Summary of ‘Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind’
Introduction
Jocelyn K Glei’s book, ‘Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind,’ is a compilation of insights gathered from 20 creative minds in various fields. By delving into the experiences of these renowned creatives, readers can discover the personal strategies they employ to manage time, establish productive work routines, and foster creativity. The book demonstrates the ease with which these principles and techniques can be adapted into one’s daily life, emphasizing that even small adjustments can significantly enhance work effectiveness. It also offers guidance on becoming more mindful of technology usage and overcoming creative blocks to prevent setbacks in your creative pursuits.
Tailor your daily routine to align with your body’s natural rhythm. Contrary to common practice, starting your workday by checking emails may hinder overall productivity. Our bodies operate on a circadian rhythm, with energy levels fluctuating throughout the day. Mornings tend to be more conducive to tackling important or challenging tasks. Although the urge to address a full inbox immediately upon arriving at the office may be strong, responding to emails is a straightforward and less demanding activity that doesn’t require peak mental effort.
Creative coach Mark McGinnis recommends structuring your work routine to prioritize your own projects at the start of the day. Establish a rule not to engage with emails until you’ve dedicated time to your creative work. This approach ensures that your most effective hours are invested in your priorities rather than responding to others’ demands. Additionally, incorporating breaks and ensuring adequate sleep are crucial for maximizing energy levels. Research suggests that most people need at least seven hours of sleep per night for optimal performance. Instead of relying on extra caffeine, build a routine that prioritizes sufficient sleep.
Recognizing that peak function is sustained for approximately 90 minutes, integrate regular breaks into your work routine to recharge. By following these guidelines, you can develop a daily schedule that harmonizes with your body’s natural rhythm, enhances productivity, and fosters creativity.
Chapter 2.
Working frequently is the key to an effective work routine. Doing creative work when you aren’t feeling creative can be difficult. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the luxury of waiting until we’re in the right mood, but rather than relying on your mood, you can build a routine that facilitates creativity no matter how you feel that day. Essentially, if you work regularly then you will get regular inspiration. When working on creative projects, many people feel that they can’t work every day because they don’t have enough inspiration. But this simply isn’t true. In fact, as outlined by author Gretchen Rubin, working every day on creative projects, even if it’s only for half an hour, can help you develop many fresh ideas. By making it a habit to work every day, you bring the project into your daily life and allow yourself to find inspiration even in completely unrelated situations. Indeed, ideas can pop up when you least expect it. For example you might finally find a great color scheme for your project, but only after your friend showed you her brand new neon green sneakers. Because the project was always on your mind, you found inspiration in an unexpected place. Once more, working regularly will greatly reduce the pressure that comes with creative work. Of course, there will always be days when you feel like you can’t get anything done. However, working every day prevents the worry. For example, imagine you’re a journalist and have a deadline to finish your piece. If you start early enough and then continue to work every day, then you’ll have plenty of time to try out different approaches in order to find the best angle. Even when the inevitable hurdles come up, like when a source takes too long to respond, or an editor rejects your draft, you’ll be less stressed because you’ll know you have enough time still to complete it. But even working every day can’t help you too much if you are too distracted to get anything done. The following chapter will show you how to focus in spite of inevitable distractions.
Chapter 3
Regularly practice honing your focus and resist succumbing to negative distractions. Admit it; like most individuals, concentrating on mundane or unappealing tasks can be a challenge. Unfortunately, disregarding these tasks simply because they lack appeal is not a feasible option. However, productivity consultant Aaron Rooney Doland offers two valuable tips to navigate through such tedious responsibilities.
Firstly, enhance your workplace willpower by training it in other aspects of your life. If your work environment is chaotic and rife with distractions, such as a bustling office, it becomes tempting to divert attention to non-work-related matters, like chatting with a colleague or responding to a Facebook message. To regain control and maintain focus, develop self-discipline by practicing it in unrelated situations. For instance, establishing a habit of nightly flossing not only pleases your dentist but also instills a sense of self-control, even when facing tedious and time-consuming tasks. In essence, cultivating small routines like regular flossing can fortify your ability to sidestep workplace distractions.
