Sometimes I feel like creativity and productivity cannot peacefully coexist in my life. I can either get stuff done, or I can be creative, but put the two in a room together and they fight each other like brother and sister. However like all siblings, Creativity and Productivity need to learn to get along because they’re stuck with each other. Being creative without actually producing something is eventually pointless, and being productive without any sense of creativity becomes downright boring. So like most moms, I’m stuck with the job of getting the two to work out their differences, and hug and make up. We need to find a happy medium somewhere.
I love all the books and articles out there about how to get more done in less time, and be a happier person. I devour them. I take notes. I buy planners. I lose planners. I give up. I read another article and am convinced that I’m just doing it wrong, and if I could just get a little more organized, I’d be able to get everything done. So I buy another planner. And lose it. Alas. It appears that I am doomed to a life of disorganization and unfinished projects.
But what if that wasn’t such a bad thing? In our society, we place a lot of emphasis on Getting-Stuff-Done. And I agree that certain things do just need to be done. The phone company likes it when I pay my bill on time. And I like it because I get to keep using the internet. Win-win.
But aren’t there certain things we do throughout the day that can’t be fit into the box that we call “Accomplishments”? What about all the works-in-progress that are good for our souls, nourishing to our brains, and challenging to our creativity? Those need to be accounted for as well when we’re looking back on our day, wondering if we got anything done.
The question is: How do we balance what needs to be done with what we just want to spend some time working on, even if it doesn’t actually get finished?
So, for this third installment of the Surviving Creativity series, I’m claiming the title “How to Get Less Done, in More Time, and be Happier.”
The more descriptive title would be something like “Time Management for Creative People” but I like the first one better, so we’re going with it. If you’ve missed the first two posts in this series, head back and take a peek at them, so this one will make more sense. Just click on either image below.
As I’ve gone through the last couple of weeks, analyzing how I spend my time, as well as how I feel about it, I’ve come up with a few suggestions that might also help you if you struggle with balancing creativity and productivity.
1. Stop Multi-Tasking
I keep reading how new research shows that multitasking is a fallacy. When you think you’re multitasking, what you’re actually doing is switching rapidly from one task to another. The problem is that your brain uses a little extra power and time to ramp up to speed each time it starts an a new task, so it can be exhausting and counterproductive switching back and forth so often. It’s better to pick one task, finish it, and then move on.
The problem is that our computers, phones, tablets, and TV are set up to thwart us in our efforts to do one thing well at any given time. Just when we settle down at the computer to work on a paper, we get a little notification of a new email. Or we go to check the time on our phone, and completely forget what we came for when we see the full notification bar at the top and oh look, someone liked my Instagram photo!
So what are we to do, since the very things that keep us from being productive are the tools we use to create?
My approach is to walk away, whenever possible. If I’m writing a blog post on my computer, I leave my phone across the house in the kitchen. That way I can hear it ring, in case it’s something important like the school nurse calling me to come pick up one of my kids. But all other notifications can wait, since they would require getting up from my desk and walking across the house. (Sometimes my laziness actually works in my favor.)
On my computer, I’ve disabled all notification sounds. When I have a spare moment, I can easily check to see if I have any new emails, but I don’t need to know when each one comes across.
Take back your time by making a conscious decision about what you want to pay attention to at any given moment. Notifications of all sorts are killing our attention span. As my pastor politely requests before each sermon, “Turn off anything that rings, dings, or pings.” Likewise, in your life, take out anything that keeps you from paying attention to the thing you’ve chosen to do at that moment.
2. Do the Next Right Thing
What if you find it impossible make a good choice about what to work on at that moment? My mom calls it Tornado Brain. She gets to call it that, not only because she is a Certified Life Coach, who helps people sort out their own tornado brain, but also because she’s a creative person herself, who struggles often with knowing what to work on next. It’s not that she can’t think of something she wants to do; it’s really that there are too many inspiring things out there, which makes it difficult to choose just one.
Perhaps you feel this way too sometimes? I know I do. And as with most character flaws I deal with in my life, I blame my mother. Fortunately for me, she doesn’t take it personally. Also fortunately for me, she has a great solution.
It’s simple: Do The Next Right Thing.
