.
Schedule what you can. Set aside a day (or a few hours) throughout the week to focus on each type of work. For example, on Mondays and Tuesdays when clubs may be closed, spend some time working on social media or website content. Dedicate another day to making or buying swag (stickers, shirts, mugs, etc). Later in the week, you can work on finding gigs and networking. Make time every day to practice!
No surprises. Ever. You should be tracking all the routine things you're responsible for. There's no excuse for letting a band rehearsal or a known commitment catch you off-guard. But even more than that, you need to develop a good technique of bouncing through all of your responsibilities so you can catch anything that needs your attention. Before it becomes an immediate thing.
Anticipate the unexpected. If you're even halfway-decent at managing your time and all your routine tasks, you'll always be ready for things that come up at the last minute -- when a club owner asks if your band can play tomorrow night, or if that new gear you want goes on sale for today only -- you'll want to jump on the opportunity, knowing that you made the right decision!
There's absolutely no reason you can't gain control of all your responsibilities and commitments and still keep your sanity. Work smarter on the routine stuff, and you'll be able to work harder on the things that really matter!