avatarAnkit Singh

Summary

The article suggests adopting small habits like reading, listening to music, choosing friends with similar interests, meditating, removing distractions, and entertaining oneself to enhance creativity and productivity for writers and creators.

Abstract

The author reflects on the challenge of consistently producing creative content, emphasizing the importance of daily habits that can boost creativity. These habits include regular reading, which is seen as nourishment for the mind, and listening to music, which can aid relaxation and inspiration. The article also advises on the significance of surrounding oneself with like-minded friends who share similar interests and aspirations. Additionally, it recommends meditation as a tool for improving focus and reducing stress, which in turn can foster a more creative mindset. The author suggests that eliminating distractions, such as cellphones and TV, is crucial for maintaining concentration. Lastly, the article posits that engaging in enjoyable activities is essential for maintaining a happy and creative mind.

Opinions

  • The author believes that consistent writing is essential for success on platforms like Medium but acknowledges the difficulty for beginners to produce quality content daily.
  • Reading is highly recommended as it deepens thoughts and enhances creativity, regardless of the material being fiction or non-fiction.
  • Music is not just a background activity but should be an intentional part of one's routine to aid in relaxation and creativity.
  • The influence of one's social circle is considered significant, with the suggestion that friends should inspire and motivate each other.
  • Meditation is praised for its ability to improve focus and productivity, which are necessary for creative work.
  • The article suggests that distractions, such as technology and food, should be actively managed to prevent them from interfering with creative work.
  • The author advocates for a balance between efficiency and creativity, arguing that pressure stifles creativity and that true enjoyment is necessary to maintain a creative mind.

Try Out These Tiny Habits To Boost Your Creativity

Photo by Dragos Gontariu on Unsplash

I have spent over a year reading Medium stories, saving articles, following writers, and highlighting paragraphs. One thing that amazes me about a few Medium writers is how they manage to come up with something to write about every single day.

I see many Medium biggies publishing daily and suggesting their readers write with the same frequency for better results. But, to me, it always seemed like boiling the ocean. Publishing quality content every day is far from being a practical thing for many newcomers with no previous writing experience.

When I got into writing, I actually realized that publishing occasionally won’t get me anywhere. So, if I desire to make it big on Medium (which I do), I’ll have to publish at least 5 times a week. But, that’s quite challenging to even think about especially when you are new and trying to understand things. Most beginners struggle to come up with ideas to be able to produce quality content every single day.

The most evergreen advice the top writers have for the beginners is — Keep going, things will get easier over time.

But still, what if you often find yourself stuck with no freaking idea about how to inch forward?

Well, being a creator, your performance is directly linked to your creativity. Sometimes, in order to boost your productivity, you gotta make some small tweaks in your day. Read on to know a few habits that you should either add or remove from your daily routine to get the best possible results:

Reading:

In my experience, reading is the best way to get you out of the dark phase of your journey as a creator.

What doesn’t matter:

· Whether you read books, online articles, or newspapers.

· Whether you read fiction or the books within your niche.

What actually matters is:

· How much time you spend reading a day.

· Whether you enjoy what you read or not.

I would highly suggest building a habit of reading every day (if you have not yet). Reading is food for the mind which deepens your thoughts, eventually turning you into a more creative person.

Listen to music:

I know you have already heard it many a time. But, have you brought it into the practice yet? If not, do this the next time when you sit with your laptop open and try to do your stuff. The best results come when you give music a proper place in your to-do list, and not only when you do something creative. Listen to some of your favorite tracks even when you are just trying to relax after a long day or while sitting in your balcony.

Once you make ‘listening to music’ your go-to relaxing activity, you begin to see how well it is at its job.

Choose your friends wisely:

It is said that your today’s friend-circle decides what you are gonna be in the next 5 to 10 years. Be aware of who you chose to be friends with. If none of your friends shares the same interests, career choices, ideas as you — you probably need to go out and find some new friends for yourself.

But, is it practical to replace your friends immediately? I guess, not. However, there is another powerful trick you can try out.

Change the topics of the discussions with your friends. Make sure what you discuss with your friends brings you all some sort of motivation or helps increase your knowledge. Start discussing:

· The ideas

· Innovation

· Business strategies

· History

· Politics

· Skills

· Creativity

It will either make them the way you need them to be or they will start distancing themselves. Either way, you will be at the winning end.

Meditate:

Many successful people talk about the powerful impact of meditation on their lives.

How does meditation help with creativity?

It is hard to sharpen your creativity if you are always stressed and lack focus. The simplest way I can put it — Mediation helps with focus and productivity. It’s an exercise of the mind that actually brings results.

Healthier the mind = more room for creativity.

10 minutes of meditation in the morning is enough to get you through a stressful day with ease. Make it a habit.

Remove the distractions:

Start from the bottom. Prepare a list of things you think keep you distracted. They probably are:

· Your cellphone

· TV

· Food in the fridge

· Video games, etc.

Once your list is prepared, write down how you are gonna keep these distractions away while working. There is no better way to do this. Here are some suggestions that work for me:

· Put your phone on airplane mode and keep it in another room.

· Make sure where you sit to do your stuff you can’t see or hear the sound of the TV.

· The best way to take off your mind from the food is to make sure there is nothing in your fridge at the moment that you would want to eat.

· Tell yourself that you won’t be able to play the video game if you don’t reach today’s target.

Entertain yourself:

A happy mind is the center of creativity. Creativity and pressure are antonyms to each other and can’t be put under one roof. Forcing your mind onto something may help get something done faster, but there you could miss the touch of creativity. A good way to keep a balance between your efficiency and creativity is to take time to do the activities that you truly enjoy. These activities can vary per individual. You might be someone who is into video games or someone who loves to watch movies.

Doing such high dopamine stuff at the end of the day is a great way to recover your mind from the stress and keep it creative.

These were a few easily adoptable habits that were discovered to bring some great changes in one’s life. I am enjoying these tiny wonderful habits quite much these days. I think you should, too.

As always,

Thanks for reading.

Creativity
Habits
Creators
Productivity
Writing
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