Get Stuff Done
After last weeks post about finding your drive and how to keep it, once you have the drive, you need to know what to do with it. Drive can be a hard source to come across frequently, so when you have it, use it to maximise your output and productivity. Know which direction to go in, how to apply it effectively, and just get stuff done.
“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.” – Gustave Flaubert.
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Keep a notebook.
Post-its, logbooks, diaries, to-do lists, if you don’t keep at least one of these in your life to date, then start immediately. You need to be able to chart your progress and successes, what projects you worked on, what you did, and what you accomplished, on a daily basis. Its easier than you think to keep a daily log of stuff you have done. After time, you feel obliged to keep working on a daily basis, just to fill the daily entry.
I prefer physical copies of my logs, but now there is no excuse for anyone not to have a daily diary. Apps such as Wunderlist, Evernote, Skitch, Memoir, Notability and Clear make it easier than ever to write down your thoughts. All these apps and their ability to sync with your phone means you will never be without the opportunity to document your daily activities. You never know when an idea may strike so don’t make excuses. Make things.
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Set time limits.
Like I mentioned in Post #6, setting time limits allows your to think creatively to solve a problem to a deadline, best practiced on your own personal work, limits inspire you to come up with a solution under pressure of a limited amount of time. Honing this skill can see you maximise your output and exercise critical thinking under pressure. Read more on setting limits for yourself here.
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Stay out of debt.
An important point that, you will be surprised to hear, not many people know how to do. Our world is very much based on a consumer culture. Fancy new gadgets, expensive software, high-powered computers, shiny professional cameras. You need to learn how to say no. Control your desire for new, expensive tech, regular holidays, lavish daily coffees. Live within your means.
If you find yourself spiralling out of control in a sea of debt, your work will suffer. You will take on any client for work, regardless of pay, this is not what you want if you wish to grow your business or brand. Your living in scarcity. Freedom from financial stress is one of the most satisfying lifestyle choices you will ever make.
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Get a day job.
This is the foundation to building your own business and brand, you need to cover your bases from the beginning, and having a day job gives you the money you need to do so. Earn a living by day, build your future by night.
A day job is good for your mind too. Meeting new people, having different tasks to challenge you and broaden your skill set along with creating a routine. Other people you work with will share stories, can inspire you, and can learn from them. Use the day job for momentum, something you can swing straight into when you come home and jump into working on your passion. It’s going to take up most of your time unfortunately, but its essential in order to build what you can call your day job in the future.
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Take care of your health.
Something that is probably obvious, but again, by creating a cycle of working day job → working on passion at night → sleeping, you may forget what is ultimately the most important facet of your life, your health. Stay healthy, don’t forget to take a break from the cocoon that you have built for yourself. Splash out every now and then. Treat yourself. Spend time with your family and friends.
Your health is your wealth. So eat breakfast, go for walks, visit the gym, explore your city or countryside, sleep!
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