photo credit: tjroberts79
“Part of being creative is learning how to protect your freedom.” – Hugh Macleod
As we approach tomorrow’s holiday, I thought it would be appropriate to touch on the topic of personal freedoms. While we try not to blow our digits off tomorrow, America as a whole will be basking in her personal freedoms. While we’ve pretty much got the personal freedoms part sewed up, we don’t take a great deal in preserving our work freedoms. Let me explain with an example.
A close friend of mine asked me if I was going to be at my house around lunchtime, and I struggled to weigh the options. Sometimes I like to work at a local coffee shop/bookstore, while other times I camp out around the house. After a solid 20 seconds of me trying to make a decision had passed, my friend suddenly chuckled and replied, “Why am I even asking you? Who knows what you’ll feel like tomorrow.”
He couldn’t be any closer to the truth.
The power of freedom (in your job)
The beauty of being a freelancer is that while you still have to work like everyone else, the location doesn’t have to be important. Where you work can be a great shot of productivity for those wanting to add a little spice to your work day. But more importantly, there is something that every creative person should understand: adding variety and spontaneity to your day can adds a powerful shot of productivity and overall contentment.
Protect your work freedom: avoid unnecessary commitments
By trying to decide where I wanted to work the following day, I wasn’t taking into account that I might not feel like working at home the next day, even though it sounded like a good idea the night before. I was giving myself an unnecessary commitment. Sometimes it’s best to have a few things unplanned to your day. Spur of the moment decisions give a feeling of control that you might not normally have. And control is one of the main reasons that people become freelancers in the first place; nobody really likes being told what to do or how to do it. You have to protect this right, even from yourself at times. It’s quite easy to over-plan the day, suffocating your creativity.
So if you’re feeling a little bored and uninspired at work, try un-planning an aspect of your day and making a spontaneous decision later. A little freedom can go a long way.
Have a happy and safe holiday, everyone!
Glen
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