Sometimes an overly structured scheme during the day can be a real threat to the spontaneity of some people, it all depends on their personality. However, schedules and discipline are not at odds with creativity, on the contrary: order in personal and professional life favors creative processes.
Concentration is an essential factor for creative work. Some stages of the creative process require a higher level of abstraction: when a new strategy is being designed, when a project is being planned, and even when a budget is being balanced; full focus of our attention is demanded.
The positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has identified a "zone" where we experience the flow of ideas almost automatically and effortlessly and has called it "Flow" or "Flow State". This state is reached when we apply a high level of awareness and dedication to the task we are performing. It is characterized because we lose track of time and find ourselves completely absorbed and focused on the moment. When we are in '' Flow State '' we can reach the peak of our creative performance and maximize our potential.
That the urgent does not take time from what is important
The constant interruptions and the expectations that we are “multi-tasking” constantly blur our attention, fragmenting it and dividing our energy, which moves us away from the “Flow State”. Addressing several issues at once can become an addiction, and when we feel a little "unoccupied" then we start to think that we should take advantage of time and use our "smart phones" at meals, or try to read or work on the computer while we watch television or return a call.
Generally when we are not ordered, we do not allocate time to attend to our "urgent" matters, and these end up invading other aspects of our life. What gives us the feeling that we never have time to do anything that really matters to us and fills us up.
Achieving the extraordinary takes creativity and time
The extraordinary happens when we set goals that inspire us how to: train to run a marathon, take a new course or diploma, develop a new project or simply invest quality time in our relationships. It is when we aspire to go beyond what we do regularly that we manage to get out of our comfort zone and feel excited and alive again.
Achieving the extraordinary demands a sacred space on our agenda, demands to challenge our potential, but above all it demands to activate our creativity and imagination in order to develop new alternatives for growth and improvement in our lives.
If your inner motivation isn't so turned on, it's time to ask yourself: When was the last time you gave yourself the time to do something extraordinary?
Sources:
- Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.Time Management for Creative People, Mark McGuinness.
