Do What You Gotta Do
I deeply value my focused creative time. When I get into "the Zone", I don't want to give it up for anything. And I'll go to some lengths to hold onto that focus.
For me, a lot of getting into the zone has to do with what I've been calling "the Muse" (which simply put, is just an anthropomorphization of an inspired, focused state). When I'm with the Muse, words/code/music/etc come quickly and naturally. I easily get two to three times as much creative work done during these times. I know that most people have experienced that same euphoric enthusiasm and focus.
Even with the added hours of polyphasic sleep, I still need to work to accomplish my personal desk job escape velocity. Additionally, if I want to maintain my social, spiritual, and emotional growth while doing this, I'll have to work efficiently. I need to maximize my time with the Muse. This is also true of anyone that wants to make the most efficient use of their time.
Steve Pavlina has some excellent suggestions on maximizing Muse-time in his essay Do It Now. The entire essay is an excellent read, but the uninterrupted time info is found under "Guard Thy Time".
But Steve suggests that in order to get into the zone, one must just work for at least 15 minutes. I find that this is not true if one is inspired. If you can work up some inspiration, you'll be focused in no time. Here's some tips that I find help me to get into the proper mindset:
Jump on inspiration. When the inspiration hits you, jump on it! Start work with it as fast as possible. Since you're starting with that basic, Muse-based rush, you'll probably be able to sustain it once you get into it. If you can't get right on it, consider getting a journal so that you can bottle up some of that creativity for a little while.
Read or listen to something along your goals that moves you. Find some positive, moving material and consume it. I enjoy reading Steve Pavlina's very popular personal development blog. I'm recently getting into more self-motivation material, as I think it may help me move myself along my goals. They're quite helpful to get into the zone because they're positive, encouraging, and many times have solid foundations of good ideas on which one can build. Other things that may help are texts on technical skills in your chosen goal, or industry related blogs or podcasts.
Dive headfirst into it. Sometimes, you just don't know where to begin. You can't decide where to start tackling a problem, or you're stuck with writer's block. To fix this, I just go for it. For example, for a computer programming problem where I can't see where to start, I just pick a task that will need done, sometimes randomly, and start coding away. Even if it doesn't work well, I've almost always gained a better understanding and appreciation for the problem, so can tackle it another way. For writing, if I'm really stuck without a topic, I'll start just catalogueing my thoughts. Eventually, a topic comes up that inspires me (usually quickly), and I can spin it off into its own entity to write about. Sometimes, the undirected musing becomes a topic unto itself.
Psyche yourself up. It feels weird at first, but if all else fails, tell yourself that you'll succeed. That you're the best at what you're doing. That you're just totally sweet. If you're really worried about your spouse or friends wondering what you're doing muttering "Dude, you rock. No, really. You're awesome. " then write yourself a letter. Go into detail about how and why you'll succeed. A great example I found was cornrow's motivational letter to himself when we was starting an attempt at polyphasic sleep. It seems a little funny at first, but I found it awe-inspiring the level to which he went to assure himself that he could do this. Never underestimate what a little ego stroking can do, even if you wrote it yourself. Sometimes that little boost is all you need to get cranking effectively.
Review your goals. Many places suggest putting your goals in precise, specific language, and writing them down in highly visible places. When I take a look at my goals, my determination resurfaces. All of the non-goal related things floating in my head evaporate, and I'm left with only thoughts that relate to the goal. Because goal review can help you slim down what you're thinking about, you'll also waste less time in non-goal oriented areas on your way to the Muse.
Take whatever means you need to keep that inspiration going. Find what works for you and do it. That excitement can become like a runners' high and can keep you going; it's like an addiction, and once you're hooked, you've gotta keep feeding it.
