Textcopyright©2013byBehance“AwakeningtoConsciousComputing”copyright©2013byLindaStone“SchedulinginTimeforCreativeThinking”copyright©2013byCalNewportAllrightsreserved.

Nopartofthisbookmaybereproduced,orstoredinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,withoutexpresswrittenpermissionofthepublisher.

PublishedbyAmazonPublishingPOBox400818LasVegas,NV89140

ISBN-13:9781477800676ISBN-10:1477800670

Forthecreators

TABLEOFCONTENTS–

Whatis99U?

Preface

Foreword:RetoolingforaNewEraofWorkbyScottBelsky,FounderofBehance

–

CHAPTERONE-BUILDINGAROCK-SOLIDROUTINE

LayingtheGroundworkforanEffectiveRoutinebyMarkMcGuinness

HarnessingthePowerofFrequencybyGretchenRubin

Q&A:HoningYourCreativePracticewithSethGodin

BuildingRenewalintoYourWorkdaybyTonySchwartz

MakingRoomforSolitudebyLeoBabauta

KeyTakeaways-BuildingaRock-SolidRoutine

CHAPTERTWO-FINDINGFOCUSINADISTRACTEDWORLD

SchedulinginTimeforCreativeThinkingbyCalNewport

BanishingMultitaskingfromOurRepertoirebyChristianJarrett

Q&A:UnderstandingOurCompulsionswithDanAriely

LearningtoCreateAmidstChaosbyErinRooneyDoland

TuningIntoYoubyScottBelsky

KeyTakeaways-FindingFocusinaDistractedWorld

CHAPTERTHREE-TAMINGYOURTOOLS

MakingE-mailMatterbyAaronDignan

UsingSocialMediaMindfullybyLoriDeschene

Q&A:ReconsideringConstantConnectivitywithTiffanyShlain

AwakeningtoConsciousComputingbyLindaStone

ReclaimingOurSelf-RespectbyJamesVictore

KeyTakeaways-TamingYourTools

CHAPTERFOUR-SHARPENINGYOURCREATIVEMIND

CreatingForYou,andYouAlonebyToddHenry

TrainingYourMindtoBeReadyforInsightbyScottMcDowell

Q&A:TrickingYourBrainintoCreativitywithStefanSagmeister

LettingGoofPerfectionismbyElizabethGraceSaunders

GettingUnstuckbyMarkMcGuinness

KeyTakeaways-SharpeningYourCreativeMind

CODA-ACALLTOACTION

HowProCanYouGo?byStevenPressfield

–

Acknowledgements

About99U

AbouttheEditor

Endnotes

Index

WHATIS99U?–

Fortoolong,thecreativeworldhasfocusedonideagenerationattheexpenseofideaexecution.AsthelegendaryinventorThomasEdisonfamouslysaid,“Geniusis1percentinspiration,and99percentperspiration.”Tomakegreatideasareality,wemustact,experiment,fail,adapt,andlearnonadailybasis.

99UisBehance’sefforttoprovidethis“missingcurriculum”formakingideashappen.ThroughourWebbyAward–winningwebsite,popularevents,andbestsellingbooks,wesharepragmatic,action-orientedinsightsfromleadingresearchersandvisionarycreatives.

At99U,wedon’twanttogiveyoumoreideas—wewanttoempoweryoutomakegoodontheonesyou’vegot.

PREFACE–

TheworldweworkintodayisnottheworldofMichelangelo,ofMarieCurie,ofErnestHemingway,orevenofPaulRand.Itisanewworld,empoweredandentrancedbytherapid-fireintroductionofnewtechnologies—aworldwhereourmetaphysicalfrontdoorisalwaysopen,whereanyonecanwhisperinourear,wherea“roomofone’sown”nolongermeansyou’reallalone.

Creativemindsareexceedinglysensitivetothebuzzandwhiroftheworldaroundthem,andwenowhavetocontendwithaconstantstreamofchirps,pings,andalertsatallhoursoftheday.Astheseurgentdemandstugusthiswayandthat,itbecomesincreasinglydifficulttofindacenteredspaceforcreativity.

Takingstockofthischallengingnewlandscape,99U’sManageYourDay-to-Dayassemblesinsightsaroundfourkeyskillsetsyoumustmastertosucceed:buildingarock-soliddailyroutine,tamingyourtools(beforetheytameyou),findingfocusinadistractedworld,andsharpeningyourcreativemind.

Dedicatingachaptertoeachofthesefocusareas,weinvitedagroupofseasonedthoughtleadersandcreatives—SethGodin,StefanSagmeister,TonySchwartz,GretchenRubin,DanAriely,LindaStone,StevenPressfield,andothers—tosharetheirexpertise.Ourgoalwastocomeattheproblemsandstrugglesofthisnewworldofworkfromasmanyanglesaspossible.

Becauseweeachhaveauniquesetofstrengths,weaknesses,andsensitivities,itisimpossibletoprescribeasingleapproachthatwillworkforeveryone.Therightsolutionforyouwillalwaysbepersonal—anidiosyncraticcombinationof

strategiesbasedonyourownworkdemands,habits,andpreferences.

Soratherthanlayoutaone-size-fits-allproductivitysystem,weprovideaplaybookofbestpracticesforproducinggreatwork.Ourhopeisthattheseinsights,takentogether,willhelpyoushiftyourmind-set,recalibrateyourworkflow,andpushmoreincredibleideastocompletion.

—JOCELYNK.GLEI,editor-in-chief,99U

FOREWORD:

RETOOLINGFORANEWERAOFWORK

–ScottBelsky,FounderofBehance&authorofMakingIdeasHappen

Prepareforahighlyconcentrateddoseofinsightsthatwillprovebothenlighteninganduncomfortable.Thiswasmyownexperience,atleast.MyreviewoftheearlymanuscriptforManageYourDay-to-Dayraisedsomeglaringconcernsinmyownmindaboutmyproductivityandmindfulness.

Thesenewperspectivescaughtmeoff-guard—Irealizedthatmuchofmymostvaluableenergyhadbeenunknowinglyconsumedbybadhabits.Myday-to-daypracticeshaddevolvedtoapointwhereIwasatthemercyofeverythingaroundme—everythingbutmygoalsandtruepreferences.

ItwasclearthatIwaslongoverdueforaself-auditofhowImanagemytime in a rapidly changingwork environment.Somuchhas shifted in just thelastfewyears:Mycalendaranddocumentsarenowallinthecloud.Ihavemoredevices,apps,alerts,andutilitiesthaneverbefore.Andwiththenewabilitytowork anywhere, the outcome of the work I do has unintentionally changed.Meanwhile,I’vebeenoutthereinthethickofit,workinghardbutnevertakingstock.Ifyoukeepplayingwithoutanytime-outs,yourgamestartstoslip.

Of course, every great leader must face his or her demons in order toovercome them. I’vealwaysknown this,but Iwasn’t awareofany immediateproblems.But thesedays thedemonsaremore insidious; they’re theeverydayannoyances,thelittlethingsthatsuckawayourpotentialtodobigthings.

OWNTHEPROBLEMI’vespentmuchofmycareerpromotingstrongbusinesspracticesinthecreativeindustry. Throughout my travels for Behance and in researching my book,MakingIdeasHappen, Ihavespokenwithcountlesscreativepeopleandteamsabouttheirprojectsandcareers.Withdesigners,writers,andentrepreneursofallkinds, I have tried to advocate for the roll-up-your-sleeves productivity andmanagement skills required to push ideas to fruition. My mantra has alwaysbeen,“It’snotaboutideas,it’saboutmakingideashappen.”

Frequently I am asked to speak at conferences and companies about“creativity.” I always respond with the preliminary question, “Do you haveideas?” The answer is almost always “Yes, but…” followed by a series ofobstacleslike:“Weworkinabigcompanyandit’shardtopursuenewideas,”“Wegetoverwhelmedwith theday-to-daystuffandstruggle tomakeprogressonnew stuff,” or “Our leadership asks for innovationbut keepsgetting in theway.”

Alas,whenfolkswanttotalkcreativity,whatthey’rereallyseekingishelpwith execution, ways to take action more effectively. Once the true problembecomesclear,theblamequicklyshiftstotheecosystem.Thecompanyiseithertoo big or too small. The management is screwing things up. Or it’s the“process”thatgetsintheway.

It’s time tostopblamingoursurroundingsandstart taking responsibility.Whilenoworkplaceisperfect, it turnsoutthatourgravestchallengesarealotmore primal and personal.Our individual practices ultimately determinewhatwedoandhowwellwedoit.Specifically,it’sourroutine(orlackthereof),ourcapacity to work proactively rather than reactively, and our ability tosystematicallyoptimizeourworkhabitsover timethatdetermineourability tomakeideashappen.

DON’TJUSTDO,RETOOLYOURDOINGOftenI’llaskagreatteamaboutthelasttimetheyhadameetingtodiscusshowtheywork.Asidefromtheoccasionalmentionofanannualoff-site,Iusuallygetanullresponse.Why?Everyone’stoobusydoingstufftotakeapauseandmakesome changes to how they do stuff. I’ve never seen a team sport without ahuddle,yetwe’llcontinueworkingformonths—ifnotyears—withclientsandcolleagues without ever taking a step back, taking stock, and making

improvementstooursystems.As individuals we’re even worse off; we never have off-sites with

ourselves. Seldom do we stop doing what we’re doing to think about (andrework)howwe’redoingit.Thebiggestproblemwithanyroutineisthatyoudoitwithoutrealizingit.Badhabitscreepin,especiallyaswenaturallyacclimateto a changingwork environment, andwe endupworking at themercyof oursurroundings.

THEERAOFREACTIONARYWORKFLOWThebiggestproblemwefacetodayis“reactionaryworkflow.”Wehavestartedtolivealifepeckingawayatthemanyinboxesaroundus,tryingtostayafloatby responding and reacting to the latest thing: e-mails, textmessages, tweets,andsoon.

Through our constant connectivity to each other, we have becomeincreasinglyreactivetowhatcomestousratherthanbeingproactiveaboutwhatmattersmosttous.Beinginformedandconnectedbecomesadisadvantagewhenthedelugesupplantsyourspacetothinkandact.

Asyou’llseeinthediscussionsahead, theshortcutsandmodernmarvelsofworkdon’tcomewithoutacost.Thrivingintheneweraofworkrequiresustoquestion thenormsandso-calledefficiencies thathaveedgedtheirwayintoourday-to-day.

TIMETOOPTIMIZEWeneedtorethinkourworkflowfromthegroundup.

Paradoxically,youholdboththeproblemandthesolutiontoyourday-to-daychallenges.Nomatterwhereyouworkorwhathorrible top-downsystemsplague yourwork, yourmind and energy are yours and yours alone.You cansurrender your day-to-day and the potential of your work to the burdens thatsurroundyou.Or,youcanauditthewayyouworkandowntheresponsibilityoffixingit.

This book offersmany deep and powerful insights into optimizing yourday-to-day rhythms. You’ll likely find that your work habits have drifted toaccommodateyoursurroundingsrather thantomeetyourpreferences.Usethis

bookasanopportunitytoreassess.Takeararepausefromyourincessantdoingtorethinkhowyoudowhatyoudo.

Onlybytakingchargeofyourday-to-daycanyoutrulymakeanimpactinwhatmattersmosttoyou.Iurgeyoutobuildabetterroutinebysteppingoutsideofit,findyourfocusbyrisingabovetheconstantcacophony,andsharpenyourcreativeprowessbyanalyzingwhatreallymattersmostwhenitcomestomakingyourideashappen.

WoodyAllenoncesaidthat80percentofsuccessisshowingup.Havingwrittenanddirectedfiftyfilmsinalmostasmanyyears,Allenclearlyknowssomethingaboutaccomplishment.How,when,andwhereyoushowupisthesinglemostimportantfactorinexecutingonyourideas.

That’swhysomanycreativevisionariessticktoadailyroutine.ChoreographerTwylaTharpgetsupatthecrackofdawneverydayandhailsacabtogotothegym—aritualshecallsher“triggermoment.”PainterRossBlecknerreadsthepaper,meditates,andthengetstothestudioby8a.m.sothathecanworkinthecalmquietoftheearlymorning.WriterErnestHemingwaywrotefivehundredwordsaday,comehellorhighwater.

Trulygreatcreativeachievementsrequirehundreds,ifnotthousands,ofhoursofwork,andwehavetomaketimeeverysingledaytoputinthosehours.Routineshelpusdothisbysettingexpectationsaboutavailability,aligningourworkflowwithourenergylevels,andgettingourmindsintoaregularrhythmofcreating.

Attheendoftheday—or,really,fromthebeginning—buildingaroutineisallaboutpersistenceandconsistency.Don’twaitforinspiration;createaframeworkforit.

LAYINGTHEGROUNDWORKFORANEFFECTIVEROUTINE

–

MarkMcGuinness

Ifyouwanttocreatesomethingworthwhilewithyourlife,youneedtodrawalinebetweentheworld’sdemandsandyourownambitions.Yes,weallhavebillstopayandobligationstosatisfy.Butformostofusthere’sawidegrayareabetweenthehave-tosandwant-tosinourlives.Ifyou’renotcareful,thatareawillfillupwithe-mail,meetings,andtherequestsofothers,leavingnoroomfortheworkyouconsiderimportant.

A great novel, a stunning design, a game-changing piece of software, arevolutionarycompany—achievements like these take time, thought,craft,andpersistence. And on any given day, this effort will never appear as urgent asthosefoure-mails(inthelasthalfhour)fromClientXorColleagueYaskingforsomethingthatcanlikelywaitafewhours,ifnotdays.

Noonelikesthefeelingthatotherpeoplearewaiting—impatiently—foraresponse.Atthebeginningoftheday,facedwithanoverflowinginbox,anarrayof voicemailmessages, and the list of next steps fromyour lastmeeting, it’stemptingto“clear thedecks”beforestartingyourownwork.Whenyou’reup-to-date,youtellyourself,itwillbeeasiertofocus.

Thetroublewiththisapproachisitmeansspendingthebestpartofthedayonotherpeople’spriorities.By the timeyousettledown toyourownwork, itcouldbemid-afternoon,whenyourenergydipsandyourbrainslows.

“Ohwell,maybetomorrowwillbebetter,”youtellyourself.But tomorrowbrings another pile of e-mails, phonemessages, and to-do

listitems.Ifyoucarryonlikethis,youwillspendmostofyourtimeonreactivework, responding to incoming demands and answering questions framed byotherpeople.Andyouwillnevercreateanythingtrulyworthwhile.

CREATIVEWORKFIRST,REACTIVEWORKSECONDThe singlemost important change you canmake in yourworking habits is toswitch tocreativework first, reactivework second.Thismeansblockingoff alargechunkoftimeeverydayforcreativeworkonyourownpriorities,withthephoneande-mailoff.

I used to be a frustrated writer. Making this switch turned me into aproductivewriter.Now,Istarttheworkingdaywithseveralhoursofwriting.Inever schedule meetings in the morning, if I can avoid it. So whatever elsehappens,Ialwaysgetmymostimportantworkdone—andlookingback,allofmybiggestsuccesseshavebeentheresultofmakingthissimplechange.

Yettherewasn’tasingledaywhenIsatdowntowriteanarticle,blogpost,orbookchapterwithoutastringofpeoplewaitingformetogetbacktothem.

It wasn’t easy, and it still isn’t, particularly when I get phonemessagesbeginning“Isentyouane-mailtwohoursago…!”

Bydefinition,thisapproachgoesagainstthegrainofothers’expectationsand the pressures they put on you. It takeswillpower to switch off theworld,evenforanhour.Itfeelsuncomfortable,andsometimespeoplegetupset.Butit’sbetter to disappoint a few people over small things, than to surrender yourdreamsforanempty inbox.Otherwiseyou’resacrificingyourpotential for theillusionofprofessionalism.

THEBUILDINGBLOCKSOFAGREATDAILYROUTINEOfcourse,it’sallwellandgoodtosaybuckledownandignorepeskyrequests,buthowcanyoudosoonadailybasis?

Start with the rhythm of your energy levels. Certain times of day areespeciallyconducivetofocusedcreativity,thankstocircadianrhythmsofarousalandmentalalertness.Noticewhenyouseemtohavethemostenergyduringthe

day,anddedicate thosevaluableperiodstoyourmost importantcreativework.Neverbookameetingduringthistimeifyoucanhelpit.Anddon’twasteanyofitonadministrativework!

Usecreativetriggers.Sticktothesametools,thesamesurroundings,eventhesame background music, so that they become associative triggers for you toenteryourcreativezone.Here’showitworksforStephenKing:

TherearecertainthingsIdoifIsitdowntowrite.Ihaveaglassofwateroracupoftea.There’sacertaintimeIsitdown,from8:00to8:30,somewherewithinthathalfhoureverymorning.Ihavemyvitaminpillandmymusic,sitinthesameseat,andthepapersareallarrangedinthesameplaces.Thecumulativepurposeofdoingthesethingsthesamewayeverydayseemstobeawayofsayingtothemind,you’regoingtobedreamingsoon.1

Manageto-dolistcreep.Limityourdailyto-dolist.A3”×3”Post-itisperfect—ifyoucan’tfiteverythingonalistthatsize,howwillyoudoitallinoneday?Ifyoukeepaddingtoyourto-dolistduringtheday,youwillneverfinish—andyourmotivationwillplummet.Mostthingscanwaittilltomorrow.Soletthem.

Capture every commitment. Train yourself to record every commitment youmake (toyourselforothers) somewhere thatwillmake it impossible to forget.Thiswillhelpyou respond to requestsmoreefficientlyandmakeyouabettercollaborator. More important, it will give you peace of mind—when you areconfidentthateverythinghasbeencapturedreliably,youcanfocusonthetaskathand.

Establishhardedges inyourday.Set a start timeanda finish time foryourworkday—even ifyouworkalone.Dedicatedifferent timesofday todifferentactivities:creativework,meetings,correspondence,administrativework,andsoon. These hard edges keep tasks from taking longer than they need to and

encroaching on your other important work. They also help you avoidworkaholism,whichisfarlessproductivethanitlooks.

Atrulyeffectiveroutineisalwayspersonal—asnugfitwithyourowntalentandinclinations. So experiment with these building blocks and notice whichcombination gives you the best foundation for doing your best work. You’llknowit’seffectivewhenyourdailyschedulestarts to feel less likeamundaneroutineandmorelikeacreativeritual.

MARKMCGUINNESSisaLondon-basedcoachforcreativeprofessionals.Heworkswithclientsallovertheworldandconsultsforcreativecompanies.HeistheauthorofResilience:FacingDownRejectionandCriticismontheRoadtoSuccessandacolumnistfor99U.

→www.LateralAction.com

HARNESSINGTHEPOWEROFFREQUENCY

–

GretchenRubin

Wetendtooverestimatewhatwecandoinashortperiod,andunderestimatewhatwecandooveralongperiod,providedweworkslowlyandconsistently.AnthonyTrollope,thenineteenth-centurywriterwhomanagedtobeaprolificnovelistwhilealsorevolutionizingtheBritishpostalsystem,observed,“Asmalldailytask,ifitbereallydaily,willbeatthelaboursofaspasmodicHercules.”Overthelongrun,theunglamoroushabitoffrequencyfostersbothproductivityandcreativity.

As a writer, I work every single day, including weekends, holidays, andvacations. Usually I write for many hours during a day, though sometimes itmightbeastintasshortasfifteenminutes—andIneverskipaday.I’vefoundthat this kind of frequent work makes it possible to accomplish more, withgreateroriginality,forseveralreasons.

Frequencymakes starting easier. Getting started is always a challenge. It’shard tostartaproject fromscratch,and it’salsohardeach timeyoure-enteraprojectafterabreak.Byworkingeveryday,youkeepyourmomentumgoing.Youneverhave time to feeldetached from theprocess.Younever forgetyourplace,andyouneverneedtowastetimereviewingyourworktogetbackuptospeedorremindingyourselfwhatyou’vealreadydone.Becauseyourprojectisfreshinyourmind,it’seasytopickupwhereyouleftoff.

Frequency keeps ideas fresh. You’re much more likely to spot surprisingrelationships and to see fresh connections among ideas, if your mind isconstantly humming with issues related to your work. When I’m deep in aproject,everything Iexperienceseems to relate to it inaway that’sabsolutelyexhilarating.Theentireworldbecomesmoreinteresting.That’scritical,becauseIhaveavoraciousneed formaterial,andas Ibecomehyperawareofpotentialfodder, ideaspour in.Bycontrast,working sporadicallymakes it hard tokeepyour focus. It’s easy to become blocked, confused, or distracted, or to forgetwhatyouwereaimingtoaccomplish.

Frequencykeepsthepressureoff.Ifyou’reproducingjustonepage,oneblogpost,oronesketchaweek,youexpectittobeprettydarnedgood,andyoustartto fret about quality. I knew awriterwho could hardly bring herself towrite.Whenshedidmanagetokeepherselfinfrontofherlaptopforaspateofwork,she felt enormous pressure to be brilliant; she evaluated the product of eachwork session with an uneasy and highly critical eye. She hadn’t done muchwork, so what she did accomplish had to be extraordinarily good. Because Iwrite every day, no one day’swork seemsparticularly important. I have gooddaysand Ihavebaddays.Somedays, Idon’tgetmuchdoneatall.But that’sokay,becauseIknowI’mworkingsteadily.Myconsequentlackofanxietyputsmeinamoreplayfulframeofmindandallowsmetoexperimentandtakerisks.Ifsomethingdoesn’tworkout,Ihaveplentyoftimetotryadifferentapproach.

Frequency sparks creativity. You might be thinking, “Having to workfrequently,whetherornotIfeelinspired,willforcemetolowermystandards.”Inmyexperience, theeffect is just theopposite.Oftenfolksachieve theirbestwork by grinding out the product. Creativity arises from a constant churn ofideas,andoneoftheeasiestwaystoencouragethatfertilefrothistokeepyourmind engagedwith your project.When youwork regularly, inspiration strikesregularly.

Frequencynurturesfrequency.Ifyoudevelopthehabitofworkingfrequently,itbecomesmucheasiertositdownandgetsomethingdoneevenwhenyoudon’thave abigblockof time; youdon’t have to take time to acclimateyourself. Iknow awritermarried to a painter, and she toldme, “We talk about the ‘ten-

minuterule.’Ifourworkisgoingwell,wecansitdownandgetsomethinggooddoneintenminutes.”Frequencyallowsustomakeuseoftheseshortwindowsoftime.Onarelatednote…

Frequencyfostersproductivity. It’snosurprise thatyou’re likely togetmoreaccomplished if youwork daily. The very fact of each day’s accomplishmenthelpsthenextday’sworkcomemoresmoothlyandpleasantly.Nothingismoresatisfyingthatseeingyourselfmovesteadilytowardabiggoal.Stepbystep,youmakeyourwayforward.That’swhypracticessuchasdailywritingexercisesorkeeping a daily blog can be so helpful. You see yourself do thework, whichshowsyouthatyoucandothework.Progressisreassuringandinspiring;panicand then despair set inwhen you find yourself getting nothing done day afterday.Oneofthepainfulironiesofworklifeisthattheanxietyofprocrastinationoftenmakespeopleevenlesslikelytobuckledowninthefuture.

