How to Stay Organised and Productive When You're a Creative
In this article, I'm sharing tips and strategies for managing your time and tasks more effectively, so you can focus on your creative work.
If you're a creative person, then you’ll understand what I mean when I say “it’s important to have the freedom to explore new ideas and to create without constraints”. And the thought of living within a routine will most likely sound completely suffocating to you, at least it did to me.
But what if your creativity is never able to reach its full potential because you struggle with staying organised and managing your time effectively? You may find yourself feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and like your goals are slipping through your fingers.
I’ve been there and know first hand how frustrating this can be, so in this blog post I’m sharing some tips and strategies to help you stay on track, so you can spend more time doing what you love.
The challenges of being creative and disorganised not only include feeling overwhelmed and stressed, but you may also find it difficult to focus and complete tasks, which leads to a general sense of chaos and lack of control. For me this lead to missed deadlines, unfinished projects, and zero confidence in my own abilities.
I would often feel like I had so much creative potential, but was never able to fully realise it because I couldn’t seem to get myself organised. That type of frustration and disappointment in oneself can be totally demoralising.
But imagine having the freedom to explore new ideas and create without feeling like there are constraints, while still meeting deadlines and achieving your goals. Well, with the tips below, you can turn that vision into your reality.
5 Tips for Staying on Track as a Creative
Create a schedule: Set aside specific times for work, breaks, and personal activities. I know that as a creative type this may sound stifling, but if you can stick to your schedule as much as possible you’ll be able to establish a routine which will help you avoid distractions. Check out this article for planning a productive work from home day in the time it takes to enjoy your morning brew if you needs actionable tips that will make daily planning quick!
Prioritise your tasks: I realise this is a bit of a cliché but consider making a to-do list for your tasks and, more importantly, prioritise those tasks based on their importance and urgency. Focus on the most important tasks first and break larger tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. Learn how to prioritise tasks by putting first things first in this article.
Minimise distractions: Identify the things that distract you the most and find ways to eliminate or minimize them. Protocols I use include: turning off notifications on my smart phone and switching on ‘do not disturb’ or ‘airplane’ mode; having a dedicated space for certain tasks; using noise-cancelling headphones; and listening to a playlist for focus.
Take breaks: I like to allot my tasks to time blocks with breaks in between each block that I call buffer time. Taking regular breaks helps me to focus my attention because I know I have set amount of time for completing tasks. In this article I share how to use time containers for tasks and why buffer time is important.
Set boundaries: It's important to set boundaries between your work and personal life, especially if you work from home like I do. As I mentioned before, having a dedicated space for certain tasks helps minimise distractions, that’s why I have a designated workspace at home and I’ve established work hours that help me stay focused and avoid burnout.
BONUS TIP:
An audio book I’m enjoying at the moment is "Essentialism" by Greg McKeown*. In this book I love how McKeown encourages readers to focus on what is truly essential in their personal and professional lives, rather than trying to do everything. More importantly for creatives, McKeown provides strategies for prioritising your time and simplifying your schedule.
Bottom Line of Staying Organised and Productive When You're a Creative
By making a schedule for your tasks, setting boundaries and minimising distractions you can create a more organised life where you actually get stuff done. This will give you more energy to focus on your creative work, leading to greater feelings of confidence and ultimately satisfaction with life!
And if you need more tips for unleashing your creativity to its full potential then check out the Paid Members Bonus for June - a printable bundle of 10 different page designs for brain dumping, it includes a dashboard style cover page that has handy tips for downloading your mind so you can think clearly.
Until next time Planner Friend, a routine can help you focus on your creative work.
Chloe x
* Affiliate links — Please note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from any qualifying purchases you may make after clicking these links.
Hey Planner Friend 👋🏽 which of the tips from todays article were hits for you? Mine are 1 and 3 (create a schedule and minimise distractions) because if I have a rough outline of a routine to follow and I can create a cosy space for focused work I can get more done than if I merely 'wing it' 😉