BUILDING A ROCK-SOLID ROUTINE
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GREAT WORK BEFORE EVERYTHING ELSE Do your most meaningful creative work at the beginning of your day, and leave "reactive work"—like responding to e-mail or other messages—for later.
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JUMP-START YOUR CREATIVITY Establish "associative triggers"—such as listening to the same music or arranging your desk in a certain way—that tell your mind it's time to get down to work.
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FEEL THE FREQUENCY Commit to working on your project at consistent intervals—ideally every day—to build creative muscle and momentum over time.
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PULSE AND PAUSE Move rhythmically between spending and renewing your energy by working in ninety-minute bursts and then taking a break.
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GET LONELY Make a point of spending some time alone each day. It's a way to observe unproductive habits and thought processes, and to calm your mind.
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DON'T WAIT FOR MOODS Show up, whether you feel inspired or not.
FINDING FOCUS IN A DISTRACTED WORLD
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DEFEND YOUR CREATIVE TIME Book time on your calendar for uninterrupted, focused work—and respect those blocks of time as you would any client meeting.
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FOCUS WHEN YOU'RE FRESH Tackle the projects that require "hard focus" early in your day. Self-control—and our ability to resist distractions—declines as the day goes on.
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KILL THE BACKGROUND NOISE Turn off your phone, e-mail, and any apps unrelated to your task. Even the presence of background activity (and temptation) can drain your focus.
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MAKE PROGRESS VISIBLE Marking progress is a huge motivator for long-term projects. Make your daily achievements visible by saving iterations, posting milestones, or keeping a daily journal.
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GIVE YOUR BRAIN A BREAK Alternate challenging creative work with more "mindless" tasks to give your brain time to rest and refuel.
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TAP INTO TRANSITIONAL MOMENTS Take a break from checking your smartphone during transitional moments, and open yourself up to opportunity and serendipity.
TAMING YOUR TOOLS
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KEEP THE LONG VIEW IN VIEW Post your complex, long-term goals by your workstation to keep them top of mind when prioritizing your tasks.
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BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR BANDWIDTH Practice letting go of certain e-mail and social media conversations. There will always be more opportunities than you actually can take on.
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CHECK YOURSELF, OR WRECK YOURSELF Distinguish between compulsive and conscious behaviors. Are you acting out of boredom or blind habit when you could be serving a higher goal?
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HIT THE RESET BUTTON Make a ritual of unplugging on a regular basis. Turning everything off is like hitting the "reset" button on your mind—it gives you a fresh start.
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DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH Be conscious of your body. Breathing deeply and regularly can decrease your stress levels and help you make better decisions.
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IN IMAGINATION WE TRUST Don't trust technology over your own instincts and imagination. Doing busywork is easy; doing your best work is hard.
SHARPENING YOUR CREATIVE MIND
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PRACTICE UNNECESSARY CREATION Use personal creative projects to explore new obsessions, skills, or ways of working in a low-pressure environment.
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WANDER LONELY AS A CLOUD Make time for your mind—and body—to wander when you're stuck. Disengaging from the problem allows your subconscious to do its work.
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DEFINE "FINISHED" FROM THE START Keep your inner perfectionist in check by defining what finished looks like at the beginning of a project. And when you get there, stop!
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DON'T GO ON AUTOPILOT Repetition is the enemy of insight. Take unorthodox—even wacky—approaches to solving your stickiest problems and see what happens.
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SEARCH FOR THE SOURCE When the well runs dry, don't blame a lack of talent. Creative blocks frequently piggyback on other problems. See if you can identify them.
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LOVE YOUR LIMITATIONS Look at constraints as a benefit, rather than an impediment. They activate our creative thinking by upping the ante.