Frequencyisarealisticapproach.Frequencyishelpfulwhenyou’reworkingona creativeprojecton the side,withpressingobligations froma joboryourfamily.Insteadoffeelingperpetuallyfrustratedthatyoudon’thaveanytimeforyourproject,youmakeyourselfmaketime,everyday.Ifyoudoalittlebiteachday, you can get a lot done over the course ofmonths and years (see above).Also,it’struethatfrequencydoesn’thavetobeadailyfrequency;what’smostimportantisconsistency.Themorewidelyspacedyourworktimes,however,thelessyoureapallofthesebenefits.

The opposite of a profound truth is usually also true. While there are manyadvantages to frequencyover the long term, sometimes it’s fun to take a bootcampapproach,toworkveryintenselyforaveryshortperiodoftime.InMakingComics,ScottMcCloudrecommendswhathecallsthe24-hourcomic:“Drawanentire24-pagecomicbookinasingle24-hourperiod.Noscript.Nopreparation.Once the clock starts ticking, it doesn’t stop until you’re done. Great shocktherapyforthecreativelyblocked.”Ilovepluggingalonginmyworkbitbybit,butoccasionallyit’sevenmoreusefultotakeabig,ambitiousstep.Bytacklingmoreinsteadofless,Ienjoyasurgeofenergyandfocus.

I have a long list of “Secrets ofAdulthood,” the lessons I’ve learned asI’vegrownup,suchas:“It’sthetaskthat’sneverstartedthat’smoretiresome,”“Thedaysarelong,buttheyearsareshort,”and“Alwaysleaveplentyofroomin the suitcase.” One of my most helpful Secrets is, “What I do every daymattersmorethanwhatIdoonceinawhile.”

Daybyday,webuildourlives,anddaybyday,wecantakestepstowardmakingrealthemagnificentcreationsofourimaginations.

GRETCHENRUBINistheauthorofthebestsellersHappieratHomeandTheHappinessProject—accountsofherexperiencestest-drivingancientwisdom,scientificstudies,andlessonsfrompopularcultureabouthappiness.Onherblog,shereportsonherdailyadventuresinhappiness.

→www.happiness-project.com

Q&A:

HONINGYOURCREATIVEPRACTICE

–

withSethGodin

SethGodinknowsafewthingsaboutgettingstuffdone.Hehasconsistentlyinnovatedasanentrepreneur,awriter,andaneducator—allthewhileproducinganincrediblebodyofworkthatincludesnumerousgroundbreakingventuressuchastheDominoProject,Squidoo,andthefirst“AlternativeMBAProgram,”nottomentionfourteenbestsellingbooks.Wechattedwithhimabouthowcultivatingadailypracticeisanecessaryprerequisitetoachievinggreatthings.

What’sthehardestpartaboutgettingadailyroutineright?

Everybodywhodoescreativeworkhasfiguredouthowtodealwiththeirowndemonstoget theirworkdone.ThereisnoevidencethatsettingupyoureasellikeVanGoghmakesyoupaintbetter.Tacticsare idiosyncratic.But strategiesare universal, and there are a lot of talented folkswho are not succeeding thewaytheywanttobecausetheirstrategiesarebroken.

Thestrategyissimple,Ithink.Thestrategyistohaveapractice,andwhatitmeanstohaveapracticeistoregularlyandreliablydotheworkinahabitual

way.Therearemanywaysyoucansignifytoyourselfthatyouaredoingyour

practice.Forexample,somepeoplewearawhitelabcoatoraparticularpairofglasses, or always work in a specific place—in doing these things, they areprofessionalizingtheirart.

ThenotionthatIdomyworkhere,now,likethis,evenwhenIdonotfeellikeit,andespeciallywhenIdonotfeellikeit,isveryimportant.Becauselotsandlotsofpeoplearecreativewhentheyfeellikeit,butyouareonlygoingtobecome a professional if you do it when you don’t feel like it. And thatemotionalwaiveriswhythisisyourworkandnotyourhobby.

Whatdopeoplestrugglewiththemost,outsideofthehardworkofadailyroutine?

Thepracticeisabigpart.Thesecondpartofit,whichIthinkisreallycritical,isunderstanding that being creative means that you have to sell your ideas. Ifyou’reaprofessional,youdonotget tosay,“Ugh,nowIhavetogosell it”—selling it is part of it because if you do not sell it, there is no art. No fairembracingonewhiledoingasloppyjobontheother.

Canyouthinkofanyartistswhodidnotpossessthatsalesabilityoriginallybutwereabletocultivateit?

I’venevermetanybodywhoisgreatatsellingwhowasbornthatway.I thinkthatallthepeoplewhohavefiguredouthowtodothisforalivinghavefigureditoutbecauseitwasimportanttothem,notbecauseitcamenaturally.WhereasIknowtonsofpeoplewhocallthemselvesartistswhowerebornwithtalentsandneverreallyhadtopushthemselvestobegoodatit.Theythinktheyareentitledtomake a living at this thing, but they are not willing to do the hard part—selling—thateveryonefindshard.

Sometimesweworkhardintheshorttermbutstillfailtoachieveourbig-picturegoals.Howdoyoukeepyourshort-termworkalignedwithyourlong-termobjectives?

Thereasonyoumightbehaving troublewithyourpractice in the longrun—ifyou were capable of building a practice in the short run—is nearly alwaysbecauseyouareafraid.Thefear,theresistance,isveryinsidious.Itdoesn’tleavea lot of fingerprints, but the personwhomanages tomake amovie short thatblows everyone away but can’t raise enough cash tomake a feature film, thepersonwhogetsalittlefreelanceworkhereandtherebutcan’tfigureouthowtoturnitintoafull-timegig—thatpersonispracticingself-sabotage.

These people sabotage themselves because the alternative is to putthemselvesintotheworldassomeonewhoknowswhattheyaredoing.Theyareafraidthatiftheydothat,theywillbeseenasafraud.It’sincrediblydifficulttostandupataboardmeetingoraconferenceorjustinfrontofyourpeersandsay,“Iknowhowtodothis.Hereismywork.Ittookmeayear.It’sgreat.”

Thisishardtodofortworeasons:(1)itopensyoutocriticism,and(2)itputs you into the world as someone who knows what you are doing, whichmeanstomorrowyoualsohavetoknowwhatyouaredoing,andyouhavejustsignedupforalifetimeofknowingwhatyouaredoing.

It’smucheasier towhineandsabotageyourselfandblametheclient, thesystem,and theeconomy.This iswhatyouhidefrom—thenoise inyourheadthatsaysyouarenotgoodenough,thatsaysitisnotperfect,thatsaysitcouldhavebeenbetter.

SETHGODINhaswrittenfourteenbooksthathavebeentranslatedintomorethanthirtylanguages.Everyonehasbeenabestseller.Hewritesaboutthepost-industrialrevolution,thewayideasspread,marketing,quitting,leadership,and,mostofall,changingeverything.

→www.sethgodin.com

BUILDINGRENEWALINTOYOURWORKDAY

–

TonySchwartz

Zekeisacreativedirectoratalargeagency.TheworkdayhedescribedwhenwefirstmetwastypicalofthemanagersandleadersImeetinmytravels.

Aftersixorsixandahalfhoursofsleep—whichneverfeltlikeenough—Zeke’salarmwentoffat5:30a.m.eachmorning.HisfirstmovewastotakehisiPhoneoffthenighttableandcheckhise-mail.Hetoldhimselfhedidthisincasesomethingurgenthadcomeinovernight,butthetruthwashejustcouldn’tresist.

Zeketriedtogettothegymatleasttwotimesaweek,buthetraveledfrequently,and at home hewas often just too tired towork out. Once he got towork—around 7:30 a.m. most days—Zeke grabbed a cup of coffee, sat down at hisdesk,andcheckedhise-mailagain.Bythen,twenty-fiveormorenewmessagesweretypicallywaitinginhisin-box.Ifhedidn’thaveanearlymeeting,hemightbeonlineforanhourormorewithoutoncelookingup.

Zeke’sdaysweremostlyaboutmeetings.Theywereusuallyscheduledoneaftertheotherwithnotimeinbetween.Asaresult,hewouldraceofftothenextmeetingwithoutdigestingwhathe’djusttakeninatthelastone.

LunchwassomethingZekesqueezedin.Heusuallybroughtfoodbacktohisdeskfromthecafeteriaandworkedwhileheate.Aroundtwoorthreeintheafternoon,dependingonhowmuchsleephe’dgotten thepreviousnight,Zekebegan to feelhimself fading.Givenhiscompany’sculture, takingevenashortnap wasn’t an option. Instead, for a quick hit of energy, he found himself

succumbing to a piece of someone’s leftover birthday cake, or running to thevendingmachineforaSnickersbar.

With so many urgent demands, Zeke tended to put off any intensive,challengingwork for later. By the end of the day, however, he rarely had theenergy to get to it. Even so, he found it difficult to leaveworkwith somuchunfinishedbusiness.Bythetimehefinallydid,usuallyaround7:30or8p.m.,hewasprettymuchrunningonempty.

Afterdinner,Zeketriedtogettosomeoftheworkhehadputoffearlierinthe day.Much of the time, he simply ended up returning to e-mail or playinggamesonline.Eitherway,hetypicallystayeduplaterthanheknewheshould.

Howcloselydoes thismatchyour experience?To the extent that it doesresonate, howdid this happen?Most important, can you imagineworking thewayyoudonowforthenexttenortwentyyears?

YOURCAPACITYISLIMITEDThechallengeisthatthedemandinourlivesincreasinglyexceedsourcapacity.Thinkofcapacityasthefuelthatmakesitpossibletobringyourskillandtalentfully to life.Mostofus takeourcapacity forgranted,becauseformostofourliveswe’vehadenough.

What’schangedis thatbetweendigital technologyandrisingcomplexity,there’s more information and more requests coming at us, faster and morerelentlesslythanever.

Unlike computers, however, human beings aren’t meant to operatecontinuously,athighspeeds,forlongperiodsoftime.Rather,we’redesignedtomoverhythmicallybetweenspendingandrenewingourenergy.Ourbrainswavebetweenhighandlowelectricalfrequencies.Ourheartsbeatatvaryingintervals.Our lungs expand and contract depending on demand. It’s not sufficient to begood at inhaling. Indeed, the more deeply you exhale, the calmer and morecapableyoubecome.

Instead, we live linear lives, progressively burning down our energyreservoirs throughout the day. It’s the equivalent ofwithdrawing funds fromabankaccountwithoutevermakingadeposit.Atsomepoint,yougobankrupt.

Thegoodnewsisthatwecaninfluencethewaywemanageourenergy.Bydoing so skillfully, you can get more done in less time, at a higher level ofquality,inamoresustainableway.

Acoupleofkeyscientificfindingspointtheway.Thefirstisthatsleepismoreimportantthanfood.Youcangoaweekwithouteatingandtheonlythingyou’llloseisweight.Giveupsleepforevenacoupleofdaysandyou’llbecomecompletelydysfunctional.Evenso,we’realltoowillingtotradeawayanhourofsleepinthefalsebeliefthatitwillgiveusonemorehourofproductivity.Infact,even very small amounts of sleep deprivation take a significant toll on ourcognitivecapacity.Thenotionthatsomeofuscanperformadequatelywithverylittlesleepislargelyamyth.Lessthan2.5percentofthepopulation—that’soneinfortypeople—feelsfullyrestedwithlessthanseventoeighthoursofsleepanight.

The second key finding is that our bodies follow what are known asultradian rhythms—ninety-minute periods at the end of which we reach thelimitsofourcapacitytoworkatthehighestlevel.It’spossibletopushourselvespastninetyminutesby relyingoncoffee, or sugar, orby summoningourownstresshormones,butwhenwedosowe’reoverridingourphysiologicalneedforintermittentrestandrenewal.Eventually,there’sapricetopay.

AROUTINETHATINCLUDESRENEWALWhatifyoualignedyourworkdayhabitsmorecloselywiththenaturalrhythmsofyourbody—recognizingrenewalasacriticalaspectofbotheffectivenessandsustainabilityinaworldofrisingdemand?

InZeke’scase,thefirstthinghechangedwashissleeproutine.Foryears,he’d been going to sleep sometime after midnight. On reflection, he realizedthere was no good reason for staying up that late. The same was true aboutwaking up at 5:30 a.m.He didn’t have to start his day that early. It was justsomethinghe’dalwaysdone.Instead,Zekebeganwindingdownby11p.m.andturningoffthelightsnolaterthan11:30.Healsobeganwakingupanhourlater,at 6:30 a.m., ensuring that he now gets at least seven hours of sleep a night.Instead of rushing out the door as he had in the past, Zeke sits down forbreakfast with his wife and two daughters. On both counts, he leaves homefeelingbetter.

Zekealsobegan takingabreakof fiveor tenminutes atmid-morning—usually to chat with a colleague about something other than work. Within aweek,henoticedmoreconsistentenergylevelsandmorecapacityforfocusallmorninglong.Healsonoticedhebecamelessreactive.Followinganydifficult

meeting, his inclination had been to fire off an e-mail to an offending party,whichwas almost always negative and ultimately counterproductive.With theadvantageofmorerest,hefoundhecouldholdhisfire.

In addition, Zeke started scheduling thirty minutes in his calendar atlunchtime for a walk outside. He leaves his smartphone at his desk to avoidtemptation.Thewalksgivehimachancetorecharge,butalsoprovideprecioustimetoreflectonthemorning’smeetingsandanythingelseonhismind.

Atfirst,Zekeworriedthatgettingtoworklaterandtakingtimetowalkatlunchwouldmakehimlessproductive.Instead,hefoundhimselfworkingmoreefficientlywhenhereturned,andgettingmoredoneoverthecourseoftheday.

Overtime,Zekealsobeganmakingbetterchoicesaboutwhatworktotakeon.So longashearrivedatworkalreadyfeeling tired,he instinctivelyputhisenergy into executing simple tasks. Doing so allowed him to feel productivewithout having to expend toomuch energy. Itwas the equivalent, he came torecognize,ofasugarhigh.Itwassatisfyingtoaccomplishaseriesofrelativelysimpletasks,butthepleasuredidn’tlastforlong.

Zeke now begins his days by tackling his most important task first. Hefocusesforsixtytoninetyminutesonthechallengehebelieveshasthegreatestlikelihood of adding long-term value. “These are the things that I should bedoingasaleader,”hesays.“Ijustdidn’tgetaroundtothembefore.”

It’snot thatZekehas itall figuredout.Whenhe travels, forexample,hestill sometimes abandons the rituals he’s established at home. Then he has tostruggle to build themback into his routine.What he nowunderstands is thatwhenhebuildsrenewal intohisday—whenheestablishes therightrhythms—everythinginhislifeworksbetter.

TONYSCHWARTZisthepresidentandCEOofTheEnergyProject,acompanythathelpsorganizationsfuelsustainablehighperformancebybettermeetingtheneedsoftheiremployees.Tony’smostrecentbooks,BeExcellentatAnythingandThePowerofFullEngagement(thelatterco-authoredwithJimLoehr),werebothNewYorkTimesbestsellers.

→www.theenergyproject.com

MAKINGROOMFORSOLITUDE

–

LeoBabauta

In1845,HenryDavidThoreausetoutforthewoodsnearWaldenPondtofindsolitude,forhisthoughtsandhiswriting.Hewantedtogetawayfromthebusinessandnoiseofnineteenth-centurycitylife.

Hewrote,“IwenttothewoodsbecauseIwishedtolivedeliberately,tofrontonlytheessentialfactsoflife,andseeifIcouldnotlearnwhatithadtoteach,andnot,whenIcametodie,discoverthatIhadnotlived.”

Hewent, inotherwords, to learnwhat the solitudeof thewoodshad to teachhimaboutliving.

Today,itisessentialthatwefindsolitudesothatwecanlearnwhatithastoteachus,sothatwecanfindthequiettolistentoourinnervoice,andsothatwemayfindthespacetotrulyfocusandcreate.

Evenasmalltimesetasideforsolitudeeachday—fromtwentyminutestoanhour—canmakeanenormousdifference.Herewewillbeabletofindsomequiet calmwhen ourminds are used to jumping around like amonkey in thetrees.Thiscalmingofthemindhelpsustofigureoutwhatreallymattersandtohear own creative voice,which can be drowned out by the cacophony of ourdailytasksandonlineinteractions.

CREATINGTHESPACESetthetimeforyourfirstblockofsolitudenow—andmakeitanessentialpartofyourdailyroutine.

Formanypeople, thebest time for solitude is early in themorning.Thekidsarestillsleepingandeverythingisquiet.Igetmybestworkdonethen,andthegreatthingisthatnothingcomesupthatearlytodisruptyourschedule.

If earlymorning doesn’t work, try doing it as soon as you arrive at theoffice.WhenIworkedinanoffice,I’dgetinahalfhourtoanhourearly,justsoIcouldgetsomequietworkdonebeforetheofficestartedbuzzing.Again,firstthing is great because later, things get busy and start to disrupt your solitudeblock.

Many people can’t create solitude at home or at the office because ofconstant interruptions and requests for their time. In this case it’s best to getawayandgo toacoffeeshop, library,orparkwhereyoucanfindquietand—ideally—aplacewithoutwirelessInternet.

Agreatoptionforthenightowlsamongusistousethelate-nighthoursforsolitude and distraction-free space. If you work best at night, you can findsolitudebyschedulingablockoftimetoworkaloneafterdark.

ASIMPLESOLITUDEPRACTICEMostpeopleareuncomfortablewiththeideaofsolitudebecauseitmeansfacingyourselfwithoutdistractions.Practicecanmakesolitudelessscary,andwillhelpyoubecomecomfortablewiththeprospectoffindingitonaregularbasis.

One amazingway to practice is a simplemeditation session once a day.Meditation doesn’t have to be mystical or complicated: at heart, it’s simplysittinganddoingnothingelseforatleastafewminutes.Agreatplacetobuildthisintoyourdailyroutineisassoonasyouwakeup—getup,drinksomewater,andthensitandmeditateforfive,ten,oreventwentyminutesbeforeyoustartyourday.

Howdoyoumeditate?Findaquietspaceandsit.Stayupright,keepyoureyesopenbutnot focusedon anything inparticular, andbreathe throughyournose. Start by noticing your posture, your body.Then focus your attention onyourbreath,asitcomesinandoutofyourbody.Noticeyourthoughtscomingup, acknowledge them, but don’t engage with them. Always return yourattentiontoyourbreath.Keepdoingthisforatleastafewminutes,andyou’re

done.What’sthepointofsitting?Thereisnopoint—sittingisthepoint.You’re

notdoingittoreducestress,gainenlightenment,orlearnmoreaboutyourself—thoughall these thingsmighthappen—but topractice just sitting. Indoingso,youarepracticingbeingalone,anddoingnothingbutwhatyou’redoing.Thisisessential.

Atfirstmeditationwillbeuncomfortable,butyou’llgetbetteratit.You’lllearn a lot about yourself, and you’ll get better at being mindful, and beingcomfortableinsolitude.

You’llalsolearntowatchyourthoughtsandnotbecontrolledbythem.Asyoudo,you’llhavelearnedakeyskillforfocus:howtonoticetheurgetoswitchtasksandnotactonthaturge,butjustreturnyourattentiontothetaskathand.Thisiswhatyoulearninsolitude,anditiseverything.

LEOBABAUTAisasimplicitybloggerandauthor.HecreatedZenHabits,atopblog;mnmlist.com;andthebestsellingbooksFocus,ThePowerofLess,andTheEffortlessLife.

→www.zenhabits.net

KEYTAKEAWAYS–

BuildingaRock-SolidRoutine

GREATWORKBEFOREEVERYTHINGELSEDoyourmostmeaningfulcreativeworkat thebeginningofyourday,andleave “reactivework”—like responding to e-mail or othermessages—forlater.JUMP-STARTYOURCREATIVITYEstablish “associative triggers”—such as listening to the same music orarrangingyourdesk inacertainway—that tellyourmind it’s time togetdowntowork.FEELTHEFREQUENCYCommit toworkingonyour project at consistent intervals—ideally everyday—tobuildcreativemuscleandmomentumovertime.PULSEANDPAUSEMove rhythmically between spending and renewing your energy byworkinginninety-minuteburstsandthentakingabreak.GETLONELYMakeapointofspendingsometimealoneeachday.It’sawaytoobserveunproductivehabitsandthoughtprocesses,andtocalmyourmind.DON’TWAITFORMOODSShowup,whetheryoufeelinspiredornot.

Getmoreinsightsandthedesktopwallpaperat:→www.99u.com/routines

In1971,renownedsocialscientistHerbertSimonobserved,“Whatinformationconsumesisratherobvious:itconsumestheattentionofitsrecipients.Henceawealthofinformationcreatesapovertyofattention.”

InthedecadessinceSimon’svisionarystatement,theamountofinformationthatwe’reconfrontedwithonadailybasishasgrownexponentially.Open-planofficeshavebroughtthebuzzofotherpeople’sactivitiesintoourworkspaces.TheInternethasprovidedaninfinitesourceofdistractionrightinsideourprimaryworkstation—thecomputer.Andsmartphoneshavemadetheallureofnewinformationavailableanytime,anywhere.

Amidthisconstantsurgeofinformation,attentionhasbecomeourmostpreciousasset.Tospenditwisely,wemustdevelopabetterunderstandingofhowtemptationworksonourbrains,cultivatenewstrategiesforenhancingourself-control,andcarveouttimetotrulyfocusonbig,creativetasks.

Inaworldfilledwithdistraction,attentionisourcompetitiveadvantage.Lookateachdayasachallenge—andanopportunity—tokeepyoureyeontheprize.

SCHEDULINGINTIMEFORCREATIVETHINKING

–

CalNewport

Sinceyesterday,I’vereceivedeighty-sixe-mailmessages,manyofwhichrequireatime-consumingresponse.Onlyfourofthesemessagesdirectlyconcerntheprimaryresponsibilityofmyjobasauniversityprofessor:publishingbignewideas.

Thisdisparityisastonishing.AndI’mnotaloneinmyexperience.Increasingly,creativeminds are torn in two opposing directions.We’re asked to apply ourintellectual capital to solve hard problems—a creative goal that requiresuninterruptedfocus.Atthesametime,we’reaskedtobeconstantlyavailablebye-mail and messenger and in meetings—an administrative goal that createsconstantdistraction.We’rebeingasked,inotherwords,tosimultaneouslyresistandembracedistractiontoadvanceinourcareers—atroublingparadox.

