Accidental Creative

HOW TO STAY FRESH AND ENERGETIC (a sample from “30 Days To Creative Rhythm”):

1. Look at your schedule in light of energy, not just time.

Stacking four draining meetings in a row might work in terms of pure time management and effectiveness, but you will pay for it on the back end in energy loss. As much as possible, pace your energy-draining activities and intersperse energizing ones. Sit down today and do an analysis of your time commitments in light of the amount of energy they require.

Try this - draw a scale, just a line, start starts with one and ends with ten. Go through your schedule and do an analysis of where your energy level is throughout the day as you look at each commitment. Do it in 15 minute increments. If you go into a meeting as an 8, do you come out as a 5? What if you go directly into the next meeting? Do you come out as a 3? What if you scheduled some re-fueling time between meetings? Would that give you more of a reserve? You get the idea.

2. Analyze your commitments.

We all make commitments. Sometimes we make them without realizing it. Stop for a moment and think about all of the outstanding commitments in your life. What do you think you should be doing and how often? Is there something that you think you should be doing right now? Probably. These commitments are to others and to ourselves. If you have made a commitment to clean your car, your mind thinks you should be doing it all the time. This will kill your creativity. List out all of your commitments and decide which ones you’re going to act on today, tomorrow, this week. Simply writing down these commitments will cause a significant energy boost.

3. Re-think your relationships.

We all have them. They’re everywhere. I’m talking about people who suck the life out of us. They are what one friend calls “VDP’s”, or “Very Draining People”. We need to learn to manage our time with them as much as possible. I’m not saying cut them out of your life, I’m simply saying that you need to ensure that they don’t unknowingly zap you dry.

4. Be alone.

Time in silence is golden. Spend some time by yourself simply disconnecting from the world and re-engaging with you. Go look at something beautiful. Meditate. Whatever. Make this a part of your creative time we discussed in the time section. It is critical to your growth and energy.

I know that this is a lot to process, but finding your creative rhythm will take time and work - and it will be worth it for years to come.

(30 DAYS TO CREATIVE RHYTHM is the new audiobook from Accidental Creative. It contains nearly two hours of advice on how to structure your life for maximum creativity and productivity.)