Decorating cookies-and having a life too!

Great question!!! I am having the same issue... I actually scheduled myself some time off and had a couple of customers get upset because I couldn't take their orders. I felt bad saying no but I needed a break. 

After eight years, I still struggle with this. You must keep in mind that you need time to recharge. Creative work such as this requires you to be fresh. It is worth it to your business and for the customer's satisfaction for you to be at your best. I, recently, quit my day job and am still struggling with balance. I have a good reputation and my loyal customers realize that I book up fast. Those customers get penciled in on my calendar very early. I have found that new customers either appreciate my work enough to book early or don't understand the caliber of product they are requesting and find another decorator. There have been a few customers that I have lost by setting limits and saying no. You just have to keep in mind that you are giving your best to your customer by keeping balance in your life. I would set a limit on the hours you have to spend each week and assign time to each order. When the orders exceed the time allowed, you have to decide if giving up an hour or two of sleep is worth taking the order. Good luck balancing both jobs. I feel your sleep deprivation.

Excellent question. I struggle with balance too (always have), as perhaps the time stamp on this message will attest. (It's 1 am now, and I'm just starting to slog through the day's emails!)

I agree with a lot of what JoMama said. I am also a massive to-do list writer. I map out weeks ahead, on a daily basis, what I need to accomplish, including mapping out time for workouts, hanging out with husband, down-time, etc. If I don't schedule each day realistically, it's easy for me to get overwhelmed and immobilized by the swirl of stuff in my head that seems like it needs immediate attention, but probably doesn't. Most days my to-do lists are too long, no matter how manageable I thought they were to start. But the process of planning makes me feel more in control of my destiny and is a de-stressor for me. It's a tool I use to feel more in balance (even when I'm not)!

Great topic!  I started my business while I was laid off.  July 1, I will be starting my new job as a teacher.  I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to handle this other than to say all work will be done at night.  I was able to obtain an Associate Degree while baking all the while, so I'm thinking that I'll go back to my night time scheduling and will just have to do fewer orders unless they bridge over the weekend where I can use my boy's 2 hour naptime to my advantage.

Great thread!  I am quite often finishing up orders at 2:00am in order to devote time to my husband and kids during THEIR waking hours.  As I'm just starting up, I hate to say "no" to anyone, but I'm learning it's the only way I'll survive.  And although I hate to say it, it's somewhat reassuring as a newbie to know that even the pros like THEToughCookie pull almost all-nighters one in a while. 

Thanks everyone for your great advice! After reading JoMama's and Julia's advice, I posted on my business Facebook that my "cookie spots" (even though they were mostly in my head at that point) were filling up and I put a deadline on when I would accept orders up to. The response was great and my schedule filled up quickly. Customers said they had no idea I was that busy! It was beneficial for me to have specific number in my head as to the number of orders I felt like I could complete. As the school year is almost winding down, I plan on taking a good hard look at my schedule for next year. I know that there will be times in the year when I will have to scale back on the baking and other times that I will be able to devote more time to my business, the key is of course balance (and my customers don't have to know how many spots I have open in any given week!). Thanks once again for all your help!