Ibelievethatthisphenomenonhasalottodowiththelackofclearmetricsintheknowledgeworksector.Considertheexampleofacomputerprogrammerbeingbombardedwith“urgent”e-mailmessagesfromamanager.Theobligationof the programmer to constantly monitor his inbox undoubtedly reduces theamountandqualityofcodeheproduces,whichinturnreducesthevaluebeinggeneratedbythecompany.Butthisvalueisambiguousandishardtomeasureprecisely. The manager, therefore, is unlikely to be reprimanded for hisdistractinge-mails,asthereisnoclearevidenceoftheirdamage.

Inabusinessenvironment,peoplewillresorttowhatevermakestheirlifeeasier—like firing off e-mails to subordinates at the drop of a hat—untilsomeonehigherupdemandsthataparticularbehaviorstops.It’shard,however,

forsomeonehigheruptomakesuchademandwithoutclearevidenceofexactlyhowmuchthebehavioriscostingtheorganization.Becauseofthislackofclearmetrics,we’ve sunk into aproductivitymorass,where the focus in adopting anewadministrativepractice isonshort-termconveniencerather thanlong-termvalue.

In 2009, the literary critic John Freemanwrote a provocative book,TheTyranny of E-mail, proposing that this communication technology has causedmore harm than good. The review of Freeman’s book in theNew York Timescapturesthestandarddismissalofsuchcritiques:

“ByJohnFreeman’slights,[thefactthatIsendgroupe-mails]makesmeabadguy,” the reviewerwrote.He thenpoints to a specific e-mail, and replies:“Andtheproblemis?InthiscaseIaskedaquestionandgothelpfulresponses.”2

Inotherwords,thereviewerrejectsFreeman’sargumentthatgroupe-mailsconsume a disproportionate amount of our time by countering that he hadrecentlysentsuchane-mailandhadreceivedusefulrepliesinreturn.Thisistheessenceof our convenience addiction: becausewe lack clearmetrics for thesebehaviors’ costs,we cannotweigh their pros against their cons.Therefore, theevidenceofanybenefitisenoughtojustifycontinueduse.Thoughgroupe-mailsmight be costing a company thousands ofman-hours of value-producing deepthought, thismind-setargues,ifsuche-mailsoccasionallymakeanemployee’slifeeasier,theyshouldbeallowedtocontinue.

Now that we better understand how we ended up in our current productivityparadox,we’relefttoconsidersolutions.Inthelongrun,wecanhopetoreformour administrative practices, keeping only what maximizes our ability to domeaningful work. But we shouldn’t expect such a major transformation tohappen anytime soon.We are left then to consider individual habits that willpreserveourabilitytoapplyundistractedfocustovaluableproblemswhilestillmakingusavailableenoughthatwedonotannoyourcoworkers.

ThisisaproblemI’vestudiedandwrittenaboutforyears.I’veseenmanydifferent proposals for how to preserve focusedwork in a hectic schedule.Ofthese many proposed tactics, one stands out, in my experience, as beingunusuallyeffective.Icall this thefocusblockmethod,anditworks, ironically,byturningthemachineryofthedistractioncultureagainstitself.

THEPOWEROFDAILYFOCUSBLOCKSThe focus block method leverages the well-understood concept of a pre-scheduled appointment. It hasyoublockoff a substantial chunkof time,mostdaysof theweek,forapplyingsustainedfocustoyourmost importantcreativetasks.Thisschedulingusuallyhappensatthebeginningofanewweekorattheend of the previous week. The key twist is that you mark this time on yourcalendarlikeanyothermeeting.Thisisespeciallyimportantifyourorganizationusesasharedcalendarsystem.

Now,whensomeone tries to schedule somethingduring these times,youcandefertoyourexisting,clearlymarkedobligation:“Sorry,I’malreadybookedfrom nine to twelve that day.” Similarly, if someone complains that youwereslow to respond toane-mail,ordidn’tpickup thephone,youhavea sociallyacceptable excuse: “I was booked all morning and am just seeing this now.”Peopleareusedtotheideathattheycannotdemandyourattentionduringtimeswhen you already have a scheduled appointment. The focus block techniquetakes advantage of this understanding to buy you some time for undistractedfocuswithouttheneedforexcessiveapologyorexplanation.

Blockingofftimeforuninterruptedfocus,however,isonlyhalfthebattle.Theotherhalfisresistingdistraction.Thismeans:noe-mail,noInternet,andnophone.This sounds easy in theory, but canbe surprisinglyhard to embrace inpractice. If you’ve been immersed in distraction for years, you need to trainyourselfbeforeyoucanworkforlongperiodswithoutit.Afewtipscanhelpyouinthiseffort:

Startwithsmallblocksoffocusedtimeandthengraduallyworkyourselfuptolongerdurations.Agoodruleof thumbis tobeginwithanhourata time,thenaddfifteenminutestoeachsessioneverytwoweeks.Thekey,however,istoneverallowdistraction.IfyougiveinandquicklycheckFacebook,cancelthewholeblockandtryagainlater.Yourmindcannevercometobelievethatevenalittlebitofdistractionisokayduringtheseblocks.

Tackleaclearlyidentifiedandisolatedtask.Ifyouhavetowriteanarticle,forexample,dotheresearchaheadoftime,sothatwhenyougettoyourfocusblockyou can put your word processor in fullscreen mode and turn your entireattentiontoyourprose.

Considerusingadifferentlocationfortheseblocks.Movetoadifferentroom,oralibrary,orevenaquietplaceoutsidetoperformyourfocusedwork.Whenpossible,doyourworkwithpenandpapertoavoideventhepossibilityofonlinedistraction.

The battle between focus and distraction is a serious problem—both to thecompetitivenessofourcompaniesand toourownsanity.Theamountofvaluelost to unchecked use of convenient but distractingwork habits is staggering.Thefocusblockmethoddescribedabovedoesnotfixthisproblem,but itdoesgiveyouawaytopushbackagainstitsworstexcesses,systematicallyproducingimportantcreativeworkevenwhenyourenvironmentseemsdesignedtothwartthisgoal.

CALNEWPORTisawriterandaprofessoratGeorgetownUniversity.Hismostrecentbook,SoGoodTheyCan’tIgnoreYou,arguesthat“followyourpassion”isbadadvice.FindoutmoreaboutCalandhiswritingathisblog,StudyHacks.

→calnewport.com/blog

BANISHINGMULTITASKINGFROMOURREPERTOIRE

–

ChristianJarrett

AuthorJonathanFranzentakesthetemptationofmultitaskingsoseriouslythat,towritehisbestsellingnovelFreedom,helockedhimselfawayinasparselyfurnishedoffice.AshetoldTimemagazine,hewentsofarastostriphisvintagelaptopofitswirelesscardandsurgicallydestroyitsEthernetportwithsuperglueandasaw.Hethenestablishedacocoon-likeenvironmentwithearplugsandnoise-cancellingheadphones.

Alittleextreme,perhaps,butFranzendemonstratedshrewdinsight intohumanfallibility.Creativemindsarehighlysusceptibletodistraction,andournewfoundconnectivityposesapowerfultemptationforallofustodriftofffocus.

THEMULTITASKINGMYTHStudies show that the humanmind can only trulymultitaskwhen it comes tohighly automatic behaviors like walking. For activities that require consciousattention,thereisreallynosuchthingasmultitasking,onlytaskswitching—theprocessof flicking themindback and forthbetweendifferentdemands. It canfeelasthoughwe’resuper-efficientlydoingtwoormorethingsatonce.Butinfactwe’rejustdoingonething,thenanother,thenbackagain,withsignificantlylessskillandaccuracythanifwehadsimplyfocusedononejobatatime.

Taketheexampleofreading.Whereoncewemighthavespentafewhours

withabookandthensoughtoutsocialcontact,toolslikeInstantMessengerofferthetantalizingpossibilityofdoingbothatonce.Thereality?LauraBowmanandher teamatCentralConnecticutStateUniversity found that studentsusing IMwhilereadingatextbooktookabout25percentlongertoreadthepassage(notincluding the time spent on IM), compared with students who simply read.3Whateverthespecificarrangement,whetherit’sreadingplusIMorwritingplusTV, the end result is the same—performance quality suffers and all activitiestakelongertodothantheywouldhaveifasingletaskhadbeenthesolefocus.

BACKGROUNDDISTRACTIONSOfcourse,double-taskingisn’touronlyaffliction.Perhapsevenmoreinsidiousisourhabitofsuperficiallycommittingtofocusedworkwhileleavinge-mailorsocialmediasitesopeninthebackground.Allittakesisawhistlefromoneoftheseappsofferingthethrillofanunexpectedcommunication,andbam,we’reoffcourse.

But we don’t just lose the time spent answering a message when thishappens;wealsostruggletorediscoverthe“flow”wewereenjoyingbeforeweweredisturbed.Adramaticdemonstrationof thisappeared inanexperiment intheofficesofMicrosoft,wheretheworkingpatternsoftwenty-sevenemployeeswere monitored over a two-week period. Not only did replying to messagesdivertworkersforanaverageoftenminutes,theyalsotendedtousethebreakasachancetocyclethrougharangeofotherapplications,meaninganothertenorfifteenminuteswent by on average before they finally resumed their primarytask.Sometimesthediversionlastedhours.4

Wemaytellourselvesthatwe’lljustansweronequicke-mailormakeoneshort phone call. But in reality, switching tasks sends us down a rabbit hole,pulling our attention away from our priority work for much longer than weanticipate.

Even if you have cast-iron willpower, the mere fact that the Internet islyinginwaitonyourcomputertakesatollonyourworkperformance.Theveryact of resisting temptations eats up concentration and leaves you mentallydepleted. Psychologists demonstrated this in a 2011 study. Participants at theUniversity of Copenhagen were told to perform a computer task. Afterward,someofthemwereallowedtowatchafunnyvideo,whiletheotherswerefacedwithaplaybuttonforthevideo,buthadtoresistpressingit(akintoatempting

YouTube clip on your computer). When confronted with an additional taskafterward, thosewho had to resist the video performedworse than thosewhowereallowedtowatchit.5

Inshort,committingtoignoredistractionsisrarelyenough.LikeFranzen,wemuststrive to remove thementirely fromour fieldofattention.Otherwise,we’llendupusinghalfourmentalenergyjustkeepingourselvesfrombreakingourownrules.

THEHANGOVEREFFECTNo matter how much we think we’re in control, our brains have their ownagenda.Let’ssayyou’reworkingonawritingprojectinthemorningand—forthe sake of variety—you decide to leave it unfinished andwork on a creativebrief in the afternoon. This may seem like a harmless change of pace, butresearchhasshownthat theunfinishedmorningtaskcouldlingerinyourmindlikeamentalitch,adverselyaffectingyourperformancelateron—aneffectthatpsychologistscall“attentionalresidue”.

One study that demonstrated this involved participants completing twodifferent assignments: a word puzzle first, and then a completely separaterecruitmenttaskthatinvolvedlookingatrésumés.Onceparticipantshadbegunreviewingtherésumés—that is,once theyhadmentallyswitchedonto thenewtask—researcher Sophie Leroy surprised them with a challenge that involvedjudgingwhetherstringsofletterswererealwordsornot.

Participantswhohadn’tbeenallowed to finish thepuzzle task respondedmore quickly towords that had been featured in it, or that reflected its goals(e.g.,“solve”).Because theyhadn’t finished that first task, itwasstillnigglingaway in theirminds.Not surprisingly,Leroy found this hangover effect had adetrimental effect on participants’ performance on the résumé task comparedwithparticipantswhohadbeenallowedtofinishtheinitialwordpuzzle.6

Whileitfeelseasyenoughtoputonetaskonholdtostartanother,studieslike this are a reminder that we find it very difficult to let go of unfinishedchallenges.Theycontinuetodrawonourmentalresourcesevenafterwethinkwe’veswitchedfocus.What’smore,attemptingtoignorethismentaltugdrainsusevenfurther.

Ifyoucan, it’sbest to findagoodstoppingpointonaproject—one thatfrees your mind from nagging questions—before moving on to another task.

That way, you’ll find it easier to achieve mental closure and apply all yourenergytothenextchallenge.

Of course, there are times in the creative processwhen it does pay to switchthings up.When you’re at the problem-solving stage or you need to generatenewideas,psychologistshaveshownthattakingyourmindoff-taskbrieflycanhelpyoursubconsciousfindlinksbetweendisparateconcepts.

But this is an exception to the general rule that multitasking is aproductivitydragmasqueradingasanefficiencybooster.Onceyou’vecookedupyourideasandidentifiedthewayforward,it’stimeforthereallaboroflove.Forthat,youneedsingle-mindedfocus.

DR.CHRISTIANJARRETTisapsychologistandauthorofTheRoughGuidetoPsychology.HewritestheResearchDigestblogfortheBritishPsychologicalSocietyandisstaffwriteronitshousemagazine,ThePsychologist.

→www.psychologywriter.org.uk

Q&A:

UNDERSTANDINGOURCOMPULSIONS

–

withDanAriely

DanArielyisfascinatedbytheirrational.Aleadingbehavioraleconomist,professor,andbestsellingauthor,Arielyresearchestopicssuchaswhywemakepoordecisions,whywecheat,andwhywelie—evenwhenit’snotnecessarilyinourbestinterest.HeisalsothefounderanddirectorofthecheekilynamedCenterforAdvancedHindsight.Wetalkedtohimaboutthesciencebehindtheirrationalurgesthatdriveustofritterawayourmostvaluabletimeatwork—andhowwecanfightback.

Inyourresearch,youexplorewhywemakebaddecisions—oftenunintentionally.Canyoutalkabouthowthisimpactsusintheworkplace?

First,peoplehaveareallybadhabitofcominginandcheckinge-mailfirstthinginthemorning.Andformanypeople,themorningisthemostproductivetime.E-mail is very, very tempting, so theybasically sacrifice their productive timefore-mail.

Thesecondissueisthatindoingthings,weliketofeelthatwe’remakingprogress.Soifyouget toerase tene-mailsfromyour inbox,youfeel likeyouhaveachievedsomething.But ifyou thinkcarefullyabout it, it’snotclear thatyou’regoingtogetsomethingoutofit.

The next thing working against us is the calendar. It has a tendency torepresent tasks that can fit in thirty-minuteorone-hourblocks.And tasks thattake, say, fifty hours—which could be how long it takes you to complete ameaningfulcreativetask—don’tnaturallygetrepresentedinthatcalendar.

Thenthere’sopportunitycost.Withmoney,opportunitycostisthefactthatevery timeyou spend three dollars on a latte, you’re not going to spend it onsomethingelse.Withtime,thereisalsoanopportunitycost—butit’softenevenhardertounderstand.

Everytimeyou’redoingsomething,you’renotdoingsomethingelse.Butyoudon’treallyseewhatitisthatyou’regivingup.Especiallywhenitcomesto,let’ssay,e-mailversusdoingsomethingthattakesfiftyhours.Itisveryeasyforyoutoseethee-mail.Itisnotthateasyforyoutoseethethingthattakesfiftyhours.

Whyise-mailsuchagreattemptationsystem?

ThepsychologistB.F.Skinnercameupwiththeideaofrandomreinforcement,whereyougivearataleverandeveryhundredtimesitpressesthelever,itgetsapieceoffood.Fortherat,thatisexciting.Butifthenumberisarandomnumber—anynumber between one and one hundred—it actually ends up beingmoreexciting.Andtheratkeepsonworkingmuch,muchmore,evenifyoutaketherewardawayaltogether.

I think that e-mail and social networks are a great example of randomreinforcement.Usually,whenwepullthelevertocheckoure-mail,it’snotthatinteresting. But, from time to time, it’s exciting. And that excitement, whichhappensatrandomintervals,keepsuscomingbacktocheckoure-mailall thetime.

Another thing to understand is the notion of choice architecture, whichmeansthattheenvironmentinwhichwemakedecisionstendstohavealottodowithwhatourfinaldecisionsare.Soifyou’reinlineatthebuffet,thewaythe

food is organized—whether the fresh fruit and salad is easily accessible ortuckedinthebackbehindmoretemptingoptions—willdeterminewhatyouendupeating.

If you think about it, the world around us, including the world in ourcomputers,isallabouttryingtotemptustodothingsrightnow.TakeFacebook,forexample.Dotheywantyoutobemoreproductivetwentyyearsfromnow?Ordo theywant to takeyour time,attention,andmoneyrightnow?ThesamethinggoesforYouTube,onlinenewspapers,andsoon.

Thebasiccombinationof thesethreethings:(1) that theworldaroundustries to tempt us; (2) that we listen to the world around us (e.g., choicearchitecture);and(3)thatwedon’tdealverywellwithtemptation…ifyouputallofthosethingstogether,youhavearecipefordisaster.

Sowhatdowedo?

Ithinkthegeneralnotionisthat,whentemptationhits,it’sgoingtobeincrediblyhard for us to resist. So if your e-mail is running and it is telling you that amessageiswaitingforyou,that’sgoingtobeveryhardtoresist.Inyourmind,you’llkeepthinkingaboutwhatexcitingthingsarewaitingforyou.Now,ifyouneveropenedyoure-mail,youwoulddomuchbetter.

ItwouldprobablybebestifmanagerswenttotheITdepartmentandaskedthate-mailnotbedistributedbetweeneightandeleveneverymorning.Theideathatthebestwaytocommunicatewithpeopleis24/7isnotreallyanideaaboutmaximizingproductivity.

Doyouthinkourabilitytoexerciseself-control—toresisttemptation—islimited?

Self-controlhas twoelements.Thereareself-controlproblemsandself-controlsolutions.Self-controlproblemsareallabout“nowversuslater.”

There was a study by Ralph Keeney showing that if you estimate what

percentageofhumanmortalitycomesfrombaddecision-makingitwillbeabout10percent forpeopleahundredyearsago. Ifyou lookat it thesedays, it is alittlebitmorethan40percent.Why?Becauseasweinventnewtechnologies,wealso invent new ways to kill ourselves. Think about obesity. Think aboutsmoking.Thinkabouttextinganddriving.Allofthoseareself-controlproblems.

Self-controlsolutionsareallthethingswetryinordertogetourselvestobehavebetter.Wethinkthat ifwepayalotofmoneytojointhegym,wewillfeelguiltyandwewillkeepgoing. It turnsout thatguiltdoeswork—butonlyshort-term. Eventually, the guilt goes away. We buy hundred-calorie cookiepacks.Becausewethinkthatifit’sjustasmallpack,wewilleatfewercookies,andsoon.

Then finally, there is ego depletion, which deals with what happensthroughoutthedayasweresisttemptationoverandover.Theresultsshowthatittakesenergytoresisteachtemptation,andthatasweusemoreandmoreofthisenergyasthedaygoeson,wehavelessandlessofit left,whichincreasesthechancesthatwewillgiveintotemptation.

Whatshouldwefocusontohelpusmanageourtimebetter?

I thinkoneof thebiggest factors isprogressionmarkers.Formany things, it’shard to figure out how much progress you’re making. When you answer athousand e-mails, you see every e-mail you answer. When you are thinkingaboutadifficultproblem,itfeelslikemaybetherewerethirtywastedhoursandthen finally you had a half hour at the end thatwas useful—because the ideakindofcametoyou.

Thereisn’talinearprogressionandasenseofprogress.SoIthinkthebigquestion is: how do we make ourselves feel like we’re making progress?Becauseifyoucancreatethatprogress,Ithinkmanyoftheotherthingswouldbecomesmallerbarriers.

Ifyou’reworkingwithapen,youhaveevidenceofall the thingsyou’vedone.Youcanseeyourpath.Butifyouworkonacomputer,it’sjustthecurrentstateofthework—youdon’thavethepreviousversions.

If that’s the case, you could think about some tricks to remind yourselfabout your progress.Maybewe should keep a diary?Maybewe should keep

older versions of our efforts?Maybe every day wemake a new version of adocument we are working on so that we can keep a visible record of ourprogress?

DANARIELY,JamesB.DukeProfessorofPsychologyandBehavioralEconomicsatDukeUniversity,isdedicatedtohelpingpeoplelivemoresensible—ifnotmorerational—lives.HeisafoundingmemberoftheCenterforAdvancedHindsightandauthoroftheNewYorkTimesbestsellersPredictablyIrrational,TheUpsideofIrrationality,andTheHonestTruthAboutDishonesty.

→www.danariely.com

LEARNINGTOCREATEAMIDSTCHAOS

–

ErinRooneyDoland

LeighMichaels,prolificauthorofmorethaneightyromancenovels,oncesaidthat“waitingforinspirationtowriteislikestandingattheairportwaitingforatrain.”Conditionstoproduceone’scraftarerarelyideal,andwaitingforeverythingtobeperfectisalmostalwaysanexerciseinprocrastination.

Most celebrated creativeminds don’t havewealthy patronswho support theirlivesandproclivitiesregardlessofwhattheyproduce.Musicianshavedayjobs,poetsarealsoprofessors,andfeaturefilmmakersshootcommercialsontheside.Like it or not, we are constantly forced to juggle tasks and battle unwanteddistractions—to truly set ourselves apart, wemust learn to be creative amidstchaos.

POSITIVEDISTRACTIONNegativedistractionsthatinterferewithcreativeworkcancomeinmanyforms:thetelevisionset,undonechores,socialmedia,e-mail,coworkerswhowant togossip, anxieties, self-doubt.Removing oneself from all of this interference istheoretically possible—theYaddo colony has certainly served as a temporary,interruption-free retreat for hundreds of the great artists—but is unfeasible formostofus.Beyondthis,abandoningone’sresponsibilitiesathomeandtheofficewhile taking up residence at an artists’ retreat is impractical and potentially

irresponsible. Plus, there is that pesky truth that anxieties and self-doubt canmultiplywhenfedwithsilenceandanabundanceoftime.

ResearchersatStanfordUniversitydiscoveredinthe1970sthatoneofthebest ways to combat negative distractions is simply to embrace positivedistractions.Inshort,wecanfightbaddistractionswithgooddistractions.

In the Stanford study,7 children were given an option to eat onemarshmallowrightaway,orwaitafewminutesandreceivetwomarshmallows.The children who were able to delay their gratification employed positivedistraction techniques to be successful. Some children sang; others kicked thetable;theysimplydidwhatevertheyneededtodotogettheirmindsfocusedonsomethingotherthanthemarshmallows.

Therearemanywaystousepositivedistractiontechniquesformorethanjust resistingmarshmallows.Seta timerandrace theclock tocompletea task.Tieunrelatedrewardstoaccomplishments—getadrinkfromthebreakroomorlogontosocialmediaforthreeminutesafterreachingamilestone.Writedownevery invading and negatively distracting thought and schedule a ten-minutereviewsessionlaterinthedaytofocusontheseanxietiesandlaythemtorest.