It's nice to be able to stand and say, "Hi, my name is Sean, and I'm a productivity junky." :)
-sean
For me, a lot of getting into the zone has to do with what I've been calling "the Muse" (which simply put, is just an anthropomorphization of an inspired, focused state). When I'm with the Muse, words/code/music/etc come quickly and naturally. I easily get two to three times as much creative work done during these times. I know that most people have experienced that same euphoric enthusiasm and focus.
Even with the added hours of polyphasic sleep, I still need to work to accomplish my personal desk job escape velocity. Additionally, if I want to maintain my social, spiritual, and emotional growth while doing this, I'll have to work efficiently. I need to maximize my time with the Muse. This is also true of anyone that wants to make the most efficient use of their time.
Steve Pavlina has some excellent suggestions on maximizing Muse-time in his essay Do It Now. The entire essay is an excellent read, but the uninterrupted time info is found under "Guard Thy Time".
But Steve suggests that in order to get into the zone, one must just work for at least 15 minutes. I find that this is not true if one is inspired. If you can work up some inspiration, you'll be focused in no time. Here's some tips that I find help me to get into the proper mindset:
Jump on inspiration. When the inspiration hits you, jump on it! Start work with it as fast as possible. Since you're starting with that basic, Muse-based rush, you'll probably be able to sustain it once you get into it. If you can't get right on it, consider getting a journal so that you can bottle up some of that creativity for a little while.
Read or listen to something along your goals that moves you. Find some positive, moving material and consume it. I enjoy reading Steve Pavlina's very popular personal development blog. I'm recently getting into more self-motivation material, as I think it may help me move myself along my goals. They're quite helpful to get into the zone because they're positive, encouraging, and many times have solid foundations of good ideas on which one can build. Other things that may help are texts on technical skills in your chosen goal, or industry related blogs or podcasts.
Dive headfirst into it. Sometimes, you just don't know where to begin. You can't decide where to start tackling a problem, or you're stuck with writer's block. To fix this, I just go for it. For example, for a computer programming problem where I can't see where to start, I just pick a task that will need done, sometimes randomly, and start coding away. Even if it doesn't work well, I've almost always gained a better understanding and appreciation for the problem, so can tackle it another way. For writing, if I'm really stuck without a topic, I'll start just catalogueing my thoughts. Eventually, a topic comes up that inspires me (usually quickly), and I can spin it off into its own entity to write about. Sometimes, the undirected musing becomes a topic unto itself.
Psyche yourself up. It feels weird at first, but if all else fails, tell yourself that you'll succeed. That you're the best at what you're doing. That you're just totally sweet. If you're really worried about your spouse or friends wondering what you're doing muttering "Dude, you rock. No, really. You're awesome. " then write yourself a letter. Go into detail about how and why you'll succeed. A great example I found was cornrow's motivational letter to himself when we was starting an attempt at polyphasic sleep. It seems a little funny at first, but I found it awe-inspiring the level to which he went to assure himself that he could do this. Never underestimate what a little ego stroking can do, even if you wrote it yourself. Sometimes that little boost is all you need to get cranking effectively.
Review your goals. Many places suggest putting your goals in precise, specific language, and writing them down in highly visible places. When I take a look at my goals, my determination resurfaces. All of the non-goal related things floating in my head evaporate, and I'm left with only thoughts that relate to the goal. Because goal review can help you slim down what you're thinking about, you'll also waste less time in non-goal oriented areas on your way to the Muse.
Take whatever means you need to keep that inspiration going. Find what works for you and do it. That excitement can become like a runners' high and can keep you going; it's like an addiction, and once you're hooked, you've gotta keep feeding it.
It's nice to be able to stand and say, "Hi, my name is Sean, and I'm a productivity junky." :)
-sean
posted by Sean at
12/07/2005 08:08:00 PM
1 Comments:
A recent issue of Moviemaker magazine had creative tips from filmmaker Atom Egoyan. The first three tips could be generalized to any creative endeavor or to life in general. The other to any collaborative venture.
By
Nick Wedig, at 12/09/2005 04:16:00 AM
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