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To profit from our work hours, we’re typically instructed to “eat the frog within the morning,” mute notifications or attempt Pomodoro-like methods. These are evergreen productivity ideas which have helped tens of millions of workplace staff and entrepreneurs, and I am not aiming to downplay them. However whenever you’ve exhausted all standard productiveness recommendation — or discovered that it would 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, always racing to maintain up with distractions, have forgotten the artwork of quiet statement, the area the place creativity thrives and concepts are born from the mundane, just like the sounds or odor round us, an eccentric passerby or a fleeting thought.
On this article, I would prefer to share a couple of unconventional methods which have helped me keep centered and boosted my creativity in sudden 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 nicely that work and life aren’t at all times simply separable.
So, this is what I received in my peculiar productivity tips arsenal.
1. Do duties at uncommon occasions and locations
Once I hit a artistic roadblock, I search for methods to shake issues up and stimulate my considering. I sort out challenging tasks at unconventional occasions, like early mornings or late nights. Typically, I’ve had revelations on find out how to resolve 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 discipline). Even if in case you have probably the most snug workplace, generally working from a bench within the park or a bustling espresso store can provide you simply the spark you want.
This statement is supported by the Cognitive Flexibility Theory, which claims that altering environments can disrupt routine considering patterns, forcing the mind to adapt and discover new options. This explains why a change of surroundings can encourage recent views.
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2. Discover your “greatest considering” spot (or exercise)
Have you ever additionally observed that a few of the greatest 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.
Each time a lull arises, we instinctively reach 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 pink mild.
I used to credit score the calming results of showers, biking or swimming exercises for my bursts of creativity. However the fact is, these actions merely supplied much-needed digital detox. With out the fixed distractions of my cellphone, my thoughts was free to wander and innovate.
In brief, my recommendation is to apply deliberate considering. 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 biggest productiveness boosters is consuming (or snacking) whereas working. Earlier than you decide me for selling unhealthy and unsanitary practices at work, let me clarify.
For years, I’ve observed that I really feel a special form of focus once I eat whereas studying a ebook or engaged on a pc. I’ve appeared 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 creator Charles Duhigg defined in ‘The Energy of Behavior,’ associating a productive exercise with a pleasurable one can create a robust behavior loop.
Years later, I choose to keep away from snacking, so consuming on the laptop is a method for determined occasions. I would sometimes have my lunch whereas studying an extended article or a doc. I eat healthy snacks similar to nuts, berries, or fruit to assist myself get out of a hard-to-solve process at hand.
Whereas this consuming and dealing behavior may not be very best, it isn’t the one approach 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 odor of rain or an uncommon stranger on the road.
I’ve discovered these abilities from my kids: their capacity to be absolutely current, their insatiable curiosity and their surprise on the world round them. By embracing a childlike sense of surprise and being attentive to the main points of our environment, we are able to additionally foster creativity and enhance productiveness.