SELF-CONTROLStill, it takes a significant amount of self-control to work in a chaoticenvironment. Ignoring negative distractions to focus on preferred activitiesrequires energy andmental agility. For his bookWillpower, psychologist RoyBaumeisteranalyzed findings fromhundredsofexperiments todeterminewhysomepeoplecan retain focus forhours,whileotherscan’t.Hediscovered thatself-control is not genetic or fixed, but rather a skill one can develop andimprovewithpractice.8

Baumeister suggests many strategies for increasing self-control. One ofthese strategies is to develop a seemingly unrelated habit, such as improvingyourpostureorsaying“yes”insteadof“yeah”orflossingyourteetheverynightbefore bed. This can strengthen your willpower in other areas of your life.Additionally, once the new habit is ingrained and can be completed withoutmuch effort or thought, that energy can then be turned to other activitiesrequiringmoreself-control.Tasksdoneonautopilotdon’tuseupourstockpileofenergyliketasksthathavetobeconsciouslycompleted.

Entertaining activities, such as playing strategic games that require

concentrationandhave rules thatchangeas thegameadvances,or listening toaudiobooksthatrequireattentiontofollowalongwiththeplot,canalsobeusedtoincreaseattention.Evensimplebehaviorslikeregularlygettingagoodnight’ssleepareshowntoimprovefocusandself-control.

MINDFULVS.MINDLESSWORKAs much as we cultivate it, however, self-control is still finite—so we mustcombinethisapproachwithotherstrategies.TworesearchersattheUniversityofCalifornia,Davis,Drs.KimberlyElsbachandAndrewHargadon,discoveredthatcreativity and efficiency can be enhanced over the course of aworkdaywhenworkers alternate between mindful and mindless activities. To relate it tophysical exercise, the human mind is better suited for running sprints thanmarathons.

Their report in the journalOrganizationScience identifiedactivities suchas “simple manufacturing line tasks (e.g., filling supply bins), makingphotocopies, simple cleaning chores (e.g., cleaning laboratory equipment),performing simple maintenance tasks, sorting or collating tasks, and simpleservice tasks (e.g., unpacking and stocking supplies)” as “mindless” work.Conversely,thecoretasksofproblem-solvingandinventionthatrelatetoone’sjoborcreativepursuitsare“mindful.”Shiftingfrommindful tomindlessworkgives the brain time to process complex problems in a relaxed state and alsorestorestheenergynecessaryforthenextroundofmindfulwork.9

Every person has a different length of time he or she can work beforeproductivity and efficiency begin to decline—and this length of time can alsoshiftoverthecourseofaday.Keepingtrackofwhenenergylevelsriseandfallwill help determine a schedule for alternating between mindful and mindlessactivities.Oncetheseebbsandflowsaredetermined,atimercanbeusedtokeeptrackof,anddirect,theseshiftstohelppreventexhaustionandtime-wasting.

Givenallthistalkoftrackingandtraining,itmightsoundlikeyouneedtobeascientistoranathletetotrulyexcelatmakinggreatcreativework.Andinasenseyoudo:anykindofexcellenceultimatelyrequiresobservation,refinement,adaptation, and endurance. Just listen to acclaimed writer Haruki Murakamiexplainingtheself-controlhemustputforthtocompletehiswork:

WhenI’minwritingmodeforanovel,Igetupatfoura.m.andworkforfivetosixhours.Intheafternoon,Irunfortenkilometersorswimforfifteen-hundredmeters(ordoboth),thenIreadabitandlistentosomemusic.Igotobedatninep.m.Ikeeptothisroutineeverydaywithoutvariation.Therepetitionitselfbecomestheimportantthing;it’saformofmesmerism.Imesmerizemyselftoreachadeeperstateofmind.Buttoholdtosuchrepetitionforsolong—sixmonthstoayear—requiresagoodamountofmentalandphysicalstrength.Inthatsense,writingalongnovelislikesurvivaltraining.Physicalstrengthisasnecessaryasartisticsensitivity.10

Just as a basketball playermaking a free throwon a rival team’s court has totrainhisbodytoperformdespitethescreamingcrowd,creativemindsmustlearntotraintheirattentionandmarshaltheircreativeenergiesunderthemostchaoticcircumstances.

ERINROONEYDOLANDiseditor-in-chiefofUnclutterer.com,awebsiteprovidingdailyarticlesonhomeandofficeorganization,andauthorofthebookUnclutterYourLifeinOneWeek.Sheisawriter,productivityconsultant,andlecturer.Writingandsimplelivingaretwoofhergreatestpassions.

→www.unclutterer.com

TUNINGINTOYOU

–

ScottBelsky

What’sthefirstthingyoudowhenyougetoutofameetingoraclass?Whenyou’rewalkingbetweenconferencerooms?Whenyou’rewaitinginline?Thesein-betweenmomentsusedtobeopportunitiestopauseandreflect.Now,weeagerlyjumpintothecommunicationstream,tuningintotheworldinsteadoftuningintoourselves.

Werarely—ifever—thinkaboutthecostofdoingthis.Sowhatifyoutakeafewminutestocheckyourtextmessages?Youcanpassthetimebyflippingthroughyour phone, or by taking a moment to look around and think, right? Whatdifferencedoesitmake?

Diving into my device engages me. Whether I’m communicating withothers or checking website stats, it’s an intentional activity that will have aspecific, often gratifying, outcome. By contrast, doing nothing during thesemomentsofdowntime feels less intentional. It’sanunfocusedactivitywithnoclearoutcome—Iamjustbeingpresentinthemoment,withmyeyesandmindwideopen.

I would argue that taking time to experience the flip side of connected,intentional activity—to disengage from the stream and truly be present in thenow—iscrucialtothewell-beingandperformanceofcreativeminds.Considerit“fillingthewell,”aspoetandartistJuliaCamerononceputit.Whenweturnoffonetypeofstimuli,weunleashanother.

RENEWYOURINTERESTINYOURSELFManyyearsago,whilestillinschool,IspentasemesterinVermontataprogramcalled the Mountain School. As part of the experience there, every studentcompletesa three-daysolo journey in thewilderness.TheyprovideyouwithatarpandothernecessitiesandthensendyouofftohiketoacampingspotintheGreenMountains.Justafewrules:nomusic,noelectronics,andnocompany.

Itshouldcomeasnosurprisethatmyfirstdayalonewasextremelyboring.Ihadnoonetotalkto,nothingtoreadorwatch.Ijustsatthere,mindblank.Theconstant external stimulation I had been depending on my entire life hadsuddenlyceased.Myminddidn’tknowwhattodowithitself.

On the second day, however, something changed. My brain suddenlyreactivated. I became truly aware of my surroundings: The quiet of an earlyAprilsnowfall.Thegrandeurofcentury-oldtrees.Thehoursflewpast.

What I learned during my solo experience was that my thinking—mycreativity and imagination—reached a new velocity as soon as I unplugged.Whenyoutuneintothemoment,youbegintorecognizetheworldaroundyouandthetruepotentialofyourownmind.

PRESERVEUNSTRUCTUREDTIMEThere’snoexecutiveinthedigitalerabetterknownforlong-termplanningthanJeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon. In the early days of the company,whenfuture-thinkingwasperhapsmostimportant,Bezoswouldtrytokeephisschedule completely open on Mondays and Thursdays. Rather than playingcatch-uportakingonatypicalCEOscheduleofback-to-backmeetings,Bezospreservedagoodchunkofhisweeklytimejusttoexplore,learn,andthink.Hewould poke around the various Amazon sites and spend time on the stuff hewouldordinarilynevergettodo.

As Bezos explained in aWIRED profile, “I wander around and talk topeople or set up my own meetings—ones that are not part of the regularcalendar.”11Settingasidethisunstructuredtimetofullyinvestininhabitingthepresent moment—to take the tenor of his team or fully dive into his ownthoughts—has no doubt served Bezos well in honing Amazon’s long-termvision.

Mostofusfindverylittle timetocasuallyexplore,followourwhims,or

think big, but this capacity is a major competitive advantage in the era ofconstantconnectivity.Maybewecan’tcarveoutwholedays forourselves likeBezosdid,butpreservingpocketsoftimetounplug—perhapsacoupleofhoursinthemorningafewdaysaweek—canbetransformative.

OPENYOURSELFTOSERENDIPITYChance encounters can also provide enormous benefits for your projects—andyourlife.Beingfriendlywhilestandinginlineforcoffeeataconferencemightleadtoaconversation,abusinesscardexchange,andthefirstinvestmentinyourcompany a fewmonths later. The person sitting next to you at a concertwhochatsyouupduringintermissionmightendupbecomingyourlargestcustomer.Or, twostrangers sitting inanail salonexchangingstoriesabout their familiesmight leadtoablinddate,whichmight leadtoamarriage.(This ishowImetmywife.Luckyforme,neitherstrangerhadasmartphone,so they resorted tomatchmaking.)

I am consistently humbled and amazed by just how much creation andrealization is the product of serendipity.Of course, these chance opportunitiesmustbenoticedandpursuedforthemtohaveanyvalue.Itmakesyouwonderhowmuchweregularlymiss.Aswetuneintoourdevicesduringeverymomentoftransition,wearelettingtheincrediblepotentialofserendipitypassusby.

The greatest value of any experience is often found in its seams. Theprimary benefits of a conference often have nothing to dowithwhat happensonstage. The true reward of a trip to the nail salon may be more than themanicure.

Whenyouvaluethepowerofserendipity,youstartnoticingitatworkrightaway.Tryleavingthesmartphoneinyourpocketthenexttimeyou’reinlineorin a crowd. Notice one source of unexpected value on every such occasion.Developthedisciplinetoallowforserendipity.

PRIORITIZEBEINGPRESENTToday’s challenge is to keep your focus and preserve the sanctity of mindrequiredtocreate,andtoultimatelymakeanimpactinwhatmattersmosttoyou.This can only happen when you capitalize on the here and now. To do this,

alternateperiodsofconnectednesswithperiodsoftrulybeingpresent:

Beawareofthecostofconstantconnection.Ifyourfocusisalwaysonothers—andquenchingyourappetiteforinformationandexternalvalidation—youwillmissoutontheopportunitytominethepotentialofyourownmind.

Recognizewhenyou’re tuning in to the streamfor thewrongreasons.Weoftenlooktoourdevicesforasenseofreassurance.Becomemoreawareoftheinsecuritythatpullsyouawayfromthepresent.Youcannotimaginewhatwillbeifyouareconstantlyconcernedwithwhatalreadyis.

Createwindows of non-stimulation in yourday.Make this time sacred anduseittofocusonaseparatelistoftwoorthreethingsthatareimportanttoyouoverthelongterm.Usethistimetothink,todigestwhatyou’velearned,andtoplan.

Listentoyourgutasmuchasyoulistentoothers.Withallthenewsourcesofcommunicationandamplification,don’tletyourselfbepersuadedbythevolumeofthemasses.Nothingshouldresonatemoreloudlythanyourownintuition.

Stayopentothepossibilitiesofserendipity.Themostimportantconnections—whether with people, ideas, or mistakes that lead to key realizations—oftenspring from unexpected circumstances. By being fully presentwhere you are,youletchance(andthecuriousuniversewelivein)workitsmagic.

You are the steward of your own potential. The resources within you—andaroundyou—areonlytappedwhenyourecognizetheirvalueanddevelopwaystouse them.Whatever the futureof technologymayhold, thegreatest leaderswill be thosemost capable of tuning in to themselves and harnessing the fullpoweroftheirownminds.

SCOTTBELSKYisAdobe’sVicePresidentofCommunityandCo-Founder&HeadofBehance,theleadingonlineplatformforcreativestoshowcaseanddiscovercreativework.Scotthasbeencalledoneofthe“100MostCreativePeopleinBusiness”byFastCompany,andistheauthoroftheinternationalbestsellingbook,MakingIdeasHappen.HeisalsoaninvestorandadvisorforseveralcompaniesincludingPinterestandUber.

→www.scottbelsky.com

KEYTAKEAWAYS–

FindingFocusinaDistractedWorld

DEFENDYOURCREATIVETIMEBooktimeonyourcalendarforuninterrupted,focusedwork—andrespectthoseblocksoftimeasyouwouldanyclientmeeting.FOCUSWHENYOU’REFRESHTackletheprojectsthatrequire“hardfocus”earlyinyourday.Self-control—andourabilitytoresistdistractions—declinesasthedaygoeson.KILLTHEBACKGROUNDNOISETurnoffyourphone,e-mail,andanyappsunrelatedtoyourtask.Eventhepresenceofbackgroundactivity(andtemptation)candrainyourfocus.MAKEPROGRESSVISIBLEMarking progress is a hugemotivator for long-term projects.Make yourdaily achievements visible by saving iterations, posting milestones, orkeepingadailyjournal.GIVEYOURBRAINABREAKAlternate challenging creative work with more “mindless” tasks to giveyourbraintimetorestandrefuel.TAPINTOTRANSITIONALMOMENTSTakeabreakfromcheckingyoursmartphoneduringtransitionalmoments,andopenyourselfuptoopportunityandserendipity.

Getmoreinsightsandthedesktopwallpaperat:→www.99u.com/focus

Technologyshouldbeatool,butifwedonotkeepourwitsaboutus,itcaneasilybecomeourtaskmaster.AsWIREDmagazineco-founderKevinKellyhaswritten,“Everynewtechnologywillbiteback.Themorepowerfulitsgifts,themorepowerfullyitcanbeabused.”

Ourcurrentrelationshipwithtechnologyisfraught.Wefeeloverwhelmedandoutofcontrol.Wedreamofdeclaring“e-mailbankruptcy”ormaybe“goingoffthegrid.”Butwearealsoaddictedandentranced—constantlyloggingontoshareoureverythought,image,andidea.

It’seasytoblamethetools,buttherealproblemisus.Ratherthandemonizingnewtechnologiesunnecessarilyorchampioningthemblindly,wemustbegintodevelopasubtlersensibility.

Wemustaskhardquestionslike:Whyarewedriventouseourtoolssocompulsively?Whatwoulditmeantoapproache-mailandsocialmediamindfully?Howdoesbeingtetheredtoourdevicesimpactourphysicalbodies—andevenourimaginations?

Inthisneweraoftechnologicalinvention,questioninghowwework—whichbehaviorsareproductiveandwhicharedestructive—isanessentialpartofthecreativeprocess.

MAKINGE-MAILMATTER

–

AaronDignan

Inboxzero.Itsoundsprettygood,doesn’tit?Andwhynot—wesendandreceivemoree-mailtodaythaneverbefore,andthatvolumecontinuestoincreasewitheachpassingyear.ArecentstudybytheMcKinseyGlobalInstitutefoundthattheaverageknowledgeworkerspends28percentofhisorherworkweekeitherwriting,reading,orrespondingtoe-mail.12Nomatterwhatkindofworkyoudo,chancesareyouspendfartoomuchenergydealingwithyourinbox.

As a result, many of us are on a permanent mission to reduce our e-mailworkload, and thishas translated into abit of ane-mail efficiency craze.Thatdesirehasbeenfueledbyliterallyhundredsoftools,techniques,services,plug-ins, and extensions to help youmanage your e-mail.As a result, e-mail “bestpractices” are getting pretty exhausting to follow. According to productivitythought leaders, tomasteryour e-mail, youneed todomost (if not all) of thefollowing:

Labelyoure-mailsforfasterretrievalSetuprulessothatyoure-mailcansortitselfArchiveallofyoure-mailssothatyoucanfocusColorcodeyoure-mail,forvisualcuestopriorityUsearemindertoolsothatimportante-mailchainsresurface

Converte-mailintotasks,sothatnothingslipsthroughthecracksTracke-mail,soyoucanseewhen/whereitgetsreadCreatee-mailtemplatessothatyoucanrapidlysendcommonmessagesUnsubscribefromexcessnewslettersfrequentlyLimityoure-mailstofivesentencesorlessUseasocialplug-insothatyoucanseethefacesandfactsbehindyoure-mails

How has it come to this? Why is e-mail such a complex communicationchannel? The reason is that e-mail has become our primary input/outputmechanism for conversation, ideas, reminders, information, events, video,images,anddocuments.Inourphysicalabsence,itisadigitalrepresentationofus,apermanentlocationfortherestoftheworkingworldtodroptheirneedsatourfeet.

Because of this, our e-mail represents a sort of digital extension of ourbrain. Sure, social media and mobile have drawn some of this attention andvolume(andforthenextgenerationperhapsthey’llgrabitall),butthatdoesn’tchangethefactthateachofuswillalwaysmaintainadigitalinboxsomewhere,and that’s going to bewhere the action is. The bottleneck occurs because ourdigital selves—you@gmail.com—can handle farmore input than our physicalselves.Andshortofdramaticincreasesinartificialintelligence,we’regoingtoneedtosolveforthedifferenceourselves.

When I thinkaboutmy inboxasanextensionofmybrain, thenotionofinboxzerobecomesbothmoremeaningfulandmoreelusive.Arushtoacleaninbox might leave me empty, if the e-mails themselves don’t trigger thedevelopment andprogressionofmy ideas andgoals.Putmore simply, I don’twanttosimplybeatbackmye-maileverydaylikesomepointlessenemy.Iwanttoensurethatthetimespentwithmye-mailaddsuptosomething—thatithelpsmeachievemore.Afterall,whyamIreadingandwritingallthise-mailinthefirstplace?!

With each e-mail that arrives, there is amomentwhen youmust decidehowtocontextualizethemessage:IsthissomethingIneedtoknow?Somethingthat requires an urgent response? Something I need to come back to later?Somethingthatafriendmightenjoy?Somethingthatrequiresaction?Somethingthat requires thought and reflection?Andwhat other e-mails, ideas, tasks, andprojectsalready in playmight it relate to?Tomake themost of your inbox, I

recommendthreesimplesteps:

KNOWYOURCOMPLEXGOALSManyofushavearunninglistof thingswe’dlike toaccomplish,andthevastmajorityofthesethingsaresimpletasks.Organizedesk.E-mailFredaboutthedeadline.Sendinvoice.Abovethat,wehaveanever-evolvinglistofobjectives,plans, and aspirations that are harder to wrap our heads around because theyrequireahostofcomplexactionsandinvolvemultiplemilestonesovertime.

Thesecomplexgoalsareelusive,subjecttotheebbandflowofourtime,energy,andopportunities.Someofuswanttowriteabook.OtherswanttovisitPeru.Stillotherswanttomeetapersonalidol.Futurebusinesses,charities,andevenrelationshipsgetlostinthisamorphousplacesimplybecausethesethingsaredifficulttoattackindiscretetasksdayafterday.Inordertomakeyourinboxacatalyst to achieve thesegoals,you’vegot toput them inyour lineof sight.Everyfourmonthsorso,Iidentifymytwoorthreecomplexgoalsandtapealistofthemtomydeskasaconstantreminder.

CONNECTTHEDOTSAnye-mailyoureceivemightbeastepping-stonetoyourgoal,dependingonthesubjectandthesender.Byknowingyourcomplexgoalsandkeepingthemfrontandcenter inyourmind,youcanstart tosee relationshipsandpotential in thecontent,people,andopportunitieshittingyourinbox.

Don’tmindlesslyblastthroughyourinbox—giveeachmessagethatextramomentofcarefulconsiderationtoseehowitmightrelatetoyouroverallgoals.Whocouldyoushare thiswith?Whatcouldyousay thatwouldmove theballforward? Is this an opportunity to ask for help or advice? Is this person apossible champion for you? With that in mind, you can label, file, forward,respond,andarchivewithanewkindofpurpose—aneyeonthelong-termwhileyoukeepyourheadabovewater.

LETTHINGSGO

Ifyou’relikeme,youhavefartoomanythingsyouwanttodo,read,see,test,and experience. Your inbox is a treasure trove of possibilities. To a creativemind, that’sveryenticing. It’seasy foranoptimist tokeep fifty,ahundred,orevenathousande-mailshoveringintheirinboxinthehopesthat,somedaysoon,they’llgetachancetogiveeachopportunitytheprecioustimethatitdeserves.Butguesswhat?That’snevergonnahappen.

The most important rule in achieving your goals via your inbox is thatdistractingopportunities have to die for yourmost important goals to live.Asyoumovethroughyourinbox,ifanideaoropportunityiscatchingyoureyeandaskingforyourfocus,thinkhardaboutwhetherpursuingitwillhelpyouachieveyourcomplexgoals.Ifnot,orifyou’renotsure,declinegraciouslyandlivetofightanotherday.Ifit’strulythegame-changingopportunitythatyouroptimisticinnervoicesaysitis,chancesareitwillcomeyourwayagainoneday.

AARONDIGNANistheCEOofthedigitalstrategyfirmUndercurrent,whereheadvisesglobalbrandsandcomplexorganizationslikeGE,AmericanExpress,FordMotorCompany,andtheCooper-Hewittontheirfutureinanincreasinglytechnophilicworld.HeisalsotheauthorofGameFrame:UsingGamesasaStrategyforSuccess.

→www.undercurrent.com

USINGSOCIALMEDIAMINDFULLY

–

LoriDeschene

Youcanleverageittomakenewcontactsorexpandyourbusiness.Youcanuseittoshowcaseyourexpertise,sharewhatyou’velearned,orlearnfrompeopleyouadmireandrespect.Youcanuseittostayinformed,entertained,andconnected.Youcanevenfindinspirationin140charactersorless.

Psychologistssuggestthatsocialmediaappealstosuchawiderangeofpeoplebecause it fulfills ourmost fundamental needs, including a senseof belongingand self-esteem.We all want to feel like we’re part of something larger thanourselves,andweallwanttobelievethatwhatwedomatters.

Still,while socialmediahelpsus engageandexpandourworldasneverbefore,italsopresentsanumberofnewchallenges.Aswithanytool,wemustbecarefultouseitforourbenefitandnotourdetriment.

LOGGINGONWITHINTENTIONPurposefulactionrequiresclear intentions.Butwe’veall loggedon toasocialnetwork without them. We may have been procrastinating and looking for adistraction, or feeling angry, annoyed, or frustrated and seeking to escape thatfeeling. Research shows thatwe actually get a small rush of endorphins—thesame brain chemicals we enjoy after completing intense exercise—when wereceiveanewmessage.Talkingaboutourselvesalsotriggerstherewardcenter

ofourbrains,makingitevenmorecompellingtonarrateourdailyactivities.13Whatever our reasons for turning to social media, we have abundant

opportunity todo itnowthatmostofuscarrypowerfulmini-computers inourpursesorpockets.We’realwaysconnected,alwaysreadytodiscover,consume,and share information. If something’s trending, we want to know about it. Ifsomeonesharessomething,wewanttoseeit.Andifweeverstepawayfromthestreamforawhile,wefeelevenmorepressuretocatchuponeverythingoncewe’vereturned.

Withoneeyeonourgadgets,we’reunabletogiveourfullattentiontowhoandwhatisinfrontofus—meaningthatwemissoutonthedetailsofourlives,ironically,whilerespondingtoourfearofmissingout.

