THINK IT OVER
It’s easy to feel as though constant busyness is the ultimate indicator of productivity, but making time for ‘deep thinking’ is just as essential to your output as ticking items off your daily to-do list. Try to block out at least one hour-long slot in your diary every week just to think, strategize and evaluate how you’re working. That might feel like something of a luxury in the face of the endless demands on your plate, but taking the time to clarify your priorities, think about how you’re expending your energy and generate new ideas is a vital investment in making long-term headway on your goals.
SET DEADLINES
Having an actual deadline can improve your performance and reduce your tendency to procrastinate no end, so as you begin each task allocate yourself a set amount of time within which to finish it. Make sure the deadline is achievable and allows enough time to get the job done well – don’t subject yourself to unnecessary pressure by setting unrealistic goals. Not allowing tasks to expand to fit the time available to you is a crucial habit to cultivate, and it’s even more salient if you’re a freelancer and your time is, quite literally, money.
DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT
Perfectionism is very often the enemy of progress. Resist the urge to endlessly tweak projects or creative work at the expense of ever actually finishing them. Following through – even if you’re not 100 per cent happy with the final product – is more valuable than endlessly chasing an unattainable ideal of ‘perfection’. Recognize where to draw the line and put your work out into the world. After all, if no one ever sees your work, then it doesn’t really exist, does it?
‘Show up, show up, show up, and after a while, the muse shows up, too.’
– Isabel Allende, writer
Everyone struggles with creative block from time to time, and finding that your ideas come less easily at some points than at others is pretty much part and parcel of doing creative work. Still, when your livelihood depends on your ability to generate ideas, going through a creative dry spell is far from ideal. Whether you’re dealing with a seemingly impenetrable brief, or having trouble going from idea to execution, here are a few simple strategies to help you get your work back on track.
LOOK OUTSIDE YOUR GENRE
Your best ideas won’t always come to you when you’re sitting at your desk, so get out there and find fresh sources of inspiration. Whether it’s going to a talk, reading a book, or travelling somewhere new, putting yourself in a position to absorb information from outside your usual frames of reference is great for sparking new ideas, and developing work that reflects your own unique range of inspirations.
DON’T SURROUND YOURSELF WITH YOURSELF
Don’t be afraid to open your work process up to others – if you’ve hit a wall, talking things through with someone else can really help. It’s a simple but often overlooked truth that a fresh pair of eyes usually helps you look at problems from a different perspective. No woman is an island, so open up to someone whose opinion or judgement you respect.
PRIORITIZE
On a day-to-day level, simplify your to-do list to make it more manageable. Chances are you’ll find you don’t have to do everything right now, and it’s always better to do a few things well than many things badly. Be ruthless in figuring out what you can delay, delegate (if you work in a team), or skip altogether.
ACE YOUR SPACE
Creating the right conditions for inspiration to strike is crucial to doing your best work. Your working environment has a huge impact on your mindset and creativity levels, particularly if you regularly work from home – it needs to be somewhere you’re happy to be in for hours on end, day in, day out. It’s also far easier to get in the zone (and out of it when your workday’s over) if you have a dedicated workspace, no matter how small. Whether you’re working from home or based in an office, make sure you’ve got these basics sorted.
Get organized
Some people swear by organizing their desk every morning before getting down to work, in the belief that a tidy desk equals a tidy mind – or at least helps. Kondo (for the uninitiated, this means declutter) your workspace using desk drawer organizers, folders and filing cabinets, and treat yourself to some cute desk accessories to elevate your workspace beyond the mundane. Muji is a great option if you like your stationery minimal, and cheap.
Go green
Recreate the mood-boosting properties of the great outdoors by sprucing up your workspace with some greenery. If a continual supply of fresh flowers is too much hassle for you, go for an easy-to-care-for succulent such as aloe vera, which has the added bonus of purifying the air around you.
Lighting
Ensure you’re working in a well-lit environment – if you can work somewhere with plenty of natural light, all the better.
Make your space unique
Adding some personal touches to your workspace by pinning up a few pictures, postcards, or inspirational quotes can do wonders for keeping you motivated when you’ve hit a wall.
Get comfortable
Your workspace should be as conducive to comfort as possible – if you’re uncomfortable, you won’t be able to concentrate properly, particularly on those days when you need to put in long hours. Make sure your computer screen is at the right height, and that you’ve got a chair with good back support. If you use a laptop, get an external mouse instead of relying on its touchpad; over time that can strain your hands and wrists.
Tune in
Music can go a long way towards creating the right ambience for your workspace, so experiment a little to see what works for you. Or you could take a leaf out of writer Zadie Smith’s book: she listens to ‘brown noise’ (like white noise, but more soothing) as she works. Unconventional, sure – but it’s great for drowning out distracting thoughts and sounds, and you might find that avoiding music with words or a distinct melody while working is less distracting. If you work in a busy office, make sure you’ve got a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones on hand for those times when you really need to power through.
CHANGE YOUR SCENERY
Don’t forget to mix it up once in a while. If you usually work from home, try to spend one or two days a week working in a different environment, whether it’s your local library,