Getting the Most Out of Every Busy Day

Working as a voice over artist can be a lot crazier than people would likely expect.  Sure, there are plenty of benefits that come with the job.  Many talents are able to work from home, create their own schedules, and do something they love day in and day out.  But, there are headaches, as well, just as there are in any profession.

One of the biggest stresses is time management.  There are many responsibilities and roles that must be taken on by a voice over professional.  Wearing so many hats can be taxing, and can make it seem as though the hands of the clock have sped up. 

You can ease your frustrations by setting up a schedule, blocking out times for each and every task that must be completed throughout the day.  Break down these chores by the time of day, and you will find that it is much easier to get everything done, while still giving yourself time to unwind in the evening.

Let’s look at the day as four blocks of time, with the fourth block being your time to spend with family and friends, and to, perhaps, check in on your social networks for the fun of it.

Block One The first block of the day, just after breakfast, should be only about an hour to ninety minutes long.  This is the time for reading and responding to emails, looking through new openings on voice casting sites and auditioning, and responding to any comments or questions on social media that you hadn’t answered the night before.

Block Two For the last three hours of the morning, before taking a quick lunch break, it’s time to do the meat of your work.  That is to say, this is the time to sit in front of your mic and get the voice over projects underway.  Be sure you have a bottle of water close at hand, a comfortable chair, and a very quiet studio.  The three hours of late morning are often when a person is most productive and when the voice sounds the best.

Block Three After lunch, return to your computer and figure out what you need to do to audition for those jobs you discovered earlier in the day.  Get everything together to get those applications out there, so you can be sure to bring in more work.  Also, use this time to read and respond to industry-related articles and blog posts, write your own pieces to update your blog, invoice for completed jobs.  And, take care of the other business odds and ends to bring your day to a clean close.