Formanyofus,mindlessnessisthedefaultstate.Ittakesaconcertedeffortto be mindful with social media—to be proactive instead of reactive. Whenwe’remindful,we’re aware ofwhywe’re logging on, andwe’re able to fullydisconnect when we’ve followed through with our intention. We’re able toengage authentically and meaningfully, but we’re not dependent on thatconnectioninawaythatlimitsoureffectivenessandoursenseofpresence.

BECOMINGAWAREInordertochangeourrelationshiptosocialmedia,weneedtounderstandhowwe’remotivatedtouseitandwhy.Withoutself-awareness,weareatthemercyofourscreensandfeeds,pulledtowardthemforinstantgratificationwhenotherchoicesmightbettermeetouractualneeds.

Wecanstartdevelopingself-awarenessbysettingboundariesforhowandwhenweuseourtechnology,andthencheckinginwithourintentionswhenwefeelcompelledtouse itdifferently.Thiscouldmeansigningononlyatcertainpredeterminedtimesandaskingourselveskeyquestionsifwefeeldrawntowardourgadgetsinbetweenthosetimes.Thosequestionsmightinclude:

Isitnecessarytosharethis?Willitaddvaluetomylifeandforotherpeople?CanIsharethisexperiencelatersoIcanfocusonlivingitnow?AmIlookingforvalidation?IstheresomethingIcoulddotovalidatemyself?

AmIavoidingsomethingIneedtodoinsteadofaddressingwhyIdon’twanttodoit?AmIfeelingbored?IstheresomethingelseIcoulddotofeelmorepurposefulandengagedinmyday?AmIfeelinglonely?HaveIcreatedopportunitiesformeaningfulconnectioninmyday?AmIafraidofmissingout?Isthegratificationofgivingintothatfearworthmissingoutonwhat’sinfrontofme?AmIoverwhelmingmyself,tryingtocatchup?CanIletgoofyesterday’sconversationandjointoday’sinstead?CanIusethistimetosimplybeinsteadoflookingforsomethingtodotofillit?DoIjustwanttohavemindlessfunforawhile?

(Thatlastoneisperfectlyvalid—solongasweknowwhatwe’redoing,andweconsciouslychoosetodoit.)

PURPOSE,ESTEEM,ANDMEANINGFULCONNECTIONPartofmindfulnessasitpertainstosocialmediaisrecognizingandaddressingourinstincttouseitcompulsively.Theothersideoftheequationischoosingtouseitconsciouslytohelpfulfillallthoseneedsweinstinctivelywanttomeet—forothersandourselves.

Ifsocialmediaplaysaroleinyourbusiness,asitdoesformanyofus,yourinvolvementmighthingearoundvariousobjectives.Ifyou’refeelingfrustratedwithyourprogress towardyourgoals, it’s tempting to focusonwhatyou lackthatotherpeopleseemtohave,toobsessoverfollowers,engagement,traffic,orany other benchmark. The reality is that numbers don’t necessarily measuresuccess,andthey’recertainlynotarequirementforfulfillment.

Someof themost successful people I knowhave slowly nurtured small,engagednetworksofpeoplewhoprovidetremendousvaluetoeachother.AllofthemostfulfilledpeopleIknowfocusmoreonthequalityoftheirconnectionsthanthequantityof them.Theymake itapriority toreveal theirauthenticselfinstead of struggling to build and maintain a persona. They take theirconnections to ever-deepening levels by partnering online, meeting at events

offline,andgivingthosepeople theirfullattentionwhentheydoconnect.Andthey remember that behind every professional mission, there’s a personalpurpose.

When we focus on fulfilling our core needs and helping others do thesame,wefeelmoresatisfiedand,consequently,aremoreeffective.Witheverymeaningful,mutuallybeneficialengagement,we reinforceourself-esteem,oursense of belonging, and our sense of purpose, enabling more growth andconnection.Itbecomesaself-perpetuatingcycle.

In order to do this, you need to challenge the worries that keep youreacting compulsively instead of engaging consciously: the fear that you’remissing out on connections or information available somewhere else; theconcernthatyou’renotreallybeingheard;orthesuspicionthatotherpeoplearesomehowdoingbetterandyou’regettingleftbehind.

The reality is that we’re all in the same boat. We’re all navigating theincreasing number of online tools at our disposal, sometimes feelingoverwhelmed by the sheer volume of people around us and the barrage ofinformationweneedtomanageeveryday.We’realllearninghowandwhentosetboundaries,oreventakecompletebreakstorenewandrecharge.Andwe’reall discovering that socialmedia provides countless opportunities for personalandprofessionalgrowth.

Socialmediacanhaveaprofoundimpactonyourlifeifyouletit—butthepowerofanytoolliesintheintentionsofitsuser.

LORIDESCHENEisthefounderoftinybuddha.com,acommunityblogaboutwisdomthatfeaturesstoriesandinsightsfromreadersallovertheglobe.Sherunsthesiteasagroupeffortbecauseshebelievesweallhavesomethingtoteachandsomethingtolearn.SheisalsotheauthorofTinyBuddha:SimpleWisdomforLife’sHardQuestions.

→www.tinybuddha.com

Q&A:

RECONSIDERINGCONSTANTCONNECTIVITY

–

withTiffanyShlain

Asafilmmaker,TiffanyShlainhasbeenthinkingdeeplyabouttheimpactoftechnologyandconnectivityonourculture,ourrelationships,andourbrainsforovertwodecades.Adigitalpioneer,shefoundedtheWebbyAwardsandintroducedtheconceptof“cloudfilmmaking.”Whilesheisthefirsttoappreciatethetremendouspoweroftheweb,sheisalsoanadvocateofjudiciouslydisconnecting.Wespokewithheraboutthecreativebenefitsof“resettingourbrains.”

You’vesaid,“We’vecreatedaworkenvironmentthatmirrorsourstreamofconsciousness.”Canyouexplainwhatyoumeant?

Allof these formsof communicationare extensionsofus.Goingback to [thevisionaryphilosopherofcommunicationtheory]MarshallMcLuhan:everythingis an extension of our desire for connection.We couldn’t see far enough, weinvented the telescope. We wanted to communicate across distances, weinventedthetelephone.Then,wewantedtoconnectwitheveryoneandshareall

theseideas,andweinventedtheInternet.We’vecreatedthisglobalbrainthatisverymuchanextensionofourownbrains.Andbecauseit’sanextensionofus,it’s good and it’s bad—becausewe’re bothgood andbad.We’re both focusedanddistracted.SoIthinktherealproblemisn’tthetechnology.Ithinkweneedtoevolvetoknowwhentoturnitoff.

Youhavearegularpracticeofunpluggingcalleda“technologyshabbat.”Canyoudescribewhatyoudo?

MyhusbandandIhadtriedtounplugatvariouspointsinourrelationship,butwecouldneverquitedoit.Then,whenmyfatherwasdying,Istartedtothinkseriously about time and family—how to really be present—and it made mewant to takeunpluggingseriously.Sowemadeadecisionasa family thatwewoulddoiteveryweek.

We’renotsuperreligious,butweareJewishandwecelebrateShabbat—theseventhdayoftheJewishweek,thedayofrest.SoFridaynightweturnoffevery screen inavery ritualisticway.Whenwestart,we light candles, all thecellphonesgooff, theTVgoesoff,andthecomputersgooff.Andthenwe’reofflineforallofSaturdayuntilaftersunset.

Shabbatisaveryoldidea.Ifyoureallylookatwhatsomeofthescholarsfromalongtimeagowroteabout it, it’sas thoughthey’retalkingabouttoday.Theideaisthatonedayaweek,youneedtogetyourmindinadifferentmode,you need to not work. Every week, your brain—and your soul—needs to bereset.

Yoursoulneedstobereset.That’sagreatmetaphor.

It’slikehittingtheresetbuttononmysenseofbalance.Ithasjustchangedmylife profoundly. I tell everyone I know to try it. I feel more present with thepeople I care about, and alsomore grounded andmore creative. Somepeoplesay,“Oh,onvacations,Iunplug.”Butwhendovacationshappen?Onceortwice

ayear.There’ssomethingabouttheweeklypracticeofgettingadifferentmodeofexperiencingtheworldbackthat’sreallyimportant.

Doyouhaveotherrulesaboutusingtechnology?

Before I started the technology shabbats,mybrainwashurtingatnight.Forawhile, Iwas usingmy cell phone asmy alarm clock, but then itwas easy tocheck other things. Now, I don’t bring technology into the bedroom. Youshouldn’t be checking your e-mails before you go to sleep. Your brain getsoverstimulated.Youneedtojustunwindyourmind.

I’malsoabigbelieverofcuratingwhoyoufollowonsocialmedia.You’relettingthosepeopleintoyourbrainandthey’regoingtoinfluenceyourthoughts.IfindthatIevendreamaboutsomeofthepeopleIfollow.Weneedtobereallymindfulofwhoweletintoourstreamofconsciousness.

You’veusedaSophoclesquote—“Nothingvastentersthelifeofmortalswithoutacurse”—totalkabouttheimpactoftheInternet.

My father [Leonard Shlain] was a writer and he used that quote to describeliteracy.ButIliketouseittodescribetheInternet,too.Thisisavast,amazingtechnologythat’sconnectingeverymindontheplanet,sothere’sgoingtobealotofgood,buttherearealsogoingtobealotofthingswelose.

That’swhyallofmyprojectsarereallyaboutgettingpeopletostopforamomentintheirbusylivesandjusttalkaboutthecurseandtalkaboutthegood.Becauseit’sapositiveandanegative.Itfeelsliketherearesomanypeoplewhothinkthattechnologywillruincivilizationorwhothinkthatit’sthebestthingintheworld. I’mmore in themiddle. I feel like there are all these great thingsabout it, and there are also some things that I’m worried about. So let’s talkabout what we’re worried about. I believe that once we start having thatconversation,itwillchangethewaythatwedothings.

TIFFANYSHLAINisafilmmaker,artist,andfounderoftheWebbyAwards.Newsweekcalledheroneofthe“WomenShapingthe21stCentury.”HerlastfourfilmspremieredatSundance,includingheracclaimedfeaturedocumentary,Connected:AnAutoblogographyAboutLove,Death&Technology.Herbook,BrainPower:FromNeuronstoNetworks,waspublishedbyTEDBooks.

→www.tiffanyshlain.com

AWAKENINGTOCONSCIOUSCOMPUTING

–

LindaStone

Informationoverload.Really?Blamingtheinformationdoesn’tserveus.It’smorelikeinformationover-consumption.Insomanyareasofourlives,we’veconsciouslylearnedtofilter.Inourdigitallives,however,we’restillyoungandinexperienced—particularlywithregardtoourphysicalrelationshipwithtechnology.

Our current relationshipwith our devices is a dark and twisty tale of chronicstress,theautonomicnervoussystem,andcompromisedbreathing.Butitcouldbesomuchbetter.We’reusingtoday’stechnologiesasprostheticsforourminds,when the real opportunity is for these technologies to be prosthetics for ourbeings.

Oneofthemostsignificantlifestylechangestohappenoverthelasttwentyyearsistheincreaseintheamountoftimeweeachspendinfrontofonescreenor another: television, video games, computers, mobile devices. By someaccounts,theaverageadultspendsovereighthoursadayinfrontofascreen.

Survey data collected in 2008 suggested that adults collectivelywatched9.8billionhoursoftelevisionoverthecourseofayear.Infurtherstudiesusingactuarial tables, researchers determined that, for every hour of televisionwatchedbyanadultovertheageoftwenty-five,thatadult’slifeexpectancywasreducedby21.8minutes.AccordingtoaNewYorkTimesarticlereportingontheresearch,“anadultwhospendsanaverageofsixhoursadaywatchingTVoverthe course of a lifetime can expect to live 4.8 years fewer than a personwhodoes not watch TV. These results hold true even for people who exercise

regularly.”14Theseresearcherstellusthatwhenwe’resedentary,ourskeletalmuscles,

especiallyinourlowerlimbs,donotcontract, thusrequiringlessfuel.Iwouldfurtherpostulatethatlymphandbloodaremorestagnant.Whichiswhystandingand treadmill desks, and looking for opportunities to standorwalkduring thecourseoftheday,cancontributetosupportingahealthierdigitallifestyle.

Butthenegativeimpactofsittingisjustthetipoftheiceberg.Screentimealsofeeds intoaviciouscycleofchronicstress inawaythatmostofusdon’tevenrealize.

THESURPRISINGIMPACTOFSCREENAPNEAInFebruary2008,aftersevenmonthsofresearch,IwroteaboutaphenomenonIcalle-mailapneaorscreenapnea.15Screenapneaisthetemporarycessationofbreath or shallow breathing while sitting in front of a screen, whether acomputer,amobiledevice,oratelevision.

To find out how widespread screen apnea was, I observed over twohundredpeopleusingcomputersandsmartphonesinoffices,homes,andcafés.Thevastmajorityofthemwereholdingtheirbreath,orbreathingveryshallowly,especiallywhenrespondingtoe-mail.What’smore,theirposturewhileseatedatacomputerwasoftencompromised,whichonlyfurthercontributedtorestrictedbreathing.

Toexploretheimpactofthisbehavior,IcalledDr.MargaretChesneyandDr.DavidAnderson, thenof theNational InstitutesofHealth (NIH).Researchconducted by Chesney and Anderson demonstrated that breath-holdingcontributedsignificantlytostress-relateddiseases.Thebodybecomesacidic;thekidneys begin to reabsorb sodium; and the oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitricoxidebalanceisundermined,whichthrowsoffourbiochemistry.

Itturnsoutthatnitricoxide,nottobeconfusedwiththenitrousoxideusedindentaloffices,playsan important role inourhealth. Inabriefingdocumentprepared for the Royal Society and Association of British Science Writers,PearceWrightwrites, “The immune systemuses nitric oxide in fighting viral,bacterial and parasitic infections, and tumors.Nitric oxide transmitsmessagesbetweennerve cells and is associatedwith the processes of learning,memory,sleeping, feeling pain, and, probably, depression.”16 It is also a mediator ininflammation,whichisacontributortoobesity.

As I researched the literature and spokewith physicians and researchersaboutbreath-holding,arelationshiptothevagusnervealsoemerged.Thevagusnerve is one of themajor cranial nerves,whose primary job is tomediate theautonomic nervous system, which includes the sympathetic (“fight-or-flight”)andparasympathetic(“rest-and-digest”)nervoussystems.

Deep and regular breathing, also referred to as diaphragmatic breathing,helps to quiet the sympathetic nervous systemand allows theparasympatheticnervoussystem—whichgovernsoursenseofhungerandsatiety,therelaxationresponse, and many aspects of healthy organ function—to become moredominant.

Conversely,shallowbreathing,breath-holding,andhyperventilatingtriggerthesympatheticnervoussystem towarda fight-or-flight state. In this state,ourheartrateincreases,oursenseofsatietyiscompromised,andourbodiesgearupforthephysicalactivitythat,historically,accompaniedafight-or-flightresponse.Butwhen the only physical activity is sitting and responding to e-mail,we’resortof“alldressedupwithnowheretogo.”

Ourbodiesaretunedtobeimpulsiveandcompulsivewhenwe’reinfight-or-flight.Wealsobecometunedtoover-consume.Inthisstate,we’relessawareof when we’re hungry and when we’re sated. We reach for every availableresource, from food to information, as if it’s our last opportunity—pullingoutoursmartphonesagainandagaintocheckfore-mail,texts,andmessages.

ResearchfromtheLifeandHealthSciencesResearchInstituteinPortugalsuggests a possible explanation: sustained stress causes us to fall back onfamiliar routines. The part of our brain associated with decision-making andgoal-directed behaviors shrinks and the brain regions associated with habitformationgrowwhenwe’reunderchronicstress.17

WHEREDOWEGOFROMHERE?Keepinmind:it’snotthe“what,”thetechnology,thatisthecoreissuehere.It’sthe“how”—howareweusingthattechnology?

Abeginningmusicianisawkwardwithaninstrumentanddoesn’tyetknowhow to properly breathe, sit, or standwhile playing.An experiencedmusicianhas learned how to use breath and posture to properly control the instrument.Duringmy investigations in 2008, I noticed that musicians, dancers, athletes,and military test pilots—those who had learned breathing techniques for

performance—didnothavescreenapnea.Diaphragmatic breathing, Buteyko breathing1, martial arts, and yoga

(pranayama)breathingtechniquesallhavethepotentialtosootheus,toactivatemore parasympathetic dominance, and to help our bodies maintain a healthy,regulatedautonomicresponse.

Icallthenewsetofskillsweneedtolearninorderto“embody”whenweusetechnology,ConsciousComputing.Weneedtoawakentothephysiologyoftechnologyandcultivateanewsetofskillsrelatedtopostureandbreathing.Inanembodiedstate,wecanreclaimourabilitytomanageourattention,tothinkclearlyandcreatively,andtofeelenergizedandfullyengaged.

LINDASTONEisaformerseniorhigh-technologyexecutive,andcurrentlyawriter,speaker,advisor,andconsultantfocusedontrendsandtheirstrategicandconsumerimplications.Shecoinedthetermscontinuouspartialattention,e-mailapnea,screenapnea,andconsciouscomputing.HerworkandarticlesonherworkhaveappearedintheNewYorkTimes,Newsweek,TheEconomist,TheBostonGlobe,HarvardBusinessReview,andonhundredsofblogs.

→www.lindastone.net

1Buteykohelpspeoplewithdisorderedbreathingpatterns—suchaspanicbreathing,mouthbreathing,ordrycoughingtoretrainthemselvestouseanormalbreathingpatternatalltimes.(“WhatIsButeyko?”ButeykoBreathingAssociation,accessedDecember17,2012,http://www.buteykobreathing.org/involve/.)

RECLAIMINGOURSELF-RESPECT

–

JamesVictore

YearsagotherewasapopularbooktitledRealMenDon’tEatQuiche.Itbilleditselfas“AGuidebooktoAllThatIsTrulyMasculine.”TheonlyadvicefromthebookthatIstillrememberis,“Realmendon’thaveansweringmachines—ifit’simportant,they’llcallback.”Thebook’sintentwashumorandmachismo,butthismaximinparticularhintsatalevelofself-respectthatismissingtodayinourrelationshipwithtechnologyanditstools.Wehavewelcomedtechnologysofullyandlovinglyintoourlivesthatwenolongertakethetimetostopandquestiontherelationship.

Ourfunandwell-designedportableshavegottheirhookssodeepinusthattheyarechangingourmannersandourculture.Wenolongerseephonecalls,IMs,ora“ping”asanintrusionintoourpersonaltimeandspace.Thegymandtheparkare no longer places for personal development or reflection, but just anotherplace to “check in.” It used to be that taking a phone callwhile at the dinnertable or on the johnwas seen as incredibly badmanners or a sign ofmentalillness. Now it’s commonplace and acceptable. Self-respect and etiquette arebeingnudgedoutofourlivesinlieuofconvenientconnection.Evenworkhasnotimeorplaceandspillsoutalloverourpersonal lives.We’vebeensoldonthefalse idea thatworkingfromhomeor,worse,onvacation tohelpaharriedclientisagoodthing.Weareexpectedtobeoncallandavailabletoeveryoneallthetime.We’vebeenfittedwithanelectronicleashforbadbosses,demandingclients,andboredfriends.

The crux of this problem is that we are losing the distinction betweenurgentand important—noweverythinggetsheaped in theurgentpile.And it’squitefranklyeasiertodothetrivialthingsthatare“urgent”thanit istodotheimportantthings.Butwhenwechooseurgentoverimportant,whatwearereallychoosing isotherpeople’sprioritiesoverourown.Witheverynewe-mail,webecomelikeleavesinthewind,reactingtoanybreezewilly-nilly.Wequicklysetaside our own concerns to attend to those of others. This busywork pulls ourattentionfromthemeaningfulwork—takingtimetothink,reflect,andimagine.Yet,it’sthesepausesthatmakeourlivesbetterandlaythegroundworkforourgreatestaccomplishments.

Therearenoshortcuts.Andanytechnology-aidedshortcutrobsyouofthework.Recently,aconcernedfriendofminesuggestedanappthatcouldhelpmymeditationpractice.Itrytobeopentonewideas,butthisseemedlikeachoicebetween playingGuitarHero and actually learning to play guitar.Maybe thework of developing a good meditation practice is worth it. Maybe that’s thepoint. Maybe there are skills I can develop—unaided—that will make mestronger. Why adopt a crutch only to let your muscles atrophy? Why cheatyourselfof theeffort?Thework, theprocess, is thegoal. Itbuildscharacter. Itmakesusbetter.

Using technology daily is a relatively new thing. It’s omnipresent,dependable (“Canyouhearmenow?”),andwerelyon itmoreandmore.Butwithnewtechnologycomesnewhabits,andaswithanyhabits—goodorbad—weneedtobeconscientious.Justaswewatchourintakeofcaffeineorcandyoralcohol lest we become addicted, we need to consciously develop a healthyrelationshipwith our tools—orwewill lose perspective and become slaves tothem.AsMarshallMcLuhantheorized,“Weshapeourtools,andthereafterourtools shape us.”We let our tools take the lead because it’s the path of leastresistance—theeasyway.Andtheeasywayisalwaysatrap.

We have become so trusting of technology that we have lost faith inourselvesandourborninstincts.Therearestillpartsoflifethatwedonotneedto “better” with technology. It’s important to understand that you are smarterthanyoursmartphone.Toparaphrase,therearemorethingsinheavenandearththanaredreamtofinyourGoogle.Mistakesareapartoflifeandoftenthepathtoprofoundnewinsights—sowhytrytoremovethemcompletely?Gettinglostwhiledrivingorvisitinganewcityused tobeanadventureandagoodstory.NowwejustfollowtheGPS.

To“knowthyself”ishardwork.Harderstillistobelievethatyou,withall

your flaws,areenough—withoutchecking in, tweetinganupdate,orsharingaphoto as proof of your existence for the approval of your 719 followers. Ahealthyrelationshipwithyourdevicesisallabouttakingownershipofyourtimeand making an investment in your life. I’m not calling for any radical, neo-Ludditemovementhere.Carvingout time foryourself isaseasyasdoingonething.Walkyourdog.Stroll yourbaby.Goon adate—withoutyourhandheldholding your hand. Self-respect, priorities, manners, and good habits are notantiquatedidealstobetradedfortrends.

Not everyone will be capable of shouldering this task of personalresponsibilityorofbeingagoodexample for theirchildren.But theheroesofthe next generation will be those who can calm the buzzing and jigging ofoutsidedistractionlongenoughtolistentothesoundoftheirownhearts,thosewhowillfollowtheirownpathuntiltheylearntowalkerect—nothunchedoverlikeaNeanderthal,palm-gazing.Intotraffic.

Youhavea choice inwhere todirectyour attention.Choosewisely.Theworldwillwait.Andifit’simportant,they’llcallback.