I don’t know who said it first, but I recently heard it on a Michael Hyatt podcast. He was talking about how to dig yourself out of “Overwhelm.” You know the feeling. There are so many things on your to-do list that you don’t know where to start. Or you’re at the beginning of a big important project, pretty sure you’re the wrong person for this job. Or you have a creative idea in mind with no idea how to actually make it a reality.
It sounds deceptively easy, but you just need to identify one small thing that needs to be done and do it. Don’t plan for it. Don’t write it down. Just do it.
Every large project is made up of gazillions of very small tasks. Just find one of those tasks and get it done. Don’t worry about whether it’s the right thing to do in order of steps, or even if it might be undone later. Just putting something on paper (or the computer screen) or swiping that first brushstroke on the canvas can help to break you out of the overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to start. Once you’ve started, then it gets easier to just keep going.
3. Make a List, then Break It
I love lists. I like making lists so much that I wrote a whole post about it. Can we all just agree that making the list of things you have to do today is the easiest and most fun part of getting all that stuff done?
Lists are great for when you need to get all the stuff in your head out on paper. But you can easily become a slave to the list and feel bad if you don’t get everything done. That’s why I like to have two lists going in my head: one for the optimist in me, and one for the realist. On the optimist list goes everything that I’d like to get accomplished that day, week or month. Then on the realist list, I only keep the things that absolutely have to be done by a certain time. That way, I can capture all the thoughts that I’m afraid I’ll forget if I don’t write them down, like:
- Write a book
- Go back to school for graphic design
- Finish my daughters’ scrapbooks of their first year (they’re 8 and 10).
But I don’t have to feel bad if I don’t get those things done by a certain time. On the other hand, it’s good to have a list of the things that really do matter, such as:
- Get $5 cash to send in for the 3rd grade field trip
- Find something to cook for dinner
- Call mom and apologize for upcoming blog post.
Think of your list as a starting point, not a report card. It can be helpful, but don’t let it run your life. If something fun comes up that requires you to move a few things around, go for it. You’d hate to miss out on an impromptu lunch with a friend in favor of staying home and doing the dishes, just because it’s on your list. You’re in charge of your list, not the other way around.
4. Productive Procrastination
I can’t seem to get anything done without a deadline, but I also find that I can be the most productive while procrastinating.
This drives my husband crazy. One of the things I love most about him is he’s a “Do what you say you’re gonna do, when you say you’re gonna do it” type of guy. He balances me out. (I like to think that he appreciates my free spirit as well, but I have a feeling that one may not even break the top ten.) Anyway, I can’t tell you how many times procrastination has saved me work, or even resulted in something better happening before I could get to the thing I was supposed to be doing.
As with everything, it’s a balance, but I say take advantage of those moments of procrastination! Yes, you probably should be mopping the floor, but look at the amazing blog post you just wrote in order to have a reason to put off that chore. And yes, perhaps the family will be eating takeout tonight (again) but you just got a great deal on school clothes for the kids because you stopped in to the mall instead of going grocery shopping. And they needed clothes too, right? Otherwise you were going to have to go shopping this weekend when the sale was over and everyone else in town was fighting for the leftovers on the racks.
It may be that I’m just really good at deluding myself and justifying my procrastination, but I truly believe that good, productive things can happen while you should be doing something else. Now it doesn’t count if you spend all that time watching TV or surfing Pinterest. Wait, I didn’t mean that last part. Pinterest is a perfectly good use of time. It fosters creativity right?
5. Leave Room in the Margins
This is my favorite one of all. If you’re like me, you’ll find that your best ideas will often come in the margins. That little bit of space between the print and the edge of the page. The times when you’re not actually working on what you’re supposed to be doing, but while you’re daydreaming, doodling, or otherwise not “working.”
I’ll let you in on a little secret here. I take a nap almost every day. After I spend my morning working, I pick up the kids from school and while they’re decompressing in front of the TV for a little while, I go in my room and lay down on my bed for about 20 minutes. I don’t often sleep, but I do stare at the ceiling and let my mind wander aimlessly. It’s amazing to me how many of my creative ideas spring up during that time. I think that’s because if I didn’t take a few minutes to do nothing, I would be so busy working on whatever I already have on my list, that I’d never have time to dream up new ideas.
