I’ve been writing in a journal every morning, and today I realized that I’ve almost made it exactly a year with this habit. Now, this is nothing earth-shattering for many. Many people have been journaling for years. But for me, it’s big. It’s massive.

You see, I’m not very good with sticking with things. I’m generally attracted to shiny things like ideas, concepts, and exiting business ventures. Unfortunately, I’m not one to typically stick with the shiny things very long. I usually abandon them, and only after I’ve promised something. (I’m not proud of this, not one bit.)

This is why something as unsexy as writing in a journal every morning shouldn’t stick with me. It isn’t in my nature. But somehow it has become second nature to me. I’ve gotten to the point where if I don’t write in the morning, I notice it. In fact, it alters my day in a bad, bad way if I don’t.

My writing time gives me perspective on what I need to do for the day. I think about the big things I’m trying to do, and how to break them down. It’s how I distill and choose what I do later in the day. (It’s funny how that simple choice has massive ramifications.)

But here’s where it gets really interesting: This morning I realized that my journal had somewhat become a reference for my last year. Anyone who wanted to see what my life was like last year could, with one book. The birth of my daughter, a new business venture, a trip to the Caribbean, to name a few. Countless fears, countless random thoughts. It’s all there. Perhaps someday–after I’m long gone, of course–my daughter would want to read what I had been thinking and doing in 2010. (I don’t think my life is that interesting, but maybe she would.)

My journal has grown into something bigger than me, and only because I’ve been writing a little bit in it nearly every day. Now the habit is stuck: it’s snowballed into something more important, something that will continue to become harder and harder to break.

This is how the world is changed: not sweeping reform, not huge events. It’s changed in the small things we do every day.

What do you do every day?

Photo by roland

1. Interviews in Creativity: Jennifer Lee
2. Ask the Readers: What Are Your Morning Inspirations?

I’m writing this on the way back from a family reunion in Canada, and I had figured the trip would generate some sort of explosion of ideas. But instead I’m sitting here staring blankly at a screen.

As refreshing and beautiful as the trip was, I got nothin’ in terms of writing inspiration.

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There are going to be days when our wells of creativity are going to reach low points. We’ll send a bucket down there, only to pull up an empty pail.

So what do we do when our wells run dry? We plow ahead.

We can’t just sit and wait for inspiration, we have to go and find it. Here are a few methods that I’ve found that can work wonders when it comes to sparking a bit of inspiration and stoking our creative fires.

Define the End

Oftentimes we just sit down without a defined ending in mind. The problem with this method is that it can be overwhelming. Not knowing boundaries can set an expectation that you only have to create when it feels good. Having the end goal in mind before you start can help with visualizing what’s needed in between.

Make a Stash

There’s no better feeling than having a reserve of a few posts to be able to draw from when inspiration is lacking. Creating a backup plan for when the inspiration won’t flow can be a lifesaver.

I have a stash of unpublished posts for “rainy days” when nothing seems to be working. I don’t know how many times that little cache has saved my bacon over the years. But even more interesting is how knowing I don’t always need to be creative takes a bit of the pressure off, which allows me to be more creative.

Admire Previous Successes

There’s nothing wrong with looking back through your accomplishments. Taking a walk through your greatest hits might be just the motivator needed for getting out of the doldrums. Slumps happen. The simple act of seeing how far you’ve come might be enough to trigger an idea or provide some form of inspiration.

Try Something New

Sometimes changing a tiny thing can make all the difference. What’s worked best for me is only changing one or two things at a time, but keeping the majority of the routine the same. Work locations, switching from coffee to tea, or some other deviation from the ordinary can work wonders.

The important thing is to just keep plugging away. Eventually the lightbulb will go off, the Muse will return, and all that. Until then, the real battle is to keep at it. To stay seated until you’ve hit your word count, or until you’ve designed the section you need.

There will be days when the well is dry. It’s not whether you can find creativity; it’s how you’ve prepared for it.

