I’ve been thinking how I should balance my design work. I love creating, and I’m constantly flooded with ideas, but trying to execute every idea the moment it comes to mind isn’t healthy or productive. My doctor even told me that long stretches at the laptop aren’t good for me, and I can feel it scattered focus, physical strain, and the sense that I’m always behind. Sitting for hours has become one of the biggest modern health risks, and it’s easy to fall into that pattern during busy holiday seasons.
I’m indoors most of the time because I’m a caregiver, and being online has become my way of “getting away.” It’s how I stay connected and feel part of something. But even with that, I’m realizing it’s not healthy to be online nonstop, especially when the holidays bring extra pressure and inspiration.
So, to stay more efficient and grounded, I’ve started following a structured routine. I get up at 5 AM and begin my day by promoting on Pinterest, social media, and my blog. After that, I create a few new products with mockups and share them to the Show Me board before signing off completely. I make myself step away from the laptop and do offline things so my mind can reset. Later in the afternoon, I come back to scan the community for topics of interest and chat with Zazzle friends, then sign off again. Around six o’clock, I return to do my five manual pins an end‑of‑day activity.
The biggest change for me is breaking the habit of running to the laptop every time a new idea hits. So, I’m keeping a journal and writing ideas down so I can revisit them during my scheduled work time.
I wanted to start this discussion because many of us struggle with time management during the holidays. There’s pressure, inspiration, deadlines, and excitement all happening at once, and it’s easy to slip into nonstop creating and promoting. Finding a healthy balance is becoming just as important as listing new products.
do you balance your online time during the holiday season with a time management plan?
True! Have to stop and do other things now and then, so it’s not just about being glued to this working on things like here at Zazzle, or the never-ending scrolling and reading so many hours per day…and getting burnt out from it all. Have to take a break from it and refresh, whether during hectic holidays, or any time. Spending time with family and friends and doing activities, and other things needing to get done.
One wouldn’t be at a regular type job all day and into the wee hours of the night still working - as can happen with the many hours a day and night, each day spent working on designing and also reading about things here at Zazzle - and you get a regular nice paycheck at a job for all your hard work and efforts during those hours! Still, being creative and designing on Zazzle, etc. type sites is very fun, but the time invested doesn’t always justify the means of dollars in return given to designers when items are sold which is very sad, especially when so many changes keep happening and designers are making even less and less peanuts in return, because of so many fees, etc.!
So yes, it’s good to take a break and when something pops into your mind of a new idea, etc. then you can make some new designs from it and have fun doing it (and hope for really good royalties from any sales made!). That’s how I’ve always done it, when something comes into my mind whether to paint something, or some words come into my head out of the blue and gets hold of me I can pretty quickly turn it in a poem type thing, or coming up with new design themes in my head, or photographing something in our yard like flowers, etc. or of something cool while out and about somewhere, and thinking of what I can do with it and which items would go well with it. I don’t use AI for anything here. I just make a mental note and it stays on my mind until I do it at that time thinking of how to put it all together. But everyone is different of how they do things. So I don’t stress over any of it, I just do whatever pops into my head oftentimes Those are nice funny pictures of you, too
While I don’t use AI to design products, I often use it to decide what I should design and to prioritize tasks.. I find AI collaboraton (while incredibly helpful) really stressful, because I always feel like I am behind. I have to remind myself that It’s an algorithm and I will never be able to keep up. The only way I can cope with this is to have more human time. So I have joined a Wednesday Mahjong club at the local senior center from 3 to 5 on Wedneday. I have to admit that I enjoy that more than I would have thought. My table talks as much as we play and I love the gossip! On Monday I take the bus to a local meetup of artists for coffee and cannolis. That makes me feel less isolated and on Friday I have my true crime group where I listen to a bunch of retired cops talk about cold cases at Dunkins. The rest of the time I spend way too much time working on Zazzle. I make myself do a 30 minute aerobics workout every day, keep the apartment, do the laundry, cook meals. That is about it.
Like Nelda, I too use AI to help me decide what to design and to prioritize tasks. When my calendar is free, I spend much of my day on Zazzle, either designing or looking through old collections to find new products to add to them, or optimizing products I made long ago, analyzing what I have that is selling well and what is not, etc. Things get busy around here and I have many interruptions that disrupt my workflow. I am on several boards in my church that have substantial responsibilities. I also sing in the choir which gives me joy and I am all about finding joy! I meet once a month for lunch with a group of retired former coworker ladies and enjoy seeing them after all these years. I have a craft room upstairs in my home that is filled with acrylic paints, watercolors, charcoal, pastels, canvas, drawing pads, jewelry making supplies, photography gear, and my favorite - wreath making supplies. Some days I would rather be up there working on crafts with my hands, but I end up in my office on the computer with Zazzle tasks. As the holidays approach, I let the family gatherings and preparations take top billing. That is what life is all about in my view. I will tweak my time management accordingly!
It’s interesting hearing how other Zazzlers manage their time and I’m glad you started this thread @Susang6!
Well @Tamira_M make a mental note to create adorable Oreo cookies, because they are back and I suspect you are going to be really busy with all kinds of ideas popping into your head… Just had to share with you.
Ha! Ha! Thank you I didn’t know they were back! Was fun designing on the Veronica’s Treats they used to have here and customers bought those different dessert treats by them. But these look cool too with the foil wrapping. I won’t forget it now! Yep Halloween day is a very special day for our family, so will make some for that too!!! Too bad they didn’t get these here sooner with the holidays approaching.
Those are nice funny pictures of you, too