I love the word “Margin” because although it has a specific definition related to book printing, it also perfectly describes why we need more space in our lives. There are two good reasons that books contain margins. One is that the printer cannot physically continue the text to the very edge of the page. It’s a function of how printing and book binding works. There just needs to be a little empty space so that everything fits and lines up correctly. The other reason is that our eyes need a little break. We need some blank space on the page, in order to make sense of all the words. This is also called “White Space” and it’s very important visually to have some white space around what you’re trying to look at and decipher. The brain needs a little break.
So whether you’re reading a book, or changing the world, leave yourself a little bit of margin in your day. Try scheduling in some time to do nothing. If you have to, put it on your calendar and give it a name. I call it a nap, because I like to leave my options open…
All of these strategies have one thing in common. When you’re less focused on getting “More” done, you have more time and opportunity to be creative. From there, the getting-stuff-done will happen. But don’t put so much pressure on yourself to have something to show for every minute of your day, or even every item on your list. A lot of life happens when you’re making other plans, and that’s the glorious thing about life. It can’t always be pinned down, quantified, and measured. It’s meant to be lived, so get out there and live it. Try doing less, in more time, and seeing if it makes you happier. I think in the long run, it will even make you more productive, at least in the things that really count.
Whew, this was a long one! In hindsight, I probably could have written five whole posts on this topic. I hope you’ll join me in trying out a few of these strategies, and then let me know how it goes in the comments below. Also, I’ve started a fun pinterest board, called Creativity. Turns out, lots of people are thinking and talking about these same challenges, and most of them say it better than I do! Go check it out for a little encouragement, inspiration, or just a good chuckle.
Check out the next post in this series, on Finding Fulfillment. And here’s to less productivity and more creativity!
jacquiegum says
What a terrific series you have put together here, Meredith. So first I’d like to congratulate you on getting THIS done. Laugh. One of the things that I have, in my old age, finally allowed myself to do is quit doing things for the sake of saying I’ve accomplished something. The best example I can think of is reading books. For years, I felt I had to read a book until I finished it, even if I hated it! If I hated it I read it faster. Now I have allowed myself the luxury of NOT reading a bad book to the end. I completely love the idea of leaving room in the margins. That’s magical!
Meredith says
Thanks Jacquie! This one had me wanting to give up multiple times! But I do love the feeling of finishing something, even though it was hard. Unless it’s a bad book. There are too many good books out there to waste time on the bad ones. 🙂
Sandey says
I want “Do Less in More Time” on a t-shirt. And I will wear it proudly! You are fabulous, Meredith!!
Anita C. Lee says
Ooh, I love the t-shirt idea! I’ve just about mastered the “do less in more time” idea, so I think I need some kind of reward or badge!
Meredith says
Aww, thanks Sandey! I think the T-shirt is a great idea!
Melissa says
Love this series, Meredith!
Meredith says
Thanks Melissa, I’m so glad!
Paulette Lee says
Well I started out the day with a plan to clean out my inbox (it’s embarrassing how many emails I flag for later review). I discovered a new blogpost from you on my LinkedIn page (several of those flagged emails) & decided today was the perfect day to check out the Palette muse. Suffice it to say, I’ve gotten very little else done today. At least not the kind you check off your to-do list. But oh, those glorious margins! I have nurtured my soul getting re-acquainted with one of my favorite people. I started by beginning to read this latest in your new series, & then followed your instructions to read the first two installments first. I wandered around, clicking on almost every link (how to re-upholster a bench, though I have no intention of doing so, nor a bench with which to do it), admiring your creativity as I long have. I spent long minutes checking out your instagram postings, loving what you are doing with your life. &Just realizing this is way too long a comment for this space. Just consider it a compilation of several long-overdue comments.
Anita C. Lee says
Just thinking about you a few days ago, Paulette, and missing you in my life!
Meredith says
Oh Paulette, you just made my day! Or maybe my week! Thank you so much for tracking me down and spending time with me, at least virtually. I’m sorry you didn’t get much done, but your visit has blessed me beyond words and THAT is always a worthwhile use of time!
Mary-In the boondocks says
Great series Meredith. I find that I start off the day with good intentions, like reading my e-mail first, in fact I wanted to read this post a few days ago, but these tabs seem to open by themselves and in the end I wonder. Yes, it is hard to be creative and to get things done…I find that the more creative I get the messier my house has become… my former self would have been embaressed by the new free-spirit me! It’s all good though because in the meyhem I feel an inner peace. Thanks for all these thought provoking posts.
