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To take advantage of our work hours, we’re typically advised to “eat the frog within the morning,” mute notifications or strive Pomodoro-like methods. These are evergreen productiveness ideas which have helped hundreds of thousands of workplace staff and entrepreneurs, and I am not aiming to downplay them. However if you’ve exhausted all standard productiveness recommendation — or discovered that it does not give you the results you want — it is time to suppose outdoors the field.
Within the twenty first century, we appear to have a collective aversion to boredom. Our minds, continuously racing to maintain up with distractions, have forgotten the artwork of quiet commentary, the house the place creativity thrives and concepts are born from the mundane, just like the sounds or scent round us, an eccentric passerby or a fleeting thought.
On this article, I might prefer to share a number of unconventional methods which have helped me keep centered and boosted my creativity in surprising methods. A few of these strategies would possibly blur the traces between work and life, however as a CEO of a tech firm, I do know all too effectively that work and life aren’t all the time simply separable.
So, here is what I received in my peculiar productiveness ideas arsenal.
1. Do duties at uncommon occasions and locations
After I hit a inventive roadblock, I search for methods to shake issues up and stimulate my pondering. I deal with difficult duties at unconventional occasions, like early mornings or late nights. Generally, I’ve had revelations on the right way to remedy an issue throughout a biking session or night jog.
Equally, you possibly can change the place the place you’re employed (if it is technically attainable in your area). Even when you’ve got essentially the most snug workplace, typically working from a bench within the park or a bustling espresso store can provide you simply the spark you want.
This commentary is supported by the Cognitive Flexibility Concept, which claims that altering environments can disrupt routine pondering patterns, forcing the mind to adapt and discover new options. This explains why a change of surroundings can encourage contemporary views.
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2. Discover your “finest pondering” spot (or exercise)
Have you ever additionally seen that a number of the finest concepts come to you exactly when you possibly can’t write them down? These days, conditions the place we do not have our smartphones close by have gotten more and more uncommon.
And that is precisely the issue.
At any time when a lull arises, we instinctively attain for our smartphones or distant controls to fill the void with social media or streaming content material. We really feel compelled to multitask whereas strolling, typically listening to podcasts or audiobooks. Our telephones are out even whereas ready in line on the grocery retailer or at a purple gentle.
I used to credit score the calming results of showers, biking or swimming exercises for my bursts of creativity. However the reality is, these actions merely offered much-needed digital detox. With out the fixed distractions of my telephone, my thoughts was free to wander and innovate.
Briefly, my recommendation is to apply deliberate pondering. Create phone-free zones in your day, whether or not it is a enjoyable tub, a canine stroll or just an hour of digital detox. These moments are golden alternatives to your creativity to flourish.
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3. Construct an associative productiveness behavior
Considered one of my best productiveness boosters is consuming (or snacking) whereas working. Earlier than you choose me for selling unhealthy and unsanitary practices at work, let me clarify.
For years, I’ve seen that I really feel a distinct form of focus after I eat whereas studying a e-book or engaged on a pc. I’ve seemed for scientific proof to elucidate this peculiarity, however I’ve discovered none.
This led me to the conclusion that the hyperlink between consuming and higher focus is associative. As Pulitzer-winning productiveness writer Charles Duhigg defined in ‘The Energy of Behavior,’ associating a productive exercise with a pleasurable one can create a strong behavior loop.
Years later, I favor to keep away from snacking, so consuming on the pc is a method for determined occasions. I’d often have my lunch whereas studying an extended article or a doc. I eat wholesome snacks comparable to nuts, berries, or fruit to assist myself get out of a hard-to-solve process at hand.
Whereas this consuming and dealing behavior won’t be supreme, it is not the one option to enhance productiveness. Experiment with more healthy associations, like listening to particular music, lighting a scented candle, or sporting noise-cancelling earphones. Over time, these rituals can improve focus and motivation by affiliation.
Enable your self to be bored!
As I discussed above, we have misplaced our consolation with boredom. Fixed distractions drown out quiet moments the place creativity sparks — from a passing thought to the scent of rain or an uncommon stranger on the road.
I’ve realized these expertise from my youngsters: their potential to be totally current, their insatiable curiosity and their marvel on the world round them. By embracing a childlike sense of marvel and being attentive to the main points of our environment, we will additionally foster creativity and enhance productiveness.