JAMESVICTOREisanauthor,designer,filmmaker,andeducator.HisworkhasbeenexhibitedattheMuseumofModernArtinNewYorkandisrepresentedinthepermanentcollectionsofmuseumsaroundtheglobe.HeteachesattheSchoolofVisualArtsinNYC.

→www.jamesvictore.com

KEYTAKEAWAYS–

TamingYourTools

KEEPTHELONGVIEWINVIEWPostyourcomplex,long-termgoalsbyyourworkstationtokeepthemtopofmindwhenprioritizingyourtasks.BECONSCIOUSOFYOURBANDWIDTHPracticelettinggoofcertaine-mailandsocialmediaconversations.Therewillalwaysbemoreopportunitiesthanyouactuallycantakeon.CHECKYOURSELF,ORWRECKYOURSELFDistinguishbetweencompulsive andconsciousbehaviors.Areyouactingoutofboredomorblindhabitwhenyoucouldbeservingahighergoal?HITTHERESETBUTTONMakea ritual ofunpluggingon a regularbasis.Turning everythingoff islikehittingthe“reset”buttononyourmind—itgivesyouafreshstart.DON’THOLDYOURBREATHBe conscious of your body. Breathing deeply and regularly can decreaseyourstresslevelsandhelpyoumakebetterdecisions.INIMAGINATIONWETRUSTDon’t trust technology over your own instincts and imagination. Doingbusyworkiseasy;doingyourbestworkishard.

Getmoreinsightsandthedesktopwallpaperat:→www.99u.com/tools

Bringingincrediblecreativeprojectstolifedemandsmuchhardworkdowninthetrenchesofday-to-dayideaexecution.Geniustrulyis“1percentinspirationand99percentperspiration.”

Butwecannotforgettheflipsideofthat99percent—it’simpossibletosolveeveryproblembysheerforceofwill.Wemustalsomaketimeforplay,relaxation,andexploration,theessentialingredientsofthecreativeinsightsthathelpusevolveexistingideasandsetnewprojectsinmotion.

Oftenthismeanscreatingaroutineforbreakingfromyourroutine,workingonexploratorysideprojectsjustforthehellofit,orfindingnewwaystohotwireyourbrain’sperspectiveonaproblem.Italsomeanslearninghowtoputyourinnercriticonmute,banishperfectionisttendencies,andpushthroughanxiety-inducingcreativeblocks.

Tostaycreativelyfit,wemustkeepourmindsengagedandonthemove—becausethegreatestenemyofcreativityisnothingmorethanstandingstill.

CREATINGFORYOU,ANDYOUALONE

–

ToddHenry

“Whenwasthelasttimeyoumadesomethingthatsomeonewasn’tpayingyoufor,andlookingoveryourshouldertomakesureyougotitright?”WhenIaskcreativesthisquestion,theanswerthatcomesbackalltoooftenis,“Ican’tremember.”It’ssoeasyforcreativitytobecomeameanstoaverypracticalend—earningapaycheckandpleasingyourclientormanager.Butthattypeofworkonlyusesasmallspectrumofyourabilities.Totrulyexcel,youmustalsocontinuetocreateforthemostimportantaudienceofall:yourself.

In her book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron discusses a now well-knownpracticethatshecalls“morningpages.”Shesuggestswritingthreepagesoffree-flowingthoughtfirstthinginthemorningasawaytoexplorelatentideas,breakthrough the voice of the censor in your head, and get your creative juicesflowing. While there is nothing immediately practical or efficient about theexercise,Cameronarguesthatit’sbeenthekeytounlockingbrilliantinsightsforthemanypeoplewhohaveadopteditasaritual.

I’ve seen similar benefits of this kind of “Unnecessary Creation” in thelivesofcreativeprofessionalsacrosstheboard.Fromgardeningtopaintingwithwatercolors to chipping away at the next great American novel on yourweekends,somethingaboutengaginginthecreativeactonourowntermsseemstounleashlatentpassionsandinsights.

IbelieveUnnecessaryCreationisessentialforanyonewhoworkswithhis

orhermind.

UnnecessaryCreationgivesyouthefreedomtoexplorenewpossibilitiesandfollow impractical curiosities. Someof themost frustrated creative pros I’veencounteredare thosewhoexpect theirday job toallow them to fullyexpresstheircreativityandsatisfy theircuriosity.Theypushagainst theboundariessetbytheirmanagerorclientandfretcontinuouslythattheirbestworkneverfindsitsway into the endproductbecauseof restrictions and compromises.A2012survey sponsored byAdobe revealed that nearly 75 percent ofworkers in theUnitedStates,UnitedKingdom,Germany,France, and Japan felt theyweren’tlivinguptotheircreativepotential.(IntheUnitedStates,thenumberwascloserto82percent!)

Obviously,there’sagapbetweenwhatmanycreativesactuallydoeachdayand what they feel they are capable of doing given more resources or lessbureaucracy.But those limitations aren’t likely to change in the context of anorganization,wherethereislittletoleranceforriskandresourcesarescarcerthanever. If day-to-day projectwork is the onlywork that you are engaging in, itfollowsthatyou’regoingtogetfrustrated.

Tobreakthecycle,keeparunninglistofprojectsyou’dliketoattemptinyoursparetime,andsetasideaspecifictimeeachweek(oreachday)tomakeprogress on that list. Sometimes this feels very inefficient in the moment,especially when there are so many other urgent priorities screaming for yourattention,but it canbe akeypartofkeepingyour creative energy flowing foryourday-to-daywork.

You’ll alsowant toget anotebook to recordquestions thatyou’d like topursue,ideasthatyouhave,orexperimentsthatyou’dliketotry.Thenyoucanuse your pre-defined Unnecessary Creation time to play with these ideas. AsStevenJohnsonexplains inhisbookWhereGood IdeasComeFrom, “Agoodideaisanetwork.Aspecificconstellationofneurons—thousandsofthem—firein syncwith eachother for the first time in your brain, and an ideapops intoyour consciousness. A new idea is a network of cells exploring the adjacentpossibleofconnectionsthattheycanmakeinyourmind.”18

When you give yourself frequent permission to explore the “adjacentpossible”withnorestrictionsonwhereitleads,youincreasethelikelihoodofacreativebreakthroughinallareasofyourlifeandwork.

UnnecessaryCreationallowsyouto takerisksanddevelopnewskills thatcanlaterbeappliedtoyouron-demandcreating.Haveyoueverfeltlikeyouwereinarut?Perhapsyoukeepmullingoverthesameideas,goingtothesamewellsforinspiration,oropeningthesametoolboxeverytimeyouhavetosolveaproblem. Your tools can become dull and your senses numb when youconsistentlyapplythesameoldmethods.Yet,it’sdifficulttolearnnewmethodsor develop new skills in themidst of your on-demandwork because you arebeingpaidtodeliverpredictableresults.

InhisbookTheHeartAroused,theBritishpoetDavidWhytewrites,“Takeany step toward our destiny through creative action (it may be as simple asliftingapenoverablanksheetofpaper),andweknowintuitively thatwearegivingupwhatevercoverwehad.”19Thecreativeactisinherentlyriskybecauseit requiresyou tostepout intouncertainty.Whenyouhave timescheduled forUnnecessaryCreation,youcreateasafespacetoexperimentwithnewwaysofworking. You get to try and fail without dire consequences. You can createwhat’sinyourheadratherthanadaptingwhat’sinyourheadtosomeoneelse’sexpectations.

These acts of Unnecessary Creation grow your confidence in self-expression,andtheskillsyoudevelopalongthewaybecomenewtoolsinyourtoolboxthatcanbeappliedtoyoureverydaywork.

Unnecessary Creation provides a forum for the pursuit of voice, and areminder that you are not the sum of what youmake. You and I are notmachines,andnomatterhowefficientwebecomeatdeliveringbrilliantwork,weneedregular remindersofourcapacity tocontributesomethingunique.Weneed to stay in touchwith the intrinsic desire to strive for the “next” that hasdrivenprogressthroughouttheages.

The twentieth-century mystic Thomas Merton wrote, “There can be anintense egoism in following everybody else. People are in a hurry tomagnifythemselves by imitating what is popular—and too lazy to think of anythingbetter.Hurry ruins saintsaswell asartists.Theywantquick success, and theyareinsuchahastetogetitthattheycannottaketimetobetruetothemselves.Andwhenthemadnessisuponthem,theyarguethattheirveryhasteisaspeciesofintegrity.”20

Merton elegantly articulates how the pressure of the create-on-demandworld can cause us to look sideways at our peers and competitors instead of

looking ahead.Theprocessof discovering and refiningyourvoice takes time.UnnecessaryCreationgrantsyouthespacetodiscoveryouruniqueaptitudesandpassionsthroughaprocessoftrial,error,andplaythatwon’toftenbeaffordedtoyouotherwise.Initiatingaprojectwithnoparametersandnoexpectationsfromothersalso forcesyou tostayself-awarewhile learning to listen toand followyourintuition.Bothofthesearecrucialskillsfordiscoveringyourvoice.

It’scompletelyunderstandableifyou’rethinking,“Butwait—Ihardlyhavetimetobreathe,andnowyouwantmetocramsomethingelseintomyschedule,justformyownenjoyment?”It’struethateverydecisionaboutwherewespendour timehasanopportunitycost,anddedicating time toUnnecessaryCreationseemslikearemarkablyinefficientchoice.Intruth,itisinefficient.

Consider, however, the opportunity cost of spending your life only onpragmatics.Youdedicateyourtimetopleasingeveryoneelseanddeliveringontheirexpectations,butyounevergetaroundtodiscoveringyourdeeperaptitudesandcreativecapacities.Nothingisworththat.

TODDHENRYisthefounderofAccidentalCreative,acompanythathelpscreativesandteamsbeprolific,brilliant,andhealthy.Hisbook,TheAccidentalCreative:HowtoBeBrilliantataMoment’sNotice,offersstrategiesforhowcreativeproscanthriveinthecreate-on-demandmarketplace.

→www.accidentalcreative.com

TRAININGYOURMINDTOBEREADYFORINSIGHT

–

ScottMcDowell

“Likeeverybeginner,Ithoughtyoucouldbeat,pummel,andthrashanideaintoexistence,”RayBradburywrote.“Undersuchtreatment,ofcourse,anydecentideafoldsupitspaws,turnsonitsback,fixesitseyesoneternity,anddies.”Sowhatdoyoudowhenyouhavetobecreativeandit’sjustnotcoming?

Bradbury found a way. “In my early twenties I floundered into a word-associationprocessinwhichIsimplygotoutofbedeachmorning,walkedtomydesk, and put down any word or series of words that happened along in myhead.”

TheLake.TheNight.TheCrickets.TheRavine.TheAttic.TheBasement.TheTrapdoor.TheBaby.TheCrowd.TheNightTrain.TheFogHorn.TheScythe.TheCarnival.TheCarousel.TheDwarf.TheMirrorMaze.TheSkeleton.

“Iwouldthentakearmsagainsttheword,orforit,andbringonanassortmentofcharacterstoweighthewordandshowmeitsmeaninginmyownlife.Anhourortwohourslater,tomyamazement,anewstorywouldbefinishedanddone.”21

Themost successful creativeminds consistently lay the groundwork for

ideastogerminateandevolve.Theyarealwaysrefiningtheirpersonalapproachtohijackingthebrain’sneuralpathways,developingatoolkitoftrickstosparkthemindlikeflintonsteel.

DISENGAGEMENT,WANDERING,ANDRESTWhenyou’reworkingonastickyproblem,thesolutionisoftendisengagement.HenryMiller’sadviceforotherwriterswastoexploreunfamiliarsectionsofthecityonbicycle.22ComposerSteveReichwouldridethesubway,anotherkindofwandering.

Joel Gascoigne, the founder of Buffer, a social media sharing app,cultivateswhathecallsa“habitofdisengagement.”Inablogpost,“6ThingsIDotoBeConsistentlyHappy,”Joelwrites,“Igoforawalkat9:30p.m.,alongaroutewhichI’vedonemanytimesbefore.Sincetherouteisalreadydecidedandis the same every time, I am simply walking and doing nothing else. Thispromptsreflectionandrelaxation.”

MusicianandproducerBrianEnoplacesahighpremiumonrest, so thatnewconnectionscanarise:

Thedifficultyofalwaysfeelingthatyououghttobedoingsomethingisthatyoutendtoundervaluethetimeswhenyou’reapparentlydoingnothing,andthoseareveryimportanttimes.It’stheequivalentofthedreamtime,inyourdailylife,timeswhenthingsgetsortedoutandreshuffled.Ifyou’reconstantlyawakework-wiseyoudon’tallowthattohappen.OneofthereasonsIhavetotakedistinctbreakswhenIworkistoallowthemomentumofaparticulardirectiontorundown,sothatanotheronecanestablishitself.23

Throughouthiscareer,Enohasusedagrabbagofapproachestoencouragethecreativeprocess:intentionallycombiningdisparateideas,usingunfamiliartools,anddevelopinganelaborateseriesofcreativeprompts.“Therearelotsofwaysthatyoucaninterferewithitandmakeitmoreefficient,”saysEno.

LIMITATIONSANDCONSTRAINTSSometimes embracing your limitations is the best route forward. GeorgeHarrison was staying at Sevenoaks, his parents’ bungalow in the Englishcountryside,whenhewrotehismostenduringBeatlestune:

Iwrote“WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps”atmymother’shouseinWarrington.IwasthinkingabouttheChineseIChing,theBookofChanges…theEasternconceptisthatwhateverhappensisallmeanttobe,andthatthere’snosuchthingascoincidence—everylittleitemthat’sgoingdownhasapurpose.“WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps”wasasimplestudybasedonthattheory.IdecidedtowriteasongbasedonthefirstthingIsawuponopeninganybook—asitwouldberelativetothatmoment,atthattime.Ipickedupabookatrandom,openedit,saw“gentlyweeps,”thenlaidthebookdownagainandstartedthesong.24

Similarly,manycreativedirectors,designers,andarchitectsoftensaytheirbestworkstemsdirectlyfromspecificclientrestrictions.Havingasetofparametersputsthebraininproblem-solvingmode;there’ssomethingtogrip.Itmayseemcounterintuitive,buttoobigaplayingfieldcanmuddletheresults.

FrankLloydWrightinsistedthatconstraintshistoricallyhaveresultedinaflowering of the imagination: “The human race built most nobly whenlimitationsweregreatestand,therefore,whenmostwasrequiredofimaginationinordertobuildatall.”25

Whetherornotthey’recreatedbyanoutsideclientoryouyourself,asetoflimitationsisoftenthecatalystthatsetscreativityfree.

PHYSICALPOISEANDCALMWhat about the body’s relationship to creative insight? Anecdotal evidencesuggeststhatmonitoringandreplenishingyourenergymaywellleadtogreatercreative output.Many of our brightestminds have used some combination ofdailyspiritualorphysicalpreparation.PhotographerWilliamWegmanrideshis

bike asmany as twentymiles a daywhileNationalBookAwardwinner JohnIrvingstilltrainslikeawrestleratageseventy.

Exercise sharpens brain activity, reports Newsweek: “Almost everydimension of cognition improves from thirtyminutes of aerobic exercise, andcreativity is no exception. The type of exercise doesn’t matter, and the boostlastsforatleasttwohoursafterward.”26

Regular sleep doesn’t hurt, either. According to a Harvard study, withproper sleep and incubation, “People are 33 percent more likely to inferconnectionsamongdistantlyrelatedideas.”27

Adailymeditationpractice isanotherkindofpreparation.Oscar-winningactorJeffBridgesandGrammy-winningmusicianMobybothmeditateregularly.At its best, meditation trains your mind to be attentive and focused, and it’scommonlyassumedtoreducestress.Overtime,meditationcanleadtobetteruseofthebrain’sfaculties,agreatersenseofcompassion,andincreasedsensitivitytotheinherentconnectionsbetweenideas.

InhisbookCatching theBigFish, filmmakerDavidLynchsuggests thatcompaniescansolveproductivityproblemsbyadvocatingmeditation:

Insteadofinstillingfear,ifacompanyofferedawayforeveryoneinthebusinesstodivewithin—tostartexpandingenergyandintelligence—peoplewouldworkovertimeforfree.Theywouldbefarmorecreative.Andthecompanywouldjustleapforward.Thisisthewayitcanbe.It’snotthewayitis,butitcouldbethatwaysoeasily.28

Ultimately,there’snodefinitivewaytomanufactureinsight.It’ssituational,andit comes down to what works for you. What we do know for sure is thatwhenever your brain senses a pattern and gets too comfortable, creativitystagnatesandit’stimetotrysomethingelse.

In the end, preparing for insight is all aboutbeingpersistent, throwingawrenchinto theworksfromtimeto time,andalwaysworkingtostayonestepaheadofcomplacency.

SCOTTMCDOWELLworkswithnonprofitandsocially-mindedbusinessleaderstosolvebigproblemsandgenerateorganizationalpotency.HerunstheconsultingandexecutivesearchfirmCHMPartners.AndyWarholwasright:“Makingmoneyisartandworkingisartandgoodbusinessisthebestart.”ScottonceproducedMTV’s120MinutesandcurrentlyhostsTheLongRallyonWFMU.

→www.chm-partners.com

Q&A:

TRICKINGYOURBRAININTOCREATIVITY

–

withStefanSagmeister

DesignerandtypographerStefanSagmeisterisknownforhisunorthodoxapproachtocreativity.Whetherit’swritingamessageonthegroundofapublicsquareusing250,000coinsortakingayear-longsabbaticaleverysevenyears,Sagmeisterbringsauniquelevelofmeticulouscraftandthoughtfulnesstohiswork.AsevidencedbyhisbookThingsIHaveLearnedinMyLifeSoFar,he’salsopartialtoextractinglessonsfromhislifeexperience.Wespokewithhimabouthowbrainhackscanleadustoahamomentsandwhynothingismoreimportantthanmappingbigcreativeprojectsrightintoyourdailyschedule.

Youhavetoproducegreatcreativeworkonadailybasis.Doyouhaveanyritualsforfindingarhythm?

Itrytodothemostdifficultthingsearlyinthemorning.IfIstartwitheasystuff,meaning if I start checking and answering e-mail, it’s very difficult to thenconvincemyselftododifficultthingslateron.

Whatdoyoudowhenyouneedabreakthrough?

OnetrickIusealotistothinkaboutaproblemfromatotallydifferentpointofview. It’s a technique from Edward de Bono, a philosopher from Malta. Hewroteanumberofbooksaboutthenatureofthinkingandhowtogetbetteratit.

The idea is thatyou takea startingpoint thathasnothing todowith theprojectitself.IusedthistechniquefortheidentitywedidforamusiccenterinPortugal—Casa da Musica. It came out of the point of view of a car. I waslookingoutfromaterrace,andIsawacar,andthenIstartedthinkingabouttheidentity from the perspective of a car. Let’s see, it’smoving. It’smoving, oh,maybe it goes fromone thing to another.Theperspectiveneeds to change theidentity,andsoforth.In theend,ofcourse,nobodycould tell that theCasadaMusicaidentitycamefromcars.

The reason that de Bono thinks this works is because our brain is soincredibly good at thinking in repetition. If youwant to come upwith a newidea,thefirstthingyoucanalwaysdoisthinkofsomethingthatyoudidbeforeorsomethingthatyou’veseenbefore.Sostartingwithsomeone,orsomewhere,elseisjustbasicallyatricktofoolthebrainoutofthinkinginrepetition.

Whataboutcreativeconstraints?Doyouthinktheycanhelp?

Ithinkthatanykindoflimitationisuseful.Anykindoflimitationthatisclear,and that’s there from the beginning.BrianEno has thiswonderful little quoteabout the electric guitar. He says the electric guitar became the dominantinstrumentofthetwentiethcenturysimplybecauseit’ssuchastupidinstrument.Itcandosoverylittle.Butitcandoafewthingsvery,verywell,andthereforeitallowshumannaturetogototheedgeofwhat’spossible.

You’remakingadocumentarycalledTheHappyFilm.Doyoufindthatexploringanothermediumlikefilmfeedsbackintoyourdesignprocessinusefulways?

Ifeel themostsatisfiedifIworkonprojectswhereIknowabouthalfofwhatI’mdoing and I don’t know the other half. If I go toomuch in one direction,meaningifIknowtoolittleaboutsomething,Iget tooanxious.AndifIknowtoomuchaboutsomething,Igettoobored.

Howdoyoufindtimetoworkonthefilmamidallofyourclientprojects?

IhaveFridaysetasideasafilmday.Buttheworkwasquitedifficulttokeepupin thebeginningof the film,because therewasn’t any real structure and therewas no forwardmomentum besidesme thinking about it.Now it has becomeeasierbecausethereareotherpeopleinvolved,andtherearethingsthatneedtobedone—whetherIfeellikedoingthemornot.

Whenyouwereworkingonyourown,howdidyoustaymotivated?

Well,IknowfrommysabbaticalsthatIhavetocarveouttimeandthattimehasto stay untouched nomatterwhat. Okay, I’m gonna do Friday film day. So IwenttothecalendarandIcrossedoutallFridaysandeverysingledayhadafilmdayinthere.SowhenIhavetoschedulesomethingfourmonthsinadvanceandsomebodywantstomeetmeonaFriday,Icansay,“No,Ican’tmeetyouonaFriday, you can meet me on a Thursday.” Now, I think that’s pretty muchPlanning101.Youputthethingsthatyoureallywantdointoyourcalendar.

There’sawonderfulstoryaboutaNobelPrizewinner…Hewasaskedbysomecorporation to talkabout timeplanning.Hegetsup infrontof thegroupwithaglassjar,andhesays,“AllIcantellyouabouttimeplanning,Icanshowyouintwominutes.”Thenhetakesoutabunchofbigstonesandputsthemintothe jar, filling itup to the top, thenhe takesoutapocketfulof tinystonesandputsthemin,thenhepourssomesandin,andthenfinallyhepourssomewaterintothejar—andthat’showitallfits.

The moral was pretty clear, we have to put the big stones in first;

otherwise,theotherstuffwon’tfit.

Sothebigstonesareourbigcreativeprojectsinthiscase?

Exactly,thestuffyoureallywanttodo.Ifyoudon’tputthosethingsintoyourcalendarandstandbythattime,it’snevergoingtogetdone.Allthesmallstuffwilltrickleinandtherewon’tberoom.

Ifyouwantdoprojectsthatyoureallylove,youhavetobeawareofhowdifficult they are to do. For a long time Iwasn’t doing certain projects, but IthoughtIwouldlovetodothemifIhadthetime.Then,whenIhadthetime,IavoideddoingthembecauseofalltheotherstuffthatIstillneededtodo,likee-mail. And it’s just somuch easier to do e-mail than to actually sit down andthink.

Ithinkweneedthatself-awareness.Thatwedon’thavetimebecauseit’sconvenient not to have the time, because maybe we don’t want to challengeourselves.