Meredith says
Thanks Mary! And you’re so right, those tabs do just seem to open themselves! It’s like my computer has a mind of its own. Have you seen the T-shirt that says “My brain has too many tabs open?” I love that one, it describes me perfectly. 🙂
Susan Cooper/findingourwaynow.com says
Hi Meredith, at first I thought the title was “how do more in Less time.” And I thought. Wow, do I need to read this…how do I squeeze in all my projects. Then I re-read the title and thought I really needed to read it just to see why I’d want to do less in more time. Then I was like a-ha, I get it. I especially liked the “margins” section. 🙂
Meredith says
Thanks Susan! I go through that cycle almost everyday. How do I get more done, followed by how do I make peace with getting less done and having more sanity. Gotta love those rare Ah-ha moments!
Jeannette Paladino (@jepaladino) says
Meredith — great post and great series. I agree with everything you wrote. Sometimes you have to “go with the flow.” If you’re mind shift gears while you’re writing something that’s OK. There was an idea there struggling to get out and be heard. I do make to-do lists and they are very helpful. But if I don’t get the “absolute musts” done I just take my cursor and drag the task over to the next day. Easy peasy!
Meredith says
Thank you Jeannette! I like how you put that, an idea in there struggling to get out!
lenie5860 says
Meredith, I so enjoy this series. I would love to do less in more time – great title btw, you should write a book, it would be a best-seller. Anyway, one of my problems is curiosity, I want to learn so much and try so much that I often put myself in an overload position, not good.
I am going to try to do less in more time and even keep some room in the margins.
Follow your creativity board – obviously by the number of followers you have for that board, there was a need.
Doreen Pendgracs says
Ditto from me. I echo Lenie’s comments. Will head over to your Creavity board to see if I’m already following! Thx for the insights, Meredith.
Meredith says
Thanks Doreen! I’m inspired by Lenie’s curiosity. I think that’s really the foundation for creativity.
Meredith says
Thanks Lenie, I think I will! (Write a book, that is.) Curiosity is a great “problem” to have. You may not get around to becoming an expert in everything, but it sure keeps your brain active. And it leads to even more curiosity and creativity!
Catarina Alexon says
Good series, Meredith! Am used to ideas really flowing 24/7 and getting what I like and want to achieve done. And not to forget, give priority to what ideas are likely to get the results I want. Going with the flow is also necessary and sometimes it actually works in our favour to procastinate. As Potemikin put it: “sometimes it’s better to take time to make a decision because what happens while you wait will benefit you”. Obviously it’s almost impossible to know if that will happen. But with issues that we are not sure about what to do waiting is sometimes a good option.
Meredith says
I agree Catarina, waiting and giving a problem time to breathe can be really helpful in finding the solution. That’s a great point!
Phoenicia says
Your blog is wonderful! It just has a sense of ‘freshness’ and ‘realness’ about it.
We tend to overload our day then complain when we feel overwhelmed. Some tasks just have to roll over to the following day and the world will not end if they do!
With rearing two children, being a wife, church leadership, working full time, running a blog and make up business – I feel overwhelmed the majority of the time. But I am more fulfilled than ever.
Thank you. I will definitely subscribe!
Meredith says
Thank you so much for the kind words Phoenicia! I definitely think it’s possible to feel simultaneously fulfilled and overwhelmed. It’s not always a bad thing for your cup to be overflowing!
Beth Niebuhr says
I love the idea of doing less in more time! Quality, not quantity. Multitasking is so bad! Once you’re not a mother, who has to multitask, stop doing it and you actually get more done. Oops, off topic. Anyway, do one thing at a time and choose good things to do, just as you said.
Meredith says
Yes, quality over quantity! It’s so hard sometimes not to get caught up in the rat race, but so worth it to step back and take some time to enjoy your life.
William Rusho says
You have stated something I have issues with. I often look at the big picture of my project, move around from one piece of it to another, instead of going through the process of finishing one task to another. thanks for sharing, this was very helpful.
Meredith says
I can totally relate to that feeling William! It’s like I want to do all the pieces of the project all at one time, which is impossible. It’s so hard to pick just one and see it through!