Photo by Rajesh Vijayarajan Photography

1. Off the Record: How Do You Like to Slack Off?
2. 6 Things I Do to Stay Creative
3. I’ve Got Nothing To Say

There’s been something I’ve had to struggle with over the years: Creating for the sake of creating. You know, having to create stuff because you have to, not because you want to.

You might feel pressure to create because of any combination of reasons like

• guilt
• occupations
• financial needs
• routines

We all have to pay the bills and other financial responsibilities. For those of us who create for a living, it can become a grind. Quickly. Like anything, having to come up with ideas on a consistent basis can become difficult.

It all comes down to one major question: what’s our motivation?

What keeps you motivated?

It’s easy to stay motivated creating things that are our own ideas. But what about when need to create on a deadline? It’s really tough to stay motivated and excited about a project that we have to finish because of obligations.

I’ve talked before about the importance of a yearly review. During my yearly review I spend as much time as possible reflecting on the things I’ve accomplished. This helps me keep track of successes I’ve had over the past year, which helps shake me out of the doldrums.

I recently had a 6 month review to kind of realign and evaluate my yearly review, and again I spent time reflecting on what I’d accomplished. It was a powerful motivator.

The yearly review also helps give me a 10,000 foot view of my “plan”. Reflecting on the Big Picture helps during those times when you need a reminder of why you’re creating.

I’d imagine it’s a lot like changing diapers on a baby; while it’s not the most desirable task in the world, you won’t have to do it forever. And from what I’ve heard, the joy of having a child far outweighs things like dirty diapers.

The big picture helps keep us motivated while we tackle the smaller details. They’re small pieces of a much larger puzzle.

So what do you do to stay motivated every day? Is seeing the bigger picture enough of a motivator for you? This is mostly just me thinking out loud. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Photo by Professor Fumolatro (aka: Tripletlads)

1. Avoiding Entrepreneur Burnout: Understand the Balance In Life
2. Interviews in Creativity: Jennifer Lee
3. 15 Widespread Creativity Myths

Photo by ideacreamanuelaPps

I’m going to level with you: I’ve got nothing to write today. Not a single thing.

So why are you still reading? You’re probably thinking that I’m going to turn this into a lesson of some sort, but that’s just the thing: I can’t. Because I can’t think of a single thing to write, and I’ve been staring at my monitor for the last 37 minutes.

You see, creating is going to be harder some days than others. The faucet just won’t turn on, nothing will click. There will be days where the best thing you can do is sit down and stare ahead blankly without inspiration.

But the important thing is that you do it anyway, and that’s where most of us give up. There’s something powerful about going head-to-head with Lack of Motivation and seeing who’s more stubborn. Anyone who is a “professional creative” (writer, artist, etc.) that creates every day will tell you the same thing: you just have to do it.

How many days did Michelangelo show up not wanting to paint during the four years it took him to finish the Sistine Chapel? Or how many of the 2, 632 consecutive baseball games did Cal Ripken Jr. not want to play?

It’s making the commitment, sitting down, and staring at the screen. Or holding the brush. Or picking up the guitar. The act of making the effort, even when there’s nothing behind it, allows things to happen anyway.

And eventually something will happen.

Photo by khalid almasoud

What do you do in the morning that inspires you?

Creativity depends on hard-nosed routines, but also needs to be inspired on a regular basis. I’m definitely a morning person, so a lot of my inspiration comes in the AM. Here are a few things I do to ensure I’m getting my morning jolt of inspiration.

Coffee Shop

For me, I enjoy working in a coffee shop, at least for part of the day. I like the smell of coffee and the constant stream of people coming and going. For whatever reason, the white noise helps me concentrate fully on my task. Oh, and the caffeine helps too.

Regular Browsing

I make it a habit to visit some of these sites:

• LifeRemix – Only the best lifestyle blogging in the world. (Of course, I might be slightly biased. I did co-found it.

  

• Google Reader – Ok, so this is my “gateway” site. I have a few sites that I follow every day in the reader, but the really cool aspect of GReader that’s grown on me is Friend Recommendations. When friends share links, I find about 95% of them to be interesting and relevant to me. It’s like having a personal recommendation system sending me interesting news and articles.