STEFANSAGMEISTERisaNewYork–basedgraphicdesignerandtypographerwhooperatesthedesignfirmSagmeister&WalshInc.HehasdesignedalbumcoversforLouReed,OKGo,TheRollingStones,DavidByrne,Aerosmith,andPatMetheny,andheistheauthorofThingsIHaveLearnedinMyLifeSoFar.

→www.sagmeister.com

LETTINGGOOFPERFECTIONISM

–

ElizabethGraceSaunders

“Ican’tbeaperfectionistbecausenothingIdoiseverperfect,”wasmynot-so-self-awareresponsewhenoneofmymentorssuggestedthatImighthaveperfectionisttendencies.InthesevenyearssinceIreceivedthatfeedback—andcametounderstandshehadinfactdiagnosedmeperfectly—I’vegrappledwithhowtomanagethese“tendencies”sothattheydon’tunderminemyabilitytoproducegreatwork.

I’vediscovered that, regardlessofourpatternsofbehavior in thepast,wecanchoosetoactdifferentlyinthepresent—andthataconsciousdecisiontonotletperfectionismcontrolusmakesahugedifferenceinourabilitytobreakthroughourlimitsandenjoythecreativeprocess.

Incaseyou’rewonderingifyousufferfromthesameailmentthatplaguedmefordecades,hereareafewdefinitionsofperfectionism:

Apersonalitydispositioncharacterizedbyanindividualstrivingforflawlessnessandsettingexcessivelyhighperformancestandards,accompaniedbyoverlycriticalself-evaluationsandconcernsregardingothers’evaluations.29

Adispositiontoregardanythingshortofperfectionasunacceptable.30

Doeitherofthesesoundstrangelyfamiliar?Thesedefinitionshighlight thetwoprimarymentalpatterns, idealismand

judgment, that lead to the twocentral emotional states, fearandpride.Fromaperfectionist’spointofview, ifyoumanagetoforceyourself intoproducingatthelevelyouenvisionedinyourhead,youfeelontopoftheworld.Ifyoucan’tmeasureuptothosestandards,you’recrushed.

Admittedly, thisstrivingcan leadtosomepretty incrediblework.Artists,writers,anddesignershaveproducedbreathtakinglyexecutedpiecesduetotheirrelentlesspursuitoftheideal.Butatwhatcost?

Anoveremphasis onperfection can lead to enormous stress (think angryflare-ups or spontaneous tears). At best, it canmake you hesitate to immerseyourselfinanewproject.Atworst,thispatterncanleadtoyouabandoningyourcreativepursuitsbecauseof the toll they takeonyouphysically,mentally,andemotionally.

Ironically, perfectionism can also inhibit your ability to reach your fullpotential. If you refuse toputyourself in a situationwhereyoumightgive animperfect performance, you’ll prevent yourself from receiving the properfeedback,input,anddirectionnecessaryforadditionalgrowth.

Tohelpyouachievebreakthroughs in areaswhereperfectionismmaybeholdingyouback,I’veoutlinedtwocontrastingapproachesthatyoucantakeateachphaseofthecreativeprocess.Thecreativeperfectionistapproachcanhelpyou identify if perfectionism stands in theway of your progress.The creativepragmatistapproachdemonstratesamoreeffectivewaytoproceed.

Inallcases,youare the“I,”your importantcreativework is the“piece,”andtheabilitytodecidehowyoumoveforwardlieswithinyourcontrol.Choosewisely.

STUCKATTHESTARTTheCreativePerfectionistApproach: I cannot startmy new piece until theideal moment, meaning I have a large uninterrupted block of time, no otherdistractions, a strong level ofmotivation toworkon the project, and the ideal

planforhowtooptimizetheentireprocess.ThistypicallymeansthatIendupdoing nothing—and feeling horribly guilty about procrastinating—until I havenootherchoicebuttobegin.Thisforcesmetoproceedatafranticpace,stayingupallhoursofthenightandneglectingalmosteverythingelse.I’msofrustratedbecauseIknowIcoulddoabetterjobifIhadjuststartedsooner.

TheCreativePragmatistApproach:IknowtherewillneverbeanidealtimetobeginsoIsetasidetimetogetstartedononepartoftheprocess.WhenIgettothattime,regardlessofwhetherIfeellikedoingtheworkorwhetheritseemslikethemosturgentpriorityatthemoment,IgetstartedonwhatIcandonow.Attheendofthatinitialstart,IdecidewhenIwillmoveforwardontheprojectagain.IunderstandthatthefirststageofworkingonthepieceismessyandthattheprojectinevitablywilltakelongerandhavemorecomplexitythanIinitiallyanticipate.Butthat’sokaybecauseIhavetimetoadaptandadjustmyplansandstillmeetmygoalsandcreategoodwork.

LOSTINTHEMIDDLETheCreativePerfectionistApproach: Imustobsessover everydetail of thepiece,regardlessofwhetheranyoneelsewillnotice.Thisleadsmetoreviseandedit myself at every step instead of givingmyself permission to bang out animperfect first draft. Also, whenever I think of something I could research inrelationtomypiece,Idelveintolearningasmuchaspossibleaboutthesubject,even if Idonot reallyneed the informationandcouldneveruseallof it.Thisleadstomyspendinglotsandlotsoftimeonmypiecebutnothavingmuchinthewayoftangibleresultstoshowformyefforts.

IalsoendupfeelingreallyoverwhelmedbecauseIknowsomuchthat itmakesitdifficulttofocusandnarrowdownmypossibilities.ThismeansthatIoften overdo the first part of my creative project in terms of time spent andattentiontodetail.ThenIcanbarelyskimthesurfaceofwhatIshoulddofortherestofthepiecewhenitcomesclosetocrunchtime.

TheCreativePragmatistApproach:Idefinethemeaningfulenddeliverablesandthenstarttoclarifytheintermediatestepstocreatethem.Ilookathowmuchtime I have between now andmy projected end date.By “time” Imean both

numberofweeksandnumberofhoursduringthoseweekstomovethisprojectforward.ThenIallocatemytimebudget to the incrementalsteps,weightedbytherealityoftheminimumtimethatittakestocompletetheelementsandalsobytheimportanceofthatelementtotheoverallsuccessoftheproject.

Then,asImovethroughtheprocess,IpushmyselftokeeppacewiththegoalsI’veset,producinggoodenoughworkwithinthetimeIhavetospendandgivingmyselfpermissiontocirclebackifIstillhaveadditionalhoursattheend.ThiswillensurethatIdon’tover-invest inlessimportant itemsandthenbotchthefinish.

REFUSALTOFINISHTheCreativePerfectionistApproach: If I can think of anythingmore that Icouldpossiblydotoimprove,refine,oraddtothepiece,thenitisn’tdone.Iftheworkhasn’tattainedtheidealsetinmyheadatthestart,it’sinaccuratetosayit’scomplete.

TheCreativePragmatistApproach:Idefine“finished”ashavingatleastmettheminimumrequirementsforthepieceandasknowingthatI’vedonethebestIcouldgiventhetimeandresourcesallocatedtotheproject.Sayingsomethingiscomplete doesn’tmean that it can’t be improveduponor elaboratedon in thefuture.ItjustmeansthatIcansubmititandmoveontootherwork.

DREADOFFEEDBACKTheCreativePerfectionistApproach:Ifsomeonepointsoutamistake,hasadifferent opinion, mentions something I didn’t include, or has anything otherthanincrediblypositivethingstosayaboutapiece,Ifeelembarrassedandlikeatotalfailure.IworrythatmyexpertiseandrespectisinquestionandthatotherswillthinkI’mincompetentandanimpostor.

TheCreativePragmatistApproach:Iappreciatefeedbackbecauseithelpsmeto test and refinemywork. Imay agree or disagreewith the input and I canchoosehowIrespondtoit.IfIneveropenmyselfuptoothers’insights,Imight

missoutonsomethingreallywonderful.Myworkisimprovedandmyworldisexpandedthroughtheinputofothers.

AFINALNOTEONLETTINGGOAsarecoveringperfectionistmyself, Icompletelyunderstand thatwhat IhavedescribedastheCreativePragmatistApproachmaysoundlike(gasp!)settling.Toaperfectionist,settlingseemsworsethannotcompletingthepiece,whichiswhyperfectionistsoftenproduceverylittle.ButIreallywanttochallengeyoutolook through these examples again and test themout inyour creativeprocess.Myguessisthatyou’llfindyouproducefarmoreandfarbetterworkwithmuchlessstressbyaimingforless-than-perfect.Thisapproachallowsyoutorecapturetheenergythatyoutypicallywasteonemotionalangstsothatyoucanfocusitontheelementsofthecreativeprocessthatmattermost.

ELIZABETHGRACESAUNDERSistheauthorofThe3SecretstoEffectiveTimeInvestment:HowtoAchieveMoreSuccesswithLessStressandthefounderandCEOofRealLifeETimeCoaching&Training.Elizabethisdedicatedtoempoweringpeoplearoundtheworldtoaccomplishmorewithpeaceandconfidence.

→www.ScheduleMakeover.com

GETTINGUNSTUCK

–

MarkMcGuinness

NovelistVikramSethoncefoundhimselfblockedafterwritingthefirsthundredpagesofastorysetinpost-independenceIndia.Inspiteofhisbesteffortstomovethestoryforward,itstubbornlyresisted,untilonedayherealizedhehadoverlookedtherealproblem:hesimplydidn’tknowenoughabouttheperiod.

Once he understood this, Seth switched fromwriting to research, reading oldnewspapers,visitingkeyplaces,andinterviewingpeoplewhohadlivedthroughtheera.Thisgavehimsomuchmaterialthathisplannedshortnovelgrewintoa1,500-pagedoorstop.Thefinishedwork,ASuitableBoy,landedhimarumored$1.1millionadvanceandestablishedhimasaliterarysuperstar.31

Ifindthisstoryencouragingfortworeasons:first,ifyou’rewrestlingwitha creative block, it’s a great reminder that even the stars get stuck; second, itshowsthatthesolutioncanbesurprisinglystraightforwardonceyouunderstandtheproblemcorrectly.

Faced with a block, it would have been easy for Seth to question hisabilitiesortokeepbanginghisheadagainstit.Butit turnedoutthattherewasnothing wrong with his literary talents, and trying harder at the wrong thingwasn’tgettinghimanywhere.Hesimplydidn’tknowenough,soheneeded tolearnmore.Oncehedidthat,thestorystartedtoflowagain.

The next time you experience a creative block, resist the temptation todoubtyourself,ortoputinmoreblindeffort.Stopandaskyourselfwhatkindofblockyouareexperiencing.Onceyou’reclearaboutthenatureoftheproblem,it

will be easier to solve it. To help you get started, here are six of the mostcommontypesofcreativeblock,withsolutionsforeach.

INSPIRATIONDROUGHTWhenworking on a large creative project, youmay reach a pointwhere yourinitial inspiration runs dry. You find it harder and harder to muster anyenthusiasmforthework,letaloneoriginalideas.

TheAdventuresofTomSawyer is regardedasoneof thegreatAmericannovels,butatonepointitsauthordespairedoffinishingit.InhisAutobiography,MarkTwaindescribesreachingapointinthestorywherehefeltunabletogoon:“My tankhad rundry.”Heabandoned it for twoyearsand turnedhismind toother things.Whenheeventuallypickedupthemanuscriptagain,hemade the“great discovery” that the “tank” of his imagination had refilled itself in themeantime,andhewasabletocompletethestory.Thisdiscoverywasaturningpoint in Twain’swriting career: he learned towatch out for the point in eachsubsequentbookwhenhistankrandry,andtotakeabreakbeforefinishingit.

Takea leafoutofTwain’sbook.Lookout for the telltalesigns thatyourtank isempty,anduse themasacue to takeabreakand letyourunconscioustakethestrain.Relaxorapplyyourselftoacompletelydifferenttypeofproject.Youmaynothavetwoyears tosetyourprojectasideifadeadlineis looming,but even a short break can work wonders when you’re running low oninspiration.

EMOTIONALBARRIERCreativitycanbeintense.Facedwiththeunknown,youmaybescaredofwhatyou’lldiscoveror revealaboutyourself.Maybeyour subjectmatter ispainful,embarrassing,ordownrightweird.Whateveryou’retryingtoavoid,theonlyendproductisprocrastination.

WhenIwasastudent,thenovelistJohnFowlesspokeatmycollege.Whensomebodyaskedifhehadanyadviceforyoungwriters,hetalkedaboutfeelingembarrassedabout thesexualcontentofsomeofhisnovelswhenhe imaginedhis parents reading them. In the end he burst through the barrier bymentallyshouting,“Fuckmyparents!”ashesatdowntowrite.

Give yourself permission to write, draw, or otherwise express whatevercomesout—ontheunderstandingthatyouwillnotmakeitpublic,atleastforawhile. Privacy will make it easier to get the draft version done. Then take abreakbeforedecidingwhetheryouwanttoshowittoanaudience.

MIXEDMOTIVATIONSThere’s quite a bit of evidence that extrinsicmotivations—such asmoney andreputation—haveanegativeimpactoncreativity.It’sonlywhenyou’refocusedonintrinsicmotivations—suchasyourfascinationwiththematerialorthesheerpleasureyoutakeincreatingit—thatyoudoyourbestwork.

Thisexplainsthewell-knownphenomenonof“sophomoreslumps”amongbands.Whenletlooseinthestudiofortheirfirstalbum,themusicianscanbarelycontain theirenthusiasmoverbeinggiven theopportunity tomake theirmusicthe way they had always wanted to. But if the album brings success, it alsobrings pressure—there’smore riding on the follow-up, they have a reputationand lifestyle to maintain—which makes them more likely to start second-guessingtheirinstincts.

Once the contract is signed and the deal is done (whether it’s an album,clientcommission,ora job),putall thoughtsof rewardsoutofyourmindandfocusrelentlesslyontheworkitself.Itmayhelptohaveastudioorotherspacededicated to creative work—a place you never “contaminate” by talkingbusinessordaydreamingaboutsuccesswhileyou’rethere.

PERSONALPROBLEMSCreativitydemandsfocus,andit’shardtoconcentrateifyou’regettingdivorced,dealingwithateethingtoddler,battlinganaddiction,fallingoutwithyourbestfriend,grievingsomeonespecial,movinghouses,or lockedinadisputewithaneighbor.Ifyou’relucky,you’llonlyhavetodealwiththesekindsofthingsoneatatime—buttroublesoftencomeintwosorthrees.

Frida Kahlo’s life was marked by suffering. She had polio as a childfollowedby a terrible traffic accident as teenager,which led to chronic healthissues. She spent long periods alone and in pain. Her stormymarriage—thendivorce and remarriage—to fellow Mexican painter Diego Rivera brought a

wholenewsetofproblems,includinginfidelitiesandprofessionalrivalry.Kahloturnedtopaintingwhenshewasbedriddenafterheraccident,andherdedicationto her art was a constant throughout the tribulations of her personal life. Shetransformedhersolitarysufferingintoart:“IpaintmyselfbecauseIamsooftenaloneandbecauseIamthesubjectIknowbest.”

Treatyourworkasarefuge—anoasisofcontrolandcreativesatisfactionin the midst of the bad stuff. Don’t beat yourself up if you’re not on firecreatively every day—give yourself credit if you showup forwork andmakeevenasmallamountofprogress.Whenyouputdownyourtoolsfortheday,youmayevenseeyourpersonalsituationwithafresheye.

POVERTYThis isn’t justaboutmoney,althougha lackofcash isaperennialproblemforcreatives. You could also be time-poor, knowledge-poor, have a threadbarenetwork,orbeshortofequipmentorotherthingsyouneedtogetthejobdone.

SamuelJohnsonfamouslywrotehisbookRasselas inoneweek tocoverhis mother’s funeral expenses. Shane Carruth wrote, directed, produced, andstarred inhiscultmoviePrimer, filming it in fiveweeksandkeeping thecostdownto$7,000byfillingthecastwithfriendsandfamilyanddoingeverythinghimself. Inorder tocapitalizeon thechart successof their singles, theBeatlesrecorded ten songs in a single day at a reported £400 to complete their debutalbum,PleasePleaseMe.

Make a virtue of necessity and set yourself the creative challenge ofachieving as much as possible with what you have. If you’re still in doubt,considerthefirstandsecondStarWarstrilogiesandaskyourselfwhethermoreresourcesalwaysequalbetterresults.

PRESENTATIONPROBLEMSIn 1976, Iggy Pop’s career was on the skids. His band, the Stooges, haddisintegrated in chaos and his drug use had gotten so out of control that hecheckedhimself intoapsychiatrichospital.Afterward,hisfriendDavidBowieinvitedhimtotravelasaguestontheStationtoStationtour;Popwasimpressedby the smooth operation of Bowie’s touring and marketing machine. The

following yearBowie produced Pop’s albumsTheIdiot andLust for Life andtouredwith him to promote them.They becamehis best-known solo releases.BowiehadalwaysadmiredPop’stalentsasawriterandperformer,butittookaproduction and marketing makeover before the wider world sat up and tooknotice.

Ifyou’vespentyearspluggingawaywithaminusculeaudienceorclientlist, youmay start towonderwhy you bother.Youmay not see yourself as anaturalmarketer,butsometimesa fewtweaks toyourpresentationcanmakeahuge difference to your impact and the rewards you reap.Which in turn canreplenishyourenthusiasmforyourwork.

This is where creativity blends into communication skills. You need tounderstand and influence the right people. Which means beefing up yourpresentation,marketing,andnetworkingskills.Itdoesn’tmatterifyou’reshyorintroverted. If you want to succeed, you need to communicate. And grow athickerskin.Showmeacreativewho’sneversufferedasetbackorabadreview,andyouwon’tbepointingatasuperstar.

Mann,Fowles,Kahlo,Twain,Pop…ifyou’refeelingstuckanddiscouraged,takeheart from the fact thatyou’re ingoodcompany.Noneof these “greats”wereimmunefromcreativeblocks.Infact,oneofthethingsthatmadethemgreatwastheirpersistenceinthefaceofself-doubt,criticism,andrejection.

I’mnotsayingyoushouldseekthesethingsout,butdon’tshyawayfromthem either. If you accept that they are simply an occupational hazard forcreative professionals, you’ve taken the first step toward getting unstuck andbackinyourcreativezone.

MARKMCGUINNESSisacoachforcreativeprofessionals.BasedinLondon,hecoachesclientsallovertheworldandconsultsforcreativecompanies.HeistheauthorofthebookResilience:FacingDownRejectionandCriticismontheRoadtoSuccessandacolumnistfor99U.

→www.LateralAction.com

KEYTAKEAWAYS–

SharpeningYourCreativeMind

PRACTICEUNNECESSARYCREATIONUsepersonalcreativeprojectstoexplorenewobsessions,skills,orwaysofworkinginalow-pressureenvironment.WANDERLONELYASACLOUDMake time for your mind—and body—to wander when you’re stuck.Disengagingfromtheproblemallowsyoursubconscioustodoitswork.DEFINE“FINISHED”FROMTHESTARTKeepyourinnerperfectionistincheckbydefiningwhatfinishedlookslikeatthebeginningofaproject.Andwhenyougetthere,stop!DON’TGOONAUTOPILOTRepetition is the enemy of insight. Take unorthodox—even wacky—approachestosolvingyourstickiestproblemsandseewhathappens.SEARCHFORTHESOURCEWhen the well runs dry, don’t blame a lack of talent. Creative blocksfrequentlypiggybackonotherproblems.Seeifyoucanidentifythem.LOVEYOURLIMITATIONSLookatconstraintsasabenefit, rather thanan impediment.Theyactivateourcreativethinkingbyuppingtheante.

Getmoreinsightsandthedesktopwallpaperat:→www.99u.com/aha

HOWPROCANYOUGO?

–

byStevenPressfield

Inouryouth,whenwe’reoperatingasamateurs,we’renousetoourselvesortoanyoneelse—atleastintherealmoffulfillingourdestiny,thearenaofgettingsomethingdone.

At theamateur level, theonly skillswepossessare thoseofdropping the ball, flaking out, panicking at opportunities, over-aggressivelyassertingour“rights,”and ingeneralgetting inourownway.

Whenweturnpro,allthatchanges.

Butturningproisnotaone-and-doneproposition.Therearemanylevelsofprofessionalism.It’simportant,Ibelieve,tohaveaconceptoftheselevelsfromthestart.Thelongview.Whatarewegettingourselvesintowhenwesay,“Iwanttopaint,”“Iwanttolaunchastart-up,”“Iwanttoshootfilm”?

Here’smyversionoftheroadmap,asthesestepshaveunfoldedinmyownlife.StageOneissimplybeingabletositdownandwork,ifonlyforasinglehour.Don’tlaugh.Ninety-nineoutofahundredcan’tdoit.Thisstageisentry-level.It’skindergarten.Still,Iconfessittookmesevenyearsofhelltoreachthisstage,onenightinaManhattansubletmanymoonsago.

Thenextstageisbeingabletorepeatthatsinglehour.Canweworkagainthenextday?Canwestayatitallday?Canwekeepitupforaweek?

Atthisstagewearelikethecartoonfishemergingfromtheprimevalseatotakeitsfirsthaltingflipper-stepsontodryland.Thismomentishuge.It’sepochal.Butwe’restilljustaCambriancoelacanthcrawlingat.0001milesperhourandgaspingforoxygenwithourgills.

(Atthisstage,bytheway,we’renoteventhinkingaboutquality.TheideathatyouandImighteventuallyproducesomething—abook,afilm,astart-up—worthyoftheattentionofanotherhumanbeing…that’ssofaroff,wecan’tevenconceiveofit.)

Whatwe’redoinginfactislearning(teachingourselves,becausetheydon’thavecoursesinthisstuffattheWhartonSchoolortheIowaWriters’Workshop)howtomanageouremotions,controlourimpulsetoself-sabotage,andkeepontruckin’inthefaceofadversity.

StageThreeisCrossingtheFinishLine.Startingat“A”iseasy.Butcanwemakeitallthewayto“Z”?CanwetypeTHEENDandactuallyhavesomethinginbetweenthatstandsup?

(Frommyowninitialmomentofturningpro,ittookanotherfouryearstoreachthispoint.)

Ifwecanwriteachapter,canwewriteashortstory?Ifwecanfilmashortsubject,canweputtogetherafeature?

Atthisstage,wearenolongerbreathingthroughgills.Wehavelungsnow;wearestandingonourhindlegsandspeakingincompletesentences.Andwe’rebeginningtoaddressquality.We’reacquiringcraft,experience,andskill.Wehaveproducedaproductthatworks,thatdeliversvalueforothers,andthatstandsonitsowninthemarketplace.Areweprosyet?

Yesandno.

Wehavebangedoutonework,butcanwedelivertwo?

IdefineResistanceasthatself-createdandself-perpetuated,invisible,impersonal,indefatigableforcewhosesoleaimistopreventusfromdoingourwork,frombecomingourbestselves,andfromrisingtothenextlevelofcompetence,integrity,andgenerosity.