Donna Janke says
Fantastic post. I can relate to the struggle between creativity and productivity – I’m caught in it. I like your suggestions. I especially like the one about leaving room in the margins. We can keep ourselves so busy that we forget to leave time to just think or daydream and let our subconscious work for us.
Meredith says
Thanks Donna! Glad to know I’m not the only one who feels this way. 😉 Day dreaming can be really productive!
heraldmarty says
Love the “leave room in margins” tip Meredith! I long ago stopped attempting to manage time, instead I manage priorities.
When I was one-on-one coaching and someone would tell me they didn’t have time to do some project or task what I heard was it simply wasn’t a big enough priority for them. We always make time for the things that matter most to us, we just aren’t always willing to admit (even to ourselves) what our true priorities are.
Meredith says
Oh I love that Marty! That might end up in the book version of this series. Manage priorities, not time. That kind of sums it all up. Thanks for sharing!
Ken Dowell says
Reading this has made me wonder about multitasking and distraction. It may in fact be possible and feasible to do more than one thing at a time at a decent level of proficiency. But a lot of what we do, especially that which involves digital devices, is really just a distraction that diminishes productivity. How many times do we check our email when for most we could limit that to no more than once every two or three hours and really not miss anything? How many audible or visible notifications do we get on our devices that pull our attention away when really we’d be better off being the one who initiates the act to get the information? I don’t consider this type of thing multitasking. It would more appropriately be labelled losing focus.
Meredith says
I absolutely agree Ken, couldn’t have said it better myself!
Erica says
Boy, do I really need this post. I really struggle with balancing being creative and productive. And I love what you say about multi-tasking. I’ve heard the same thing recently about how switching tasks eats up time. I’ve been focusing on scheduling larger chunks of time for 1 task and I think I am getting more done. And I was just at a business seminar where everyone was quoting Michael Hyatt. I’ve heard of him, but don’t follow him so maybe I should start. Oh, and I have the opposite reaction to procrastination as you.- I’ll only get around to mopping the floor when I’m trying to write my blog. Lol! Thank you for this great post.
Meredith says
That’s a great idea that I need to try – scheduling larger chunks of time for one task. I always underestimate how long things will take so I’m always running behind! And your blogging/mopping dilemma cracked me up! 😉
gilda lily (@Haartfelt_Life) says
You’re so open with your process Meredith, it’s what brings this series to life. Thank you for that. One of my self talks when I feel overwhelmed is,”You can’t eat the whole cow at lunch”. And when I’m really immobilized by too much stuff I say, “Pamela, just do ONE thing”. So I’m with you on that one; it works. One thing leads to another, My grandmother used to say, “Are you going to pick up your bags and start walking, or wait for the bus that never comes”?
Meredith says
Thank you Pamela! I figure if I’m struggling with this stuff, maybe others are too. Your grandmother sounds like a smart lady! 🙂
Andy says
Creativity vs. productivity? This is a false dichotomy, Meredith, and you know it. Even when you are doing the most mundane of domestic tasks, you are still creating order; moreover, there is a psychological benefit in having a clean, tidy environment for your other creative activities, yes?
One more point, regarding computer notifications:
I listen to a lot of music on my computer and have a pair of headphones plugged into my computer’s headphone jack at all times. The headphones also serve to mute unwanted sound when I’m not listening to music – you might try that approach.
Meredith says
Andy, after I looked up what false dichotomy means, I realized that’s exactly my point! Creativity and Productivity feed and support each other, at least if they are coaxed along like unruly siblings. And yes, creating order is one of the first steps to allowing creativity to flow. So put on those headphones and get creative! And productive!
safariontheblog says
great post and series Meredith.
I also want “Do Less in More Time” on a t-shirt.
I can relate to the struggle between creativity and productivity. the story of my life LOL!
Meredith says
Thank you! I guess I’m going to have to follow through on that t-shirt design, due to popular demand! 🙂
Kire says
Can this series please be the trumpet call for the “Do Less in More Time” revolution? I want to sit back in a comfortable chair on my porch in 20 years and tell my Grandchildren that the stress-free life balance we achieved in 2035 began with this blog post.
Anita C. Lee says
What a lovely idea. Let’s start a movement!
Meredith says
Yes! Grandchildren everywhere will be thanking us for starting this movement and making their lives a little easier! I love it…