Image via WikipediaAfter completing the graphic design work for the new “7th Calling” T-shirts earlier this week and screen printing them last night, I can say I was EXHAUSTED!

In addition to the physical demands of screen printing and sitting at a computer for hours doing various design/miscellaneous business tasks, there are many mental and emotional stresses that go along with running a small business –whether you print merch, run a band or promotion company, own a retail shop or cut hair. It’s often hard to find the balance between all that needs to get done in a day/week, the accompanying stresses, time to spend with your family/friends and also taking time to de-stress and take care of your own needs too.

Ironically, Jamie S. (of 7th Calling) brought up this very subject when he came to pick up his merchandise. He and his wife run a recording studio out of their house in addition to raising their kid (kids even?), touring and performing with their band, AND his wife has a day job.  I’m not writing this for sympathy, but rather because this echoes my life and that of pretty much every other band member, musician, promoter and small business owner. There’s ALWAYS more stuff to do than there is time in which to do it. The worst part is that our family and relationships can often be the ones to suffer first.

Back in business school we learned a term called teleopathy (tee-lee-AWW-pathy) –or the disordered fixation on the goal or “end” –I’ll spare you the long business ethics discussion  that follows.

Teleopathy and Workaholism are two dangers of the Entrepreneur and the Musician. Why? Because Music (and/or business) become Life. By embarking on a path that involves demands  constant re-invention and promotion, it’s a full-time-plus kind of job. There is ALWAYS more to do. The key is setting limits. Those of us who have a hard time setting these kinds of limits can find that either they will burn out, they will start to preform shoddily, they will neglect other areas of their life, and/or relations with family and friends may become strained.

Ultimately, the right or just question to ask of one’s self is “Why did I get into this and what is my goal?”

Many people want a lot of money so they can relax, provide for their families and have a level of security. It kind of defeats the point if the whole time you’re working towards those goals you’re stressed out and your relationships are suffering, doesn’t it?

I have found these steps to be helpful:

1. Designate a WORK-ONLY space in your house (Even if you have a separate studio or office away from home). Everybody does SOME work at home.
2. Make a rule for yourself, family, room mates, and friends that when you are in your “work area,” you’re not to be disturbed.
3. Set time limits. You will ALWAYS get more done if you give yourself a reasonable time limit every day for work-only time.
4. Do not stray (too much) from those limits. When you’re done for the day. STOP WORKING. If people don’t get to go in your work space, your work should stay out of their “relationship space”
5. Constantly re-evaluate #1-4. I’m both right and left-brained (according to an evaluation I took –which could probably explain why I love to do graphic design/printing, but also enjoy calculating Pro Forma financial statements. I’m a nerd), which means that in addition to composing long, convoluted, ADD-like compound-complex sentences, I also tend to get random creative inspiration. Just like any artist/musician, you can’t just turn off your creative thinking, which naturally competes with the ridged structure of #1-4. You can’t always be creative when it’s work time and sometimes you feel creative when it might not be the best time to whip out your instrument of choice and go to town. This is why I suggest that you re-evaluate #1-4 to make sure that you are following the spirit of the rule… which is making a conscious effort to allocate some time to work and some time specifically toward relationships.

Always remember why you got into the music biz and don’t let all the distractions beat you down and kill you (literally and metaphorically).