How many times have you as a professional belly dancer said this, “there is not enough time in the day”! The public eye has a very glamorous and general image of what daily life might be like as a professional belly dancer, but I can tell you that dancing around all day and doing our nails is definitely not it lol! This is where a Bellydance Agenda can be a great asset.
Realistically, a typical day involves a long slew of emails, business calls, sending out contracts or follow up’s, social media marketing, to-do lists of tasks to get done through the day to make sure the business is running smoothly, teaching a class, exercising or practicing for a little while, errands, planning performances and customizing music, making sure to eat in between, and more emails.
By night we mapquest, then spend some time glamming up, pack pack, pack (In this career you are always packing and traveling, coming home and unpacking, and repeat), rushing to the gig to get there early, dancing your set, then time to go home, unpack, get in bed, and keep working on the rest of to-do’s that were not finished.
So how does one stay sane? How do you organize your life and MAKE SURE everything gets done? For me it has always been my agenda. I cannot have a million things to remember clouding my mind. I have to write tasks down, and give them realistic due dates and realistic time frames of when to be completed by. I do this for everything! Even eating and when to do laundry are in there so that nothing gets left behind.
Some people like digital agendas, others like traditional paper and pen, while others have gone a hybrid route (such as myself). I use my agenda for everything that needs to GET DONE. Then I use my i-phone app for small things that need to get done but do not need to be done quickly or aren’t as important.
The important message in this blog is to organize your life and business! Make sure you do not let things slide or place a million to-do’s in an unrealistic time frame. Use a Bellydance Agenda or organizational app and divide your day into specific chunks where you devote time to business, personal, and planning tasks. Have a great weekend and improve your productivity my fellow professional belly dancers!
P.S. Here are some great motivational sayings for when you feel down:
- A step at a time is better than doing nothing…
- I CAN DO THIS! This is my life, I make my own destiny
- Stop wasting time putting yourself down and get up and DO Something!
- If you have a “meanie” trying to put you down, be glad. Your awesomeness caused their lack of confidence
- You are not like every belly dancer, there is only 1 of you, and you bring something different to the table.
- How you measure success is based on your own perceptions. Having gigs every week is success for some, while not ideal for others. For some it is teaching a class every week, others simply executing a new move is their measure of success. Do not hold yourself back with your own psychological limitations.
- Stop stressing, write things down, and clear your head
- Surround yourself with people that you admire and are genuine