Secondly, replace non-work-related negative distractions with positive ones and reward yourself for successfully doing so. Consider a study where children, left alone with a tempting marshmallow, were given the choice to either eat it immediately or wait for two. Those who could resist the immediate gratification had substituted the negative distraction of the marshmallow with positive distractions like singing. In essence, they redirected their attention away from the tempting treat. You can apply this principle to counteract negative distractions in the workplace, treating Facebook messages and casual water cooler conversations as rewards for diligent effort.”
Chapter 4
For maximum efficiency, stick to 1 task at a time. If you’ve ever tried getting serious work done while watching your favorite TV show, then you must have realized how inefficient that style of work is. But why is that? In essence, we’re just not very good at multitasking. Despite this, according to psychologist Doctor Christian Jarrett, most of us believe that we’re quite adept at doing two things at once. However, we are only able to do so successfully when one of the tasks is simple and automatic, such as walking. When both tasks require our attention, then we switch our attention from one to the other, which is both time-consuming and ineffective. While we can walk and talk simultaneously, we can’t talk and run. And this was verified in a study that showed that when students trying to read a book while texting with a. Friend, it took. Them about 25% more time to read one page than students who focused completely on the reading task. So the next time you want to try and juggle more than one task at a time, keep in mind that it won’t actually make you more productive. Quite the contrary, your work will be even less effective. To avoid this dilemma, make sure to set aside time in your day that is completely free of distractions so that you can effectively. Complete your work. But even if you are absolutely determined to focus only on a single task, surely other people will want you to do something. So what can you do about that? Professor Cal Newport has a great answer. Set up a focus meeting. If you need 2 hours to complete a task, mark it on your calendar just like you would any other meeting or appointment, and treat it the same way. This way both you and especially your colleagues know that you are unavailable during that time and you can focus solely on the project at hand. Nevertheless, the more technology becomes a part of our work, the more distracted we find ourselves. Our following blinks detail the ways in which we can manage the technology that we both need and need to control.
Chapter 5
“Be mindful of your technology and social media usage by understanding the how and why behind it. Reflect on the last instance you checked your phone — can you pinpoint the exact reason for doing so? Many people engage in smartphone use, web surfing, and checking social media absentmindedly, without a specific purpose. This tendency is particularly evident with social media, where individuals habitually log on seeking distraction when bored. To break this cycle, it’s essential to consciously consider why you’re using social media each time. Instead of mindlessly turning to it for distraction, make the act of logging on intentional.
Laurie Deshane, founder of the blog tinybuddha.com, recommends approaching social media use with purpose. You don’t need to eliminate it entirely; rather, use it meaningfully by being fully aware of your intentions. Whether sharing a great restaurant find or updating your status, log out once your purpose is fulfilled. This approach allows you to re-engage with your real-life activities instead of becoming absorbed in the ongoing content on platforms like Facebook.
Additionally, be conscious of your computer usage, including your posture. Many of us spend extended periods sitting in front of screens at work. Former Senior High technology executive Linda Stone’s study highlighted the potential health impact of our behavior in front of screens. Unconscious habits, such as breath-holding or shallow breathing while staring at a computer screen, can contribute to stress-related diseases. Combatting these effects involves practicing mindfulness through activities like yoga and conscious breathing techniques, promoting a healthier relationship with technology.”
