Non-technical writers, designers, artists, and the like inherently think and work outside of the box. For many of us right-brained creatives, working from home is ideal, as long as we avoid creative rabbit holes. Here are five tips to avoid getting sidetracked by unplanned brilliance throughout the day, for more productive, on-purpose creativity:
- Prioritize daily goals in advance. Need to get ten things done? List them all, then highlight the top three most urgent tasks & commit to completing those no matter what. Once you knock those out, highlight the next three, and so on.
- Schedule more challenging tasks during peak mental hours. If you’re not a morning person, use that time for no-brainer work & save tougher tasks for later in the day. Alternatively, early birds can knock out the tough stuff before 10 a.m., scheduling progressively easier tasks throughout the day to align with their natural mental “sundown.”
- Touch base with your boss or colleagues with frequent updates. Allowing too much time to pass while working from home creates a perception that you are napping or slacking off.
- Plan high-quality breaks. As creatives, we often sit still for hours in front of a computer. Create healthy breaks that re-energize, such as taking a walk, dancing to your favorite tunes, or playtime with a pet. Choose lunch or snacks that won’t tank your productivity with a sugar or carb crash. Watch the time and then get back to work as scheduled.
- Celebrate your wins. Even if you didn’t get to everything on your list completed, appreciate yourself for what you DID do. Prioritize leftover tasks into your next day’s checklist, using that highlighter from step one.
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