© iStockPhoto/ImagesbyTrista
The average American takes about 15 minutes for lunch and usually eat at their desk. Oh and before I forget they don’t stop working while they eat either. What sort of a lunch break is that?
I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met who never leave the office during the work day. People who smoke have a built in excuse to leave the office. Depending on their habit a few times a day and usually with friends. So it’s a social activity.
In a study from 1999 Cornell found that -
Workers who used computer software to remind them occasionally to assume good posture, take short breaks and occasionally stretch do more accurate work and as a result are more productive
Most “traditional” creatives need time away from their desk to come up with ideas. Forcing yourself to sit at a desk to produce usually leads to frustration. Everyone creates something…needs an idea to spark their work.
Go to the gym, a yoga class, take a nap, go on a coffee run with a co-worker or your pet if you work from home but take a break…especially if you’re stuck. No excuses.
The “I don’t have time” is just that an excuse. Make the time to take a break. Your work will improve and so will your mood.
Working non-stop only leads to one thing…BURNOUT.
© iStockPhoto/BartCo
Idea making?
Well ideas are a dime a dozen. I have ideas for all kinds of crap all the time. Deciding whether an idea is worth pursuing well that’s another matter entirely.
Some ideas really are utter rubbish.
But there are others that need or should be acted on. For me the ideas I usually act on are the ones that don’t go away but stay at the back on my mind like an annoying pest.
Keeping track of it all
Typically I make an effort to document ideas as I have them. In a scratch folder of some kind. I have separate notebooks in Evernote for ideas relating to different areas of my life. When I get an idea I usually put it in there. Links, photos, books, blog posts..whatever seems relevant at the time. I go back later and weed out the stuff that isn’t helpful or no longer relevant to what I want to do.
I create mind maps of projects I want to work on. I’ve talked about mind mapping a lot on this blog. So it’s pretty obvious if you’re a regular reader that I use them often. I documented my entire graduate school thesis in a mind map. I take notes at meetings using iBlueSky or when I’m at home I use Mindjet’s MindManager.
What to avoid in order to make an idea reality?
- Analysis paralysis – doing research and not doing is just a strategy for avoiding failure. Failure is not a bad thing. It just is. It has much to teach. You either repeat the same mistakes or you learn and grow from the experience. But not trying is the true tragedy, not the failed attempt at pursuing an idea
- Understand your motivation – if you aren’t passionate about your idea frankly no one else is going to care about it. People who aren’t passionate don’t get people to listen. Even if someone doesn’t like your idea most will admire your passion and conviction to get it done
Taking action
Sometimes to get things done you just have to tell others. Some people get a coach. But if you have a friend who has something they want to get done as well an accountability buddy is also a great option. For an accountability buddy system to work you both have to make a commitment to be there for each other even if you get busy with other areas of your life.
Create reminders
I use Lifetick to track my goals and it has the ability to send email reminders. I also have an RSS feed of due dates in my calendar so I know when things are due. In addition to this tactic I create visual reminders to put around my apartment. I make collages of what I want to achieve or I make mind maps of the project or idea I am working on. I post it in a place I can see everyday. For me I have to be able to see myself doing something in order to accomplish it. If I can’t create a picture in my mind of what something will be or feel like it’s much harder to make it happen. If I’m working on something that has an emotion or situation I haven’t experienced before I try to find either a book or movie that’s relevant to watch to create a picture in my head. If I see it I can do it.
Resources
(c) iStockPhoto/Franck-Boston
A couple of months ago I took a course at the Open Center called Creativity Bootcamp taught by Julia Cameron. I mentioned one of the assignments in my last post “Can media deprivation improve creativity?”
Since then I’ve taken some time off from a lot of things to see what would happen. Sort of a cooling off period. I didn’t work on my own blog. I did start doing other things though. I started writing for the Awaken Your CAREERpreneur as the Technology and New Media Expert.
I signed up for mixed martial arts classes. Started taking dance classes again. I signed up for the second pilot program for the Relationship Mastery Academy from Keith Ferrazzi.
Taking Julia Cameron’s class opened me to taking risks again and not putting off things I’ve wanted to do forever like starting martial art classes again. Keith’s class changed the way I look at relationships especially business related ones. I plan to write about what my biggest take aways were from the class at a later point but it was money well spent.
Summer was great. I celebrated another birthday. I look forward to what the coming seasons bring. Taking a break has improved my ability to solve problems. I’m more relaxed. I have a greater clarity of purpose which has been missing in action since I left graduate school several years ago.
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