Many freelance musicians mistakenly believe that talent alone is enough for success.

Truth is, without learning how to effectively manage your days -- especially without the structure of school or a 9-5 job -- even the most gifted individuals will struggle to build a sustainable career.

I’ve been self employed for over 8 years and have successfully juggled multiple careers as a freelance musician, manager of an award-winning string quartet, and health coach.

Here are some techniques I've learned to structure my days to get the most important things done in the least amount of time.

PRIME YOUR BODY AND MIND

The time needed to accomplish the same task can range from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how well you've optimized your physical and mental state.

Perform whatever techniques you need to raise your level of focus immediately preceding going into deep work. Some things that help me get into this state include:

• 10 min of meditation

• Exercise

• Going on a walk

• Listening to specific playlists (Hans Zimmer is great for this)

• Eating a high protein snack

• Thai herbal inhalant (look it up on Amazon)

Another thing to consider is it is almost impossible to get into a focused state if you've had a poor nights sleep. In this case, take the time for a 20 min power nap.

The oxymoron here is that by taking more time to prime your body and mind for optimal performance, the less time the task itself will take.

DEFINE YOUR "SACRED HOURS"

Do you know what time of day you are most productive and have the highest inclination for focus?

Note these times as your "sacred hours."

When deciding your sacred hours, consider the science of willpower:

• Willpower gets depleted throughout the day

• Willpower can be replenished through glucose (after eating food,)

• Willpower can be restored after taking breaks from use.

Put strict boundaries around these sacred hours and only do your most important tasks during this time.

As productivity expert, Ali Abdaal, says: "An hour before 9 is worth 2 after 5."

EAT THE FROG

Do you procrastinate crucial tasks you'd rather avoid by occupying yourself with minor "busywork," such as checking email?

Productivity guru, Brian Tracy, has famously solved this problem through a method he's coined, "Eat the Frog." Here's how to do it:

• Identify your frog -- the single biggest and most important task for the day you are dreading to do.

• Eat it -- Do that task first thing in the morning. Don’t give yourself the chance to procrastinate on it later. 

• Take action and repeat each day.

By eating the frog, you are starting your day by ensuring you get the most important thing done, preventing reactive responses to external demands, and building momentum for a productive day ahead.

USE PARKINSON'S LAW IN YOUR FAVOR

It's unconventional, yet the less time you dedicate to a task, the higher quality product you get.

This is because of Parkinson's law: "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion". This is why we often procrastinate working on a homework assignment, until the night before it's due.

To take advantage of Parkinson's law, do one of two things:

• Create self imposed or external deadlines for task completion, such as scheduling a community concert if you want to learn a full program in the quickest amount of time.

• Create predetermined amounts of time for specific tasks, like setting a timer for 30 minutes to do score study and stop as soon as the timer goes off.

Utilizing Parkinson's law solves procrastination, forces you to finish a task within a given deadline, and usually leads to better results.

CHANGE ENVIRONMENT TO MAXIMIZE ENERGY

Do you find it more difficult to practice in your apartment, or in a dedicated practice room?

Undoubtedly, it's more difficult to focus when practicing at your apartment. This is because different environments have different energy and that energy provides either friction or a tailwind for completion of a task.

3 ways to prime your environment for focus:

• Find an environment where the desired behavior is the normal behavior. IE if you want to do work on your computer, go to a library or coffeeshop.

• Have different rooms of your apartment, or even specific areas of a room dedicated for specific tasks or activities. I have a dedicated corner in my bedroom solely used for meditation and now when I sit in that corner, it gives me the energy and focus for meditation.

• Craft your work environment so it's somewhere you genuinely want to spend time in. Make sure there is natural light, add plants, remove clutter, make sure the climate is comfortable, etc.

Take the 15 min to move to a more beneficial environment, or make your current environment more conducive for deep work. It might seem like a waste of time in the moment but will ultimately save time in the long run.

I see so many young, talented musicians, who struggle to achieve success simply because they don't effectively structure their days.

A small amount of structure unlocks an enormous amount freedom.