5 Time Management Tricks I Use to Juggle Business, Family, and Self-Care (Without Losing My Mind)

If you’ve ever looked at your calendar and thought, “Who scheduled all of this… and why was it me?” — welcome. You’re among friends.

Between voice acting, on-camera work, blogging consistency, client outreach, auditions, entrepreneurship, family responsibilities, hitting the gym and the occasional attempt at rest, time management isn’t a “nice to have” for me — it’s survival equipment.

I’ve worked in automotive sales, printing sales, and now full-time creative work. Each chapter of my creative journey has taught me the same lesson over and over again: time doesn’t magically organize itself. If I don’t tell it where to go, it disappears.

In this post, I’m sharing five time management tricks I actually use — not guru advice, not hustle culture nonsense, and definitely not “wake up at 4:30am and drink celery juice” energy. These are real-world strategies that help me balance business, family, and self-care while staying sane, creative, and (mostly) motivated.

The Challenge of Wearing Multiple Hats

I don’t just wear one hat. I wear several — sometimes at the same time.

On any given week, I might be:

• Recording voice acting auditions from my home studio
• Connecting with clients through cecilarchboldvo.com
• Managing business strategy and marketing through archboldmediaservices.com
• Writing blog posts like this one (hello 👋🏾)
• Learning new tools, building new digital tools and acquiring knowledge in generative AI to stay competitive
• Being present for family, relationships, and life outside of work

The tricky part isn’t that any one of these things is hard on its own. It’s that they all want your attention at the same time.

Early on, I learned that if I didn’t create structure, I’d end up:

• Working all the time
• Feeling behind all the time
• And somehow still feeling like I wasn’t doing “enough”

That’s when I started building systems instead of relying on motivation.

Trick #1: I Write Everything Down (Yes, Everything)

If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist. At least not reliably.

For years, I told myself, “I’ll remember that.”
Spoiler alert: I didn’t.

Now, I use a simple system:

• A running to-do list
• A weekly priority list
• And a daily “must-do” short list

Why this works for me:

• My brain doesn’t have to hold everything
• I reduce decision fatigue
• I can see what actually fits into a day

My Rule of Three

Each day, I pick three non-negotiable tasks:

• One business task (auditions, outreach, editing)
• One personal or family task
• One self-care or maintenance task

If those three get done, the day is a win — even if everything else rolls over.

This approach has helped me stay consistent with blogging, voice acting, and long-term creative goals without burning out.

Trick #2: I Time-Block My Creative Work

Creative work doesn’t like being rushed. It also doesn’t love being interrupted.

That’s why I time-block my schedule — especially for voice acting and writing.

Instead of saying “I’ll record auditions sometime today,” I schedule:

• Audition block: 10:00–12:00
• Editing or admin block: 1:00–2:00
• Outreach or learning block: 3:00–4:00

Why this matters in voice acting:

Voice acting requires:

• Focus
• Energy
• Emotional presence

Trying to squeeze auditions between emails and errands leads to weaker performances. When I protect that time, the quality of my work improves — and so does my confidence.

Time-blocking has also helped me maintain blogging consistency, which is critical for SEO and long-term visibility across my websites.

I must say that while I make a strong effort to time block, sometimes the blocks don’t always stack up neatly.  When quick turn-around auditions or jobs come up, adjustments have to be made!

Trick #3: I Separate “High-Energy” and “Low-Energy” Tasks

Not all hours are created equal.

Some parts of the day I’m sharp, focused, and creative. Other times… not so much. Instead of fighting that, I work with it.

High-energy tasks:

• Voice acting auditions
• On-camera audition prep
• Writing blog content
• Strategy and creative thinking

Low-energy tasks:

• File organization
• Admin work
• Light research
• Updating systems or templates

This Changed Everything

Once I stopped forcing creative work into low-energy moments, I:

• Felt less frustrated
• Produced better work
• Stopped blaming myself for “lack of discipline”

This mindset shift alone has been huge for my creative journey — especially as I integrate new tools like generative AI and app development into my workflow.

Trick #4: I Schedule Family Time Like a Meeting

This one took me a while to learn.

When you work for yourself, it’s easy to say, “I’ll stop when I’m done.”
The problem? You’re never done.

Now, I literally schedule:

• Family time
• Personal time
• Time away from screens

And I treat those blocks with the same respect as client work.

Why this matters:

• Family time becomes intentional, not leftover
• Guilt decreases on both sides
• Work doesn’t bleed into everything

Ironically, protecting personal time has made me more productive, not less. When I come back to work, I’m clearer, calmer, and more focused.

Trick #5: I Build Systems Instead of Relying on Motivation

Motivation is unreliable. Systems are not.

I don’t wait to feel like:

• Working out
• Blogging
• Marketing
• Learning new skills
• Improving my voice acting business

I build systems that make those things easier to start and harder to avoid.

Examples:

• Pre-preparation for hitting the gym and working out
• Blog outlines planned in advance
• Templates for outreach emails
• File organization systems for auditions
• Dedicated learning blocks for AI and digital business tools

This is especially important as the creative industry evolves. Staying competitive today means embracing tools like generative AI while still protecting the human creativity that clients actually hire me for.

Systems allow me to do both.

Why Balance Is the Key to Longevity

I’ve seen talented people burn out. I’ve felt it myself.

The goal isn’t to do everything.
The goal is to do the right things consistently.

For me, that means:

• Showing up prepared for auditions
• Being present for family
• Taking care of myself
• Building a sustainable creative business

Time management isn’t about squeezing more into your day. It’s about making room for what matters — and letting go of the rest.

Final Thoughts (and an Invitation)

If you’re juggling business, creativity, family, and self-care, I’d love to hear from you.

• What time management tricks actually work for you?
• What’s been the hardest part of staying consistent?
• Are there topics you’d like me to cover in future posts?

👇🏾 Drop a comment below — I read them, and I respond.

If you found this helpful, consider following the blog here on archboldmediaservices.com
and checking out my voice acting work at cecilarchboldvo.com.

More posts coming soon — and this time, I’m sticking to the schedule 😉