  

• Ffffound! – Ffffound! Is one of the best sites dedicated to inspiring and creative photography. Simply fantastic.

  

• Seth’s Blog – Seth Godin probably doesn’t need any introduction. Just know that I read him religiously.

  

Morning Exercise

Whether it’s a run or just a short walk, I have to have some sort of exercise in the morning. I do my best thinking while moving, and if I can’t have that time to jump-start my mind, then I’m a lost cause.

Morning Reading

I make it a habit to read every morning and reflect, at least for 15 minutes. This habit has probably had the most profound impact on my life, and I’d wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.

Ok, so that’s my morning. What about you?

Photo by Pear Biter

I’m typing this post from the porch sunny Sacramento ranch. My fiancee is a bridesmaid in a wedding, and I was lucky enough to tag along for the ride. A peacock is nonchalantly grazing not three feet from me, and I’m sitting next to a babbling brook typing away, amazed at how different this surrounding is than most of my “normal” days.

Yet with these beautiful surroundings, I’m still able to write. In fact, I want to work. I’m called to it. Why is that? I have a few theories.

Is it REALLY work?

It’s hard to call what I do work. Sure, every job has aspects that aren’t as fun, but being a full-time freelancer means that I can run away whenever I feel like it, and tote my office with me.

When I leave town, I always try and do as much in advance, so I can unwind as much as usual. But I don’t crave a total disconnection from the outside world because I’m tired of it. I try to save the things I love for the trip (ie. writing for LifeDev), and leave the things that aren’t as fun for home.

Do as others do

It wasn’t too long ago that I came to the realization that I needed to set routines and schedules for my creative work. After reading everything I could get my hands on pertaining to working and creativity, I found an interesting trend. Nearly all successful and wildly creative people have routines. They stick to these routines religiously. Usually at a certain time every day, they attempt to create. And then the rest of the day they use to perfect their craft.

An example: A Stephen King writes 1,000 quality words a day, and spends another chunk of his day polishing his skill by reading. Has it worked for him?

The deeper the roots, the taller the tree, (and more importantly), the more those branches can sway.

Deep Roots are the Key to Working a Portable Lifestyle

These people have “rooted” themselves in routines that they follow every day, no matter what. I’m trying to do this too: I try to publish at least two articles a week on LifeDev. No matter what. Even if I’m at a beautiful ranch with a stream flowing through the backyard, with peacocks strutting around, covered bridges, horseshoe pits and gazebos scattered across the property.

Having cake and eating it too

So, you might be thinking by now that I’m a tad on the looney side for wanting to write, when I could be doing tons of other fun things.

Why don’t I want to completely disconnect? Am I so chained to this computer that I can’t get up and leave?

The fact is, writing this post is part of my vacation. It’s what I love to do. It’s allowing me to unwind; it’s a release.

So let me pose this question: Do you love what you do so much that you would want to take it with you on vacation? If not, than what is the one thing you find so much pleasure in that you could do it whenever and wherever, loving every minute of it?

Passion is everything. The business plan comes later.

photo credit: Peter Smile

Mornings used to be one of the low points of my day. Long story short: I’m not a very graceful person in the morning. A friend of mine has a saying that I’ll adapt: I don’t even believe in God until around 10 am.

In college I used to wake up and drag myself down to the dorm’s diner, and every morning the lunch lady would take one look at me, and without saying a word would start chuckling to herself. Without a word! This should give you a little bit of a hint as to what mornings are like for me. Picture a bear coming out of hibernation. Hungover.

Now, things are different. I no longer stumble about in the morning, taking a few hours to really wake up. I start every day with a little bit of quiet time. This time is reserved for reading, meditating, and just focusing on what I have to do that day. This time is absolutely mission-critical for the rest of my day, and without it I feel completely worthless. Here’s why:

1. I get up easier. Ever since I’ve starting morning quiet times, I’ve been able to get up refreshed, without hitting the snooze, and ready to start the day bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. This is directly because my day doesn’t start with the grind. It starts with the knowledge that I have around an hour of my day dedicated to Me. That can change anyone’s perspective in the morning.