Thatforcenevergoesaway.Infact,itbecomesmoreproteanandmorecunningasweadvancethroughthelevelsofprofessionalism.

ItwilltrytokillusnowbetweenWork#1andWork#2.Itwillattackusbymakingusarrogant.Wewillbecomeself-inflated,complacent.Atthesametime,Resistancewillundermineuswithfear.Itwilltelluswe’reaOne-HitWonder,aflashinthepan.

ThepassagefromSuccess#1toSuccess#2isanotherepochalodyssey.It’sourHero’sJourney.Withinthisordeal,weacquiresimultaneouslyself-relianceandself-surrender.

We’retalking,now,aboutacareer.

Ifyou’reawriter,canyoupictureashelfofbookswithyournameonthespines?Ifyou’reamoviemaker,canyouenvisionyourfilmographyonIMDb?Ifyou’reanentrepreneur,canyouevolveandreinventyourselfthroughStart-up#1toFailure#6,fromCrash-and-Burn#9toBlockbuster#12andbeyond?

Canyouhandlesuccess?Canyouresurrectyourselfafterfailure?Canyoudelegate?Canyououtsource?Canyouworkwithothers?Canyouturnaroundandhelpthenextgenerationcomingupbehindyou?

Willyourethicsfailunderpressure?Willyoupander,willyousellout?Whataboutwhentheworldchangesandbooks/movies/philanthropicventuresareallbeingproducedbyrobots?CanyourelocatetoMarsandstartagain?

Asyoutravelthroughlife,letthisbeourgoal:keepyoureyeonthedonutandnotonthehole.

Butwhatisthedonut?

Isitmoney?Power,sex,glory,notoriety?Isitservice?Altruism?Dowereallyhavea“message”wewanttosend?

Whatisaprofessional,anyway?

Aprofessionalissomeonewhocankeepworkingatahighlevelofeffortand

ethics,nomatterwhatisgoingon—forgoodorill—aroundhimorinsidehim.

Aprofessionalshowsupeveryday.

Aprofessionalplayshurt.

Aprofessionaltakesneithersuccessnorfailurepersonally.

Intheend,forme,itcomesdowntotheworkitself.Aprogetsyoungerandmoreinnocentasheorsheascendsthroughthelevels.It’saparadox.Wegetsaltyandcynical,butwecreepcloser,too,tothewonder.Youhavetooryoucan’tkeepgoing.Anyothermotivationwillburnyouout.

Youdevelopapractice,andthepracticegetssimplerandlessself-orientedovertime.Werisethroughthelevelsofprofessionalismbyaprocessofsurrender.Wesurrendertoourgift,whateverthatmaybe.Wegiveourselvesuptothegoddessandtotheprocess.

AsShakespeareorSapphoorBruceSpringsteenevolvefromworktowork,yetalwaysretaintheirShakespeare-ness,Sappho-ness,andSpringsteenitude,so,too,youandImustkeepmorphingtothemelodythatourearsalonecanhear.Eachlevelgetsharder,eachthresholddemandsmore.

Isthisapathyouwanttotravel?Didsomeonesayitwaseasy?Doyouhaveachoice?

STEVENPRESSFIELDistheauthorofTheWarofArtandTurningProandthenovelsGatesofFire,TheLegendofBaggerVanceandTheProfession.

→www.stevenpressfield.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

–

Muchapplausemustgotoourincrediblebraintrustofcontributors:DanAriely,LeoBabauta,ScottBelsky,LoriDeschene,AaronDignan,ErinRooneyDoland,SethGodin,ToddHenry,ChristianJarrett,ScottMcDowell,MarkMcGuinness,CalNewport, StevenPressfield,GretchenRubin, Stefan Sagmeister, ElizabethGraceSaunders,TonySchwartz,TiffanyShlain,LindaStone,andJamesVictore.Thisbookwouldquite literallybenothingwithoutyour insightsandexpertise.Thankyouforthetime,energy,andgenerosityittooktosharethemwithus.

IowemanythanksforthebeautifulcoverdesignsandinteriorlayouttothevisionofBehanceco-founderandchiefofdesignMatiasCorea—oneofmyabsolutefavoritecreativecollaborators—andtotheexcellenteyeofourtalenteddesignerRaewynBrandon.

Thisbookwouldnotexist,norwoulditreadsoeffortlessly,withouttheenthusiasm,advocacy,andeditorialchopsofDavidMoldaweratAmazon,whohasbeenastalwartsupporterofBehanceand99Usincetheearlydays.Thankyouforbelievinginourmissionandhelpingusbringittoalargeraudience.

IamalsoindebtedtoCourtneyDodsonforshepherdingthisbookgracefullythroughproduction,to99UassociateeditorSeanBlandaforincisivethoughtsonthemanuscript,andtotheentireBehanceandAmazonteamsfortheirincrediblesupport,talent,andtenacity.

Lastly,Imustextendmuch,muchappreciationtoScottBelskyforhisinvaluableinputonplanning,shaping,andrefiningthisbookseries,and—moreimportant—forbelievinginme.Havingthechancetolead99UaspartofBehance’s

missiontoempowerthecreativeworldhasbeen—andwillcontinuetobe—anincredibleandinvigoratingopportunityforwhichIamdeeplygrateful.

ABOUT99U

–99UisBehance’sefforttodeliverthe“missingcurriculum”thatyoudidn’tgetin school, highlighting best practices for making ideas happen. We do thisthrough interviews,articles,andvideosonourWebbyAward–winningwebsiteat99u.com,ourannual99Conference inNewYorkCity,ourbestsellingbookMakingIdeasHappen,andourongoing99Ubookseries,ofwhichManageYourDay-to-Dayisthefirstinstallment.

→www.99u.com

ABOUTTHEEDITOR

–Aseditor-in-chiefanddirector,JocelynK.Gleileadsthe99Uinitsmissiontoprovide the “missing curriculum” on making ideas happen. She oversees the99u.com website—which has won two Webby Awards for “Best CulturalBlog”—and leads the curation and execution of the popular 99 Conference,whichhaspresentedtalksfromvisionarycreativesincludingJackDorsey,BethComstock, JohnMaeda, JonathanAdler,StefanSagmeister, JadAbumrad,andmanymore.

PriortojoiningBehanceand99U,JocelynwastheglobalmanagingeditorattheonlinemediacompanyFlavorpill,leadingdevelopmentofneweditorialproducts.Shehasalsoconsultedwithdozensofbrandsandagencies,fromHermanMillertoPSFKtoHugeInc,oncontentstrategyandweblaunches.Shelovescreatingcontent-drivenproductsthatpeoplelove.

→www.jkglei.com

ENDNOTES

–

1.LisaRogak,HauntedHeart:TheLifeandTimesofStephenKing(NewYork:ThomasDunneBooks,2009),93.

2.BenYagoda,“SlowDown,SignOff,TuneOut,”NewYorkTimes,October22,2009.

3.L.L.Bowmanetal.,“CanStudentsReallyMultitask?AnExperimentalStudyOfInstantMessagingWhileReading,”ComputersandEducation,54(2010):927–931.

4.S.T.IqbalandE.Horvitz,“DisruptionandRecoveryofComputingTasks:FieldStudy,Analysis,andDirections,”ProceedingsoftheConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystems,2007.

5.A.Bucciol,D.HouserandM.Piovesan.“TemptationAtWork,”HarvardBusinessSchoolResearchPaper,no.11-090,2011.

6.S.Leroy,“WhyIsItSoHardToDoMyWork?TheChallengeOfAttentionResidueWhenSwitchingBetweenWorkTasks,”OrganizationalBehaviorandHumanDecisionProcesses,109,no.2(2009):168–181.

7.WalterMischel,EbbeB.Ebbesen,andAntonetteRaskoffZeiss,“CognitiveAndAttentionalMechanismsInDelayOfGratification,”JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology,vol.21,no.2(1972):204–218.

8.R.BaumeisterandJ.Tierney,Willpower:RediscoveringtheGreatestHumanStrength.(NewYork:PenguinPress,2011).

9.KimberlyD.ElsbachandAndrewB.Hargadon,“EnhancingCreativityThrough‘Mindless’Work:AFrameworkofWorkdayDesign,”OrganizationScience,17(4)470–483.

10.MurakamiHaruki,WhatITalkAboutWhenITalkAboutRunning(NewYork:Vintage,2009).

11.ChipBayers,“TheInnerBezos.”WIRED,March1999.

12.MichaelChuietal.,“TheSocialEconomy:UnlockingValueAndProductivityThroughSocialTechnologies,”McKinseyGlobalInstitute,2012.

13.DianaI.TamirandJasonP.Mitchell,“DisclosingInformationAboutTheSelfIsIntrinsicallyRewarding,”PNAS,vol.109,no.21(2012):8038–8043.

14.GretchenReynolds,“GetUp.GetOut.Don’tSit,”NewYorkTimes,October17,2012.

15.LindaStone,“JustBreathe:BuildingtheCaseforE-mailApnea,”HuffingtonPost,February8,2008.

16.PearceWright,“NitricOxide:FromMenaceToMarvelOfTheDecade.”AbriefingdocumentpreparedfortheRoyalSocietyandAssociationofBritishScienceWriters,1997.

17.NatalieAngier,“BrainIsaCo-ConspiratorinaViciousStressLoop,”NewYorkTimes,August17,2009.

18.StevenJohnson,WhereGoodIdeasComeFrom:TheNaturalHistoryofInnovation(NewYork:RiverheadBooks,2011),45.

19.DavidWhyte,TheHeartAroused:PoetryandthePreservationoftheSoulin

CorporateAmerica(NewYork:CrownBusiness,1996),83.

20.ThomasMertonandSueMonkKidd,NewSeedsofContemplation(NewYork:NewDirections,2007),98.

21.RayBradbury,ZenintheArtofWriting(SantaBarbara,CA:CapraPress,1989).

22.HenryMiller,OnWriting(NewYork:NewDirections,1964).

23.EricTamm,BrianEno:HisMusicandtheVerticalColorofSound(NewYork:DaCapo,1995).

24.Beatles,TheBeatlesAnthology.(SanFrancisco:ChronicleBooks,2000).

25.FrankLloydWright,TheEssentialFrankLloydWright:CriticalWritingsonArchitecture(Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress,2008).

26.PoBronsonandAshleyMerryman,“TheCreativityCrisis,”Newsweek,July10,2010.

27.LeslieBerlin,“We’llFillThisSpace,butFirstaNap,”NewYorkTimes,September27,2008.

28.DavidLynch,CatchingtheBigFish:Meditation,Consciousness,andCreativity(NewYork:Tarcher,2007),74.

29.Wikipediacontributors,“Perfectionism(psychology),”Wikipedia,TheFreeEncyclopedia,accessedNovember16,2012,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfectionism_(psychology).

30.“perfectionism,”Merriam-Webster.com,accessedNovember16,2012,http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfectionism.

31.RichardB.Woodward,“VikramSeth’sBigBook,”NewYorkTimes,May2,1993.

INDEX–

ATheAdventuresofTomSawyer(Twain),214–215Allen,David,141–142Allen,Woody,22Anderson,David,153Ariely,Dan,89–94Aristotle,39TheArtist’sWay(Cameron),173–174associativetriggers,28,65attention,67–69,101–103.Seealsofocus

BBabauta,Leo,59–62Baumeister,Roy,103Beatles,187–188,220Belsky,Scott,111–117Bezos,Jeff,113–114Bleckner,Ross,23blocks,42,213–219Bono,Edwardde,196bootcampapproachtowork,36–37Bowie,David,220Bowman,Laura,82Bradbury,Ray,46–47,185–186breathing,153–157,169

Bridges,Jeff,189Buck,PearlS.,30–31Buffett,Warren,132–133Burroughs,WilliamS.,193Buteykobreathing,157

CCage,John,148–149calm,60,164,187Cameron,Julia,110,173–175careerpaths,227–232Carruth,Shane,218CasadaMusica,194CatchingtheBigFish(Lynch),188–189challenges,217chaos,focusamidst,99–104.SeealsodistractionsChesney,Margaret,153choicearchitecture,92circadianrhythms,27–28Cleese,John,210–211Close,Chuck,235commitments,recordingall,28–29,65communicationskills,219compulsions,89–94,167confidence,176–177connectivity

compulsionand,89–94conscious,151–156costof,113energyrenewaland,52–54,109,–114focusand,67,71–75impactof,144,146intentionalityin,133–138keytakeawayson,167managing,119–167

motivesin,113multitaskingand,81–85opportunitycostsof,90psychologyof,133–134self-respectand,161–164settingboundarieson,135–136socialmedia,91–92,133–138stressfromconstant,151–155unpluggingfrom,143–146,167urgencyvs.importanceand,162–163

ConsciousComputing,151–156consistency,23,36constraints,186–187,195,223convenience,addictionto,71–75Covey,Stephen,159creativetriggers,28,65creativity,16–17

blocksin,42,213–219,223disengagementand,186–187emotionsand,42–43focusand,67–117focusonselfand,109–114frequencyand,33–37inspirationand,42,65keytakeawayson,223limitations/constraintsand,186–187,195mentalreadinessfor,183–188mindfulvs.mindlessworkand,102–103motivationand,216multitaskingand,81–85perfectionismand,203–205physicalpoiseand,187–188prioritizing,25–27reactiveworkvs.,25–27routineand,21–117salesabilityand,42–43schedulingtimefor,71–75

serendipityand,112–115sharpening,169–219solitudeand,59–62trickingyourmindinto,193–197workof,170–171foryourself,173–177

criticism,44curiosity,174–178

Ddecision-making,92–94Delacroix,Eugene,200–201delegation,230demandvs.capacity,51–52Deschene,Lori,133–138diaphragmaticbreathing,154–155dietandnutrition,49–50,52–53Dignan,Aaron,123–128disengagement,184–185distractions,68–69.Seealsofocus

e-mail,71–73hangovereffectfrom,84–85lettinggoof,127multitaskingand,81–86negative,100positive,100–101resisting,74

Doland,ErinRooney,99–104

Eegodepletion,93Elsbach,Kimberly,102e-mail.Seealsoconnectivity

apneafrom,153–156bestpracticesin,124compulsiontocheck,91–92,123–124energyrenewaltimeand,51–52,54,focusand,71–73managing,124–128multitaskingand,81–82prioritizing,25,26sleepand,145–146timespenton,124

emotionsasblocktocreativity,42creativeblocksand,215–216perfectionismand,205–209self-sabotageby,44

endorphins,134energylevels,27–28,65.Seealsorenewal

creativityand,187–188focusonselfand,110–114habitsand,101hangovereffectand,84–85mindfulvs.mindlessworkand,102–104renewalof,49–54rhythmsin,27–28,52solitudeand,59–60unpluggingfromconnectivityand,144–146

engagement,137,171Eno,Brian,185,195exercise,102–103,152,187expectations,23,27,176–177experimentation,175–177

Ffailure,dealingwith,230,231fear,44,188,204feedback

fearof,208perfectionismand,203,205

fight-or-flightresponse,154finishingwork,84–85,203–207,214–215flowstates,83focus,67–117

blocks,scheduling,73–75compulsionsand,89–94connectivityand,89–94creativeblocksand,219energylevelsand,117keytakeawayson,117locationand,75mindfulvs.mindlessworkand,102–104,117multitaskingand,81–85personalproblemsand,217positivedistractionand,100–101schedulingcreativethinkingtimeand,71–76solitudeand,59–62throughchaos,99–104training,102–104onyourself,110–117

food,50,Fowles,John,215Franzen,Jonathan,81,83–84Freedom(Franzen),81Freeman,John,72–73frequency,powerof,33–37

GGascoigne,Joel,184goals

complex,keepinginmind,126–127connectingbehaviorwith,126–127howprocanyougo?,227–232

perfectionismand,203–209personal,paychecksvs.,173–178self-respectand,161–164short-termvs.long-term,43–44,167world’svs.your,25–29

Godin,Seth,41–45

Hhabits,self-controland,101,163–164hangovereffect,84–85TheHappyFilm,195Hargadon,Andrew,102Harrison,George,186healthissues

connectivityand,162–164creativeinsightand,187energyrenewaland,49–54exercise,102–103,152,187fromscreentime,152–156,167

TheHeartAroused(Whyte),176Hemingway,Ernest,23Henry,Todd,173–178Horne,Lena,57hyperventilation,154

Iideas

keepingtrackof,23,34–35,177poweroffrequencyand,34repetitivethinkingand,194–195selling,42–43

IggyPop,218,219individuality,176–177

informationoverload,151.Seealsoconnectivityinsight,183–189inspiration,175–176,215–216

lossof,213–215,223waitingfor,99

InstantMessenger,82instincts,163–164,167,216Internet.Seeconnectivityintuition,113,163–164,167Irving,John,187

JJarrett,Christian,81–85Johnson,Samuel,218Johnson,Steven,175

KKahlo,Frida,217Keeney,Ralph,92Kelly,Kevin,120King,Stephen,28

Lleisure,111–112Leroy,Sophie,84lettinggo,203–209LifeandHealthSciencesResearchInstitute,154lifeexpectancy,152limitations,186–187,195,223listcreep,28location,focusand,75

Lynch,David,188–189

MMakingComics(McCloud),37martialarts,155McCloud,Scott,37McDowell,Scott,183–189McGuinness,Mark,25–29,213–220McKinseyGlobalInstitute,123McLuhan,Marshall,144,163meditation,61–62,162–163,187–188meetings,50Merton,Thomas,176–177metrics,72–73Michaels,Leigh,99Microsoft,83Miller,Henry,184mindfulness,15–19mindfulwork,102–103,121mindlesswork,102–103Moby,187momentum,34,185money,216–218morningpages,173–174motivation,196–197,216MountainSchool,110–111multitasking,81–85Murakami,Haruki,103

Nnervoussystem,screentimeand,151–154Newsweek,187NewYorkTimes,72

Nietzsche,Friedrich,87nitricoxide,153

Oobjectives.Seegoalsopportunitycosts,90,177OrganizationScience(journal),102OrtegayGasset,José,107

Pperfectionism,203–209persistence,23,26,219personalproblems,217perspective,changing,194phones,145,153–154,162–164.Seealsoconnectivitypointofview,194positivedistraction,100–101posture,61,101,153,155potential,livingupto,174–175,203–205poverty,217–218practice

routineand,42insolitude,61–62

presentationproblems,218–219Pressfield,Steven,227–232pressure,34–35,177Primer,218priorities

beingpresentas,113–114focusand,71–76multitaskingand,84–85urgencyvs.importanceand,164–165world’svs.your,15–19,25–29

problemsolving,84–85,188procrastination,101,215productivity,15–19

connectivityand,71–76,94–96e-mailand,125–126focus/distractionsand,71–76frequencyand,33–37meditationand,187–188metricsforknowledgeworker,71–73multitaskingand,81–85

professionalism,227–232progress

desiretofeel,90markersof,93–94,117poweroffrequencyand,36

Qquality,34–35

multitaskingand,81–85socialmediaand,137

Rrandomreinforcement,91–92Rasselas(Johnson),218Ray,Man,180–181reactionaryworkflow,18reactivework,18,25–27,65realisticapproach,36

perfectionismvs.,203–209RealMenDon’tEatQuiche,161reflection,109–110Reich,Steve,184renewal,49–54

creativeblocksand,213–215,219self-awarenessand,109–114solitudeand,59–62unnecessarycreationand,174–177unpluggingand,143–146

repetitivethinking,194–195resistance,44,229–230

temptationsand,92–93responsibility,159,163–164rest,49–53,184–185risktaking,175–176rituals,194Rivera,Diego,217routine,196–197

buildingblocksof,27–29focusblocksin,74–75honing,41–44keytakeawaysonbuilding,65layinggroundworkfor,25–29motivationand,196personalizationof,29poweroffrequencyand,33–37prioritizingtasksin,53–54renewalin,49–54solitudeand,59–62stressand,154

Rubin,Gretchen,33–37

SSagmeister,Stefan,193–198salesability,developing,42–43Saunders,ElizabethGrace,203–209schedules

focusand,71–76mindfulvs.mindlessworkin,102–103

motivationand,196–197recordingallcommitmentson,28–29renewaltimein,49–54solitudein,59–62unstructuredtimein,111

Schwartz,Tony,49–54screenapnea,153–154“SecretsofAdulthood”(Rubin),37sedentarylifestyle,152self-awareness,109–114,197

socialmediaand,135–138self-care,49–54self-control,92–93,101,117self-esteem,133,136–138self-expression,176–177self-fulfillment,137–138self-respect,161–164self-sabotage,44serendipity,112Seth,Vikram,213–214Shlain,Leonard,146Shlain,Tiffany,143–147Simon,Herbert,68skills

developingnew,175–176inpresentation,218–219salesability,42–43self-control,101

Skinner,B.F.,91sleep,49,50,51–53

connectivityand,145–146creativityand,187focusand,101

socialmedia,91–92,133–138.Seealsoconnectivitysolitude,59–62Sophocles,146sophomoreslumps,216

startingfrequencyand,33–34

Stone,Linda,151–156strategies,42streamofconsciousness,144stress

fromconstantconnectivity,151–156perfectionismand,203–209poweroffrequencyand,34–35self-fulfillmentand,176–177urgencyvs.importanceand,162–163

success,dealingwith,230–232ASuitableBoy(Seth),214sustainability,51–52,54

Ttactics,42taskswitching,82–85technology.Seeconnectivitytechnologyshabbat,146–148television,timespentwatching,154temptation

abilitytoresist,92–93energyusedbyresisting,83–84

ten-minuterule,35Tharp,Twyla,23TyrannyofE-mail(Freeman),72–73Thoreau,HenryDavid,59,78–79timeblocks,29timemanagement

compulsionsand,89–94connectivityand,89–94,161–164forcreativity,195–196energyrenewaland,49–54focusin,93–94

frequencyand,powerof,33–37motivationand,196–197perfectionismand,203–206prioritiesand,25–27progressionmarkersin,93–94solitudeand,59–62

to-dolistcreep,28transitionalmoments,109–114,117travel,49–50,54triggers,creative,28,65Trollope,Anthony,33Twain,Mark,214–21524-hourcomic,37

Uultradianrhythms,52uncertainty,178unfinishedwork,84–85uniqueness,176–177unnecessarycreation,173–178unplugging,143–147urgency,162–163

Vvagusnerve,154Victore,James,161–164

Wwandering,benefitsof,184–185,223WebbyAwards,143,147Wegman,William,187

WhereGoodIdeasComeFrom(Johnson),175“WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps”(Harrison),186White,E.B.,98–99Whyte,David,176Willpower(Baumeister),103wordassociation,183–184workflow,managing,119–167

e-mailin,123–127goalsin,126optimizationof,15–19socialmediaand,133–138

workflow,reactionary,18Wright,FrankLloyd,186

YYaddo,100yoga,155