A guide to managing admin for creatives

Thu, 15/12/2016 - 08:34

Some people live for admin. They're on top of all their emails before they've had their first cup of coffee and are committed to following processes. But you won't often find these people in creative departments.

Okay, so perhaps you get the off art director or content producer who's completed their to-do list by 9am. But, mostly, creatives have a reputation for being pretty bad at admin. Those are the people who should keep reading this blog post.

Set aside a specific time

Firstly, make a note of the time when you’re most productive. Some people write better in the mornings and others will knock out three design options at 4pm. It all depends on your rhythm and the way your brain works. You don’t want to use those hours to do admin. Instead, set aside the time when you usually want to take a nap or watch YouTube videos of kittens sneezing.

Put reminders in a place you can see

Post-its work great for this. You can stick them on the side of your computer or in your diary where you’ll regularly see them. That way you’ll never be able to forget that you’ve got to send that company-wide email about the dishes in the kitchen or, you know, log your times. Alternatively, set a reminder on your phone or put it on your calendar. This makes it hard to ignore the things you have to do.

Make lists

Yes, to-do lists are tedious and often feel like just a list of things you don’t want to do. But they help, that’s why so many people use them. Organising your admin tasks on paper will help you organise them in your head. It breaks the term 'admin' into bite-sized tasks you can easily conquer. Plus, it feels really good crossing things out.

Lastly, stop procrastinating and just do it

Quit stamping your feet and moaning about all the admin you have to do. Yes, everyone knows you’d rather be doing something else. But it has to get done and no one is going to do it for you. So, stop procrastinating. If you put it off long enough, you build up a mental block against the task and start to dread it. However, if you just do it, you’ll realise how easy it is and eventually it’ll become a habit like tying your shoelaces or arguing with account managers.

At the end of the day, everyone has admin to do and you're not that special. It's got to get done and nobody is going to do it for you.

*This article was originally published on Media Update.

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