2. Less stress, relaxed to the max. My morning routine of meditation and reading is just what the doctor ordered for curing stress. Sometimes I’ll go on a run, incorporate stretching and breathing exercises for maximum stress-relieving activities. It’s virtually impossible to start the day stressed out with a routine like that!

3. A clear mind. Meditation really helps the mind sweep itself of its own clutter. I’ve found that while I’m thinking about the day, I usually have lots of great ideas and remember little things to do throughout the day. I’ve since started having my moleskine handy to capture everything that’s running through my mind in the mornings. You’ll find that this is a great way for your mind to process the day and make sense of what needs to be done.

4. Now you can really get stuff done. Because your mind has been primed for the rest of the day by thinking about what has to be done, you’re in a perfect position to be uber productive. It’s easy to follow productivity systems like GTD when your brain has worked out the details of the day.

5. I’m a happier person. Who wouldn’t have a better attitude when you’re starting the day on top of your game? I’m a much better person to be around in the mornings, that’s for sure.

While there are many other reasons why I’ve found that morning quiet times have improved my day, these are a few of the main ones.

In order for the morning quiet time to happen, there has to be two constants:

1. It has to be FIRST thing in the morning
2. It has to be uninterrupted

This can be difficult for people who have children and other activities in the morning. But in order to make sure it absolutely happens every day,  it has to be the fist things in the morning. Odds are you’ll have to start your day earlier in order to squeeze this in to our busy lives. However, once you make the change, you’ll never go back.

Variety is the spice of life. No one can deny that. There’s a book out there that shows that if you’re looking for satisfaction in routines, you’re probably not going to find it.

One of these books is Satisfaction: The Science of Finding True Fulfillment by Gregory Burns, a professor of psychology at Emory. His research includes athletes, S/M practitioners, even sex with his own wife. And he concludes that doing something outside your comfort zone makes you happy — it can trigger a release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, a mood-lifter.

While routines can be comforting, they’re not always fertile land for groundbreaking ideas. Have any of you found this to be true? What routines are you bucking to find happiness?

via Lifehacker

1. Do you find the seclusion of working at home changes your personality?
2. The AM Is the Best Time to Get Things Done

I’ve found this true so many times in my life. Recently I was awaken by a phone call at 5:45 in the morning, and couldn’t go back to sleep. So, I took a shower, made a great breakfast, and got working. By the time it was 9:30, I had done more than I usually did in an entire day.

Apparently, 20 Big Time CEO’s can relate.

This is the part of your morning routine over which you have the greatest control. To fit it all in, it’s a must to start early. The latest any of the surveyed executives wake up is 6 a.m., and almost 80 percent wake up at 5:30 or earlier.

The morning is a sacred time for those wanting to collect their thoughts, excercise, and catch up on menial tasks like email. The quiet of the day creates an awesome environment for even just thinking.

Steve Murphy, CEO of publishing company Rodale, says, “A line in a William Blake poem inspired me to think differently about my day: ‘Think in the morning, act in the noon, read in the evening, and sleep at night.’ This has made a huge difference in my life. Now, I take out a yellow pad every morning and write my thoughts for the day, which allows me to be much more strategic and proactive than reactive.”

I love that line by Blake. It’s so true.

[via Lifehacker]

An ideal scenario for increased productivity would be to approach your desk every day with your work already prioritized and your schedule set up so that you have a block of time marked off for uninterrupted work. There would be nothing on the desk to divert your attention while you are working. Your sole focus would be on the current project.

Sage advice for anyone needing a little help in becoming more productive. Just like you’d stretch before a run, you have to be ready for productivity. You don’t want to pull a productivity “hammy” before you start knocking out your tasks.

If you can get into a routine of preparing each day the night before, you’re already one step ahead of the game.

1. Prepare For Your Next Task Before You Take a Break
2. Productivity links for May 23rd through June 1st
3. The Irony in Productivity