Chapter 6
. Technology is supposed to assist you. Don’t let it control your life. Smartphones, laptops and the rest were invented to make our lives easier and more pleasant. Yet it sometimes feels like we live in a science fiction movie totally at the mercy of the technologies that we ourselves create. While your smartphone doesn’t control your body, it nevertheless controls your behavior. Since you just can’t live without it, you must remember that you don’t need your smartphone in every part of your life. Smartphones are so conveniently sized that it’s easy to take them with us everywhere. All you need is a pocket to keep yourself connected at all times. Author and filmmaker James Victory rightly asks whether this is really necessary. Consider, for example, how taking a phone call at dinner used to be a serious social faux pas. Today, however, it’s a completely normal occurrence. But are we OK with trading our good manners for excessive smartphone use? Just do yourself a favor and put your phone on airplane mode the next time you’re out on a date. The thing is, we can’t resist using. Technology, if it’s available. If you want to. Be more effective. You’ll have to turn it off. Having a smartphone or a computer screen right next to us when we’re trying to focus is like sitting next to a plate of delicious cookies when we’re on a diet. In other words, it’s hard to resist. Unfortunately, this also means that people expect us to be available at all hours of the day, no matter what. This expectation is such a problem that Professor of Psychology Dan Arielle even suggests that the IT team at your company delays the delivery of e-mail until a certain time of the day as to prevent you from being constantly bombarded. While a company wide process such as Arielle’s suggestion may not happen, you could just turn off all your devices or even just go to another room when you really need to focus. So far, we’ve mostly focused on preventing distractions so that you can maximize your available creativity. These final blanks deal with boosting your creative resources.
Chapter 7
“Creative blocks are a common challenge, but there’s a way to overcome them. Consider your usual response to having spare time — likely, you don’t spend it idly. However, embracing moments of doing nothing is crucial for fostering and sustaining creativity, especially when faced with a creative block. When stuck, solitude and allowing your mind to wander can reignite your creative spark. While it may seem counterintuitive, thinking about nothing in particular heightens your awareness of thoughts and surroundings, serving as a wellspring for creativity.
Scott Belsky, Adobe’s vice president, recommends dedicating specific time each day to let your mind wander without a specific focus. If this feels challenging, begin by reflecting on what you’ve learned and your immediate plans, then allow your mind to explore from there. Additionally, the pursuit of perfection can contribute to creative blocks. Many of us struggle to find satisfaction unless our work attains perfection, a rare occurrence. Following author Elizabeth Grace Saunders’ advice, abandon perfectionism and let creativity guide you.
Perfectionists often delay starting projects, anticipating an ideal moment for brilliant ideas. However, this moment may never materialize, leading to discomfort and diminished creativity. A more effective approach is to initiate projects promptly, even if you lack inspiration. By starting, you create a foundation to refine later. Even if creativity seems elusive initially, you’ll likely find it emerging as you progress.”
Chapter 8
“Enhancing creativity can be achieved through relaxation and adopting new hobbies. Generating creative ideas under pressure is challenging, as creativity is not easily commanded. However, there are activities outside of work that can significantly boost creativity. Taking time for exercise and ensuring sufficient rest contributes not only to a productive lifestyle but also to the generation of creative ideas. Harvard University researchers discovered that individuals getting adequate sleep were 33% more likely to make connections between different ideas, indicating increased creativity.
Engaging in physical activities, such as bike rides, has been shown to boost brain activity and, consequently, creativity. Business coach Scott McDowell even recommends activities like napping or brisk walks to stimulate creative thinking. Moreover, embracing seemingly frivolous creative pursuits can be beneficial. Author Julia Cameron, for instance, kick-starts her writing process by composing a few pages of complete gibberish to get into the rhythm of writing, sometimes finding hidden inspiration in the nonsense.
Exploring hobbies is another avenue for unexpected inspiration. Todd Henry, founder of Accidental Creative, suggests gardening as a way to experiment and be creative in a pressure-free environment. Such hobbies not only provide an outlet for creativity but also prevent being overwhelmed by the daily routine, offering fresh ideas that may be applied in a work context.”
Ending
Having listened to the key insights from “Manage Your Day-to-Day,” the central message emphasizes the importance of aligning our activities with our natural rhythms. By understanding our energy fluctuations, we can optimize our focus on priorities and schedule rest, exercise, or hobbies when it harmonizes with our natural rhythm. While our feelings may not always align with the tasks at hand, the key takeaway is the significance of maintaining focus to accomplish essential tasks, even when we don’t initially feel inclined to do so.
