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Creative Every Day: Mix Things Up

Wendy Burt-Thomas was the first one, who passed this productivity secret on to me: mix things up and get more done.

The way I’ve made Wendy’s advice work for me is by not following tasks with similar tasks but by following tasks with dis-similar tasks.

So, if I have three more chapters to edit, but I want to quit, I’ll promise myself that I get to do something completely different when I’m done.

Then I get my editing done and once that different project is done, suddenly, I have renewed energy for editing.

When my energy starts to flag again, I’ll take one of my thought bubbles and turn it into one of these CED posts, which I enjoy doing, so that brings my energy back up again.

Maybe it’s just my nature, but doing the same task all day long quickly becomes tedious and monotonous.

Besides, why not do more things in one day, and get my big projects done more happily, if that’s the way my energy works anyway?

So today, I will get my editing done, as planned. And I’ll get three other things done, too.

How does your energy work? Do you have to bribe it? Do you switch tasks up? How to you keep yourself moving forward?

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  • Beth K. Vogt April 15, 2011, 1:57 pm

    Sometimes I bribe myself with the reward of “If I write for (fill in the blank) this long, then I can read for (fill in the blank) this long.” Or I write for an hour and then I go walk on my treadmill for 20 minutes. Work different muscles, ya know?
    And then sometimes I edit and snack on jellybeans. Whatever it takes.
    :O)

  • Kathy Pooler April 15, 2011, 9:17 pm

    Hi Christina,

    I am facing with this very dilemma right now. In fact, I really should be tackling my list of five writing projects but instead I am reading your blog and commenting and that has been after checking twitter, facebook and email messages You are so right. I need to mix it up and go for a walk . Then I need to bribe myself like Beth suggests~ so thanks for the ideas 🙂