Do you occasionally wake up at nine, ten or worse – at eleven o’clock – even more tired than when you went to bed? Is your day passing without the slightest trace of creative inspiration and almost no work done? Do you feel depressed or frustrated, thinking, “I am not fit for anything!”
Then you need to carefully read this article, take notes and finally implement the hacks below. Let’s get started!
Hack #1: Every good project or product begins with a healthy doze of planning and preparation.
American Express CEO Kenneth I. Chenault says that before going to bed he gives his mind three tasks for the next day and then accomplishes them. I immediately tried this trick after I read about it and it proved to be true. Yoga has a very clear explanation of this: what we plant in our mind right before sleep is easily absorbed in the subconscious mind and thus has a direct impact on our consciousness. That’s the reason why resolves planted when we are relaxed never fail – our minds are much more receptive in this state. This technique can be applied to searching solutions for particular problems, too. We should just give a clear order before going to bed and throughout the night, when we are dreaming or deeply sleeping, our mind will tirelessly search for the solution. In the morning, when we wake up, we’ll be awarded with the answer. However, it takes time and often we have to spend a few days or even weeks asking the same question before going to bed until we finally receive the answer. Overnight success iisn’tan outcome of coincidence and good fate; it is achieved by a lot of efforts and hard work. So, start tonight!
Hack #2: Get up early! You’ll thank me for this later.
I know how this advice sucks for you, night owls. I define myself as a night owl, too. My most creative time is after dark. Yet, whenever I get up earlier, I really do feel better and maintain a healthier lifestyle. I like the early morning time because it’s quiet, my mind is fresh and unpolluted from the daily buzz. Hugh Howey would use this hack, waking up at 5 am and writing before work. This was how his bestseller Wool was born.
It’s also not accident that all meditative practices are advised to be performed either early in the morning or before going to bed.
If you have difficulty waking up, take a cold shower first thing in the morning. In order to get early and be productive at the same time, make sure you sleep at least six and a half hours. It’s all about quality, quantity and regularity of sleep. Once you have made your daily schedule that suits your needs best, stick to it and be persistent.
Hack #3: Do exercises! I highly recommend Surya Namskar or commonly known as the Sun Salutation.
This practice is a set of twelve different postures that vitalize the whole body, balance and stimulate all body systems and glands. It is used for healing patients with HIV, cancer and other physical or psychological disorders. Running is another alternative. However, always remember that through sports our body releases lactic acid, while through yoga it produces it. That’s one of the benefits yoga has over sports.
Hack #4: After you have taken care of your physical body, it’s time to pay attention to your spiritual well-being, too. How? Be grateful and thank the higher power.
I chant mentally three basic mantras right after I wake up but if that’s too much for you, you can choose a blessing of your own choice. It’s crucial to develop gratitude and love for all we have received and we are now receiving. This is exactly the opposite of what all newspapers and media outlets impose on us – fear, anger and greed. Instead, focus on the positive aspect of life, living consciously here and now.
Hack #5. After thanking the universe and doing a stretch or an exercise, drink something nutritious and healthy.
A cup of ginger tea or coffee or a glass of water with lemon– you name it. Determine what your body needs are and what really works for you. For example, I found out coffee overstimulated me. “One man’s meat is another man’s poison,” says the proverb. Be careful whenever you read or decide to trust one’s advice. It might be the wrong one for you.
Hack #6: Never commit these new seven deadly sins right after waking up:
· Checking the email inbox.
· And your latest Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc feeds.
· Watching TV and/or reading newspapers.
· Listening to the radio.
· Catching up with other blogs or randomly surfing the net.
· Viewing your blog stats or Google Analytics.
· Visiting your own blog/website.
I can hear you now screaming hysterically “but why”?
It’s very simple: all these activities drain our energy and set neither a creative, nor a productive tone for the rest of the day. Tim Ferris, the bestselling author of The 4 Hour Work Week advises, “…whenever possible, do not check email for the first hour or two of the day.” He further advises us to instead do other things that don’t require email engagement. Author Julie Morgenstern even wrote an entire book on the subject called “Never Check Email In The Morning.”
I have faced the problem of being addicted to my Gmail or Twitter feed, too. I remember how I would nervously check out my inbox several times, anticipating response from Elephant Journal, Thought Catalog or other major blogs. If you do it right after waking up and chances are you have been rejected, it’s not a good way to start the day. So, trust me when I say that we mustn’t indulge in these activities before lunchtime. We need the early morning when our minds are fresh, can produce quality content and conceive creative ideas!
Hack #7: Understand and implement the rule of 80/20.
I first came across this rule in one of Steve Scott’s books.Yes, most certainly I had read about this rule in other popular blogs, too but Steve Scott was the first who emphasized and presented very practically this rule. It changed my attitude to time management – an area that most of us are very sensitive about. But what’s this rule anyway? Originally stated by Vilfredo Pareto, it says we get 80% of our results from only 20% of our efforts. If we apply this to time management and productivity, we’ll discover that in just 20% of our time we get done 80% of our work.
Now, how can we benefit from this rule?
Discover when your most productive time is and schedule your workday so that you’ll be able to get 80% of your work done exactly then. This is how we can have a daily job, a part-time job and run a venture business on the side. You don’t have to spend 18 hours per day on a specific project; you’ll discover that your most productive hours are just a few.
I find that people usually divide into two groups: one that feels comfortable working very early in the morning and the other one that performs very well late in the night. It doesn’t matter which group you fall into – you just have to find those few productive hours and then schedule your time management accordingly.
Hack #8: Take longer walks and make occasional breaks during your day.
Whether we work for a multimillion-dollar company or wait tables in a dead end job, our minds need rest on a regular basis. Make sure you spend at least 30 minutes out of the office and not surfing the Internet. Studies show that walking improves our health, keeps us in shape and increases our creativity, too!
Hack #9: Evening time is when our creativity flourishes! Studies prove that our minds are less inhibited during the night.
Whenever a creative issue or an artistic decision is involved, choose the night time to find the particular solution. However, be very careful not to go to bed too late as this will hijack hack number two – getting up early.
Hack #10: Now, it’s your turn to implement these hacks.
Experiment and reschedule them if you wish so. If you have tried them, email me. If you come up with even better hacks, again, email me. Even if you think it’s better for you to sleep until 11am and then watch Netflix the whole day, again email me. I cannot promise I won’t try to dissuade you, but I am eager to hear your feedback.
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