Why Do We Always Get Our Best Ideas in the Shower?

Why Do We Always Get Our Best Ideas in the Shower?

by | Dec 26, 2016 | Action Planning, Strategy

…Or when you’re out for a walk, or in a spin class, or just chatting about your day with a friend? Because you’re relaxed, doing something pleasant, and focused elsewhere. Calming down enough to let your mind wander aimlessly will often lead you to that Aha! Moment you’ve been needing. This phenomenon has even been studied by scientists, who conducted experiments to prove that taking a walk outside will boost your creative idea flow.

But we can’t always get the space to go for a walk in the middle of the workday. And it’s probably unrealistic to plan to shower in your office whenever you get a creative block. I’ve previously suggested intentionally planning your days to allow downtime, while some businessmen at HBR suggest using basic mindfulness practices to allow your brain the space to have Aha! Moments.

Here are some tips you can fold into your normal workday to help open yourself to more creative ideas:

  1. Relax. Take some quiet time to yourself, away from the people you otherwise have to work, meet, or speak with. Just breath and be alone with your thoughts. Instead of zoning out on your phone, be intentional about leaving behind the technology and other things that could otherwise be distracting. Sometimes I’ll bring a piece of paper and write down all my thoughts.
  2. Do something that makes you feel good. Maybe it’s going for a walk, chatting with a friend, or listening to an inspirational podcast (I really like TED Radio Hour by NPR). Whatever works for you, go do it. Give yourself a positive energy boost and take a real break from the task you’re working on.
  3. Focus elsewhere. Work out, watch mindless TV, or play a solo game like Bejeweled. When you’re focused on something that only requires minimal cognitive capacity, you’re still able to let your mind wander enough to make it susceptible to an Aha! Moment.
  4. Take a nap. You’ve heard the advice to “sleep on it,” but that’s actually based in reality. When you wake up calm, relaxed, and rejuvenated you’ll have the mental clarity to re-evaluate the task at hand.

Not only are these tips great for inspiring creative ideas, but they’re also helpful when you’re trying to make a big decision. Whatever you’re working on or thinking about, the important thing is to relax, give yourself some mental space and a touch of positivity and you’re sure to make the best move forward.

Mindfulness: More Than Just a Fad

Mindfulness: More Than Just a Fad

by | Dec 19, 2016 | Mindfulness

Mindfulness is all the rage right now, and I swear it is the only thing enabling my productivity these days. Before I began practicing mindfulness, I would waste hours stressing out and over-thinking almost every decision I had to make. Decisions that should be minor — like what to eat or what to wear — would take me forever. So you can imagine how long my work would to take me! (In fact, even reaching the realization that I was wasting time on minor decisions would have been impossible before I began practicing mindfulness.)

So what is all the hype about? What IS mindfulness?

It’s an overarching awareness of all the things happening within and around you. It’s the ability to focus on what’s happening in the moment. It’s the understanding of how you feel or what’s really bothering you in any given time. It’s the acknowledgement of the full scope of events happening around you: what’s causing the people around you to act the way they’re acting and say the things they’re saying. Essentially, mindfulness is emotional intelligence. And once you harness it, you’ll be much more efficient.

Ok, fine. So mindfulness is actually more than just a fad. But how do you start practicing it?

First, you’ve gotta make time to calm down. And second, you’ve gotta stick to your guns and make it a priority to give yourself that cool down time. (Psst we wrote another blog about how to prioritize things well.)

For some reason, many people I speak to are scared of meditating. I get it, I’ve been there. But taking that leap of faith was SO worth it for me, especially once I realized that I’d actually been meditating for years unknowingly. My “meditative” practice began years ago with long walks home from work, getting lost in the ballsy lyrics and strong beats of my Current Faves playlist (way back before Spotify). Walking to the beat of the music and jamming in my head gave me the mental space to cool down after a long day. During those walks I was able to process the feelings I had in the office and the true intentions behind the actions I took throughout the day. Those walks ultimately helped me recognize how I could improve my work and my attitude in the future.

Creating that space to calm down and process things without distraction has helped me become immensely more productive at work. When I’m calm and focused, I always come up with my best ideas and I’m usually able to get my best work done at the fastest rate.

Mindfulness doesn’t always necessitate meditation, but you can’t become mindful until you’re comfortable slowing down. Focus on the current moment, eliminate distractions, put your phone away. If meditation seems intense, try going for a walk by yourself and listening to the kind of music you can get lost in (for me it’s the self-titled album from The 1975 or Robyn’s Body Talk).

As I became more advanced in my mindfulness, I learned to the “meditative” state I once got from walking-and-jamming without having to walk-and-jam. Now I can find a mental calm – and thus, a mental clarity – at the gym, at my desk, or in quiet yoga studios. When I get distracted, my mindful practices help me quickly recognize that my thoughts have drifted so I can refocus on whatever task I’m working on – whether it’s pushing myself at the gym, meeting a deadline at my desk, or balancing on one leg in a yoga class.

This ability to slow down has given me the mental space to recognize what’s really happening all around me. It’s forced me to stay mentally present throughout the day, which has made me WAY more productive at work. But most importantly, it’s made me significantly more understanding of the people around me, so I’ve become a more emotionally-aware coworker, employee, and friend. 

Be More Proactive With These Day-to-Day Planning Tips

by | Oct 29, 2016 | Action Planning

Proactive Planning Simplified

I swear by the daily paper planner. I like having a tangible list and I like having a neat, organized, pretty little piece of paper. I love the feeling of crossing things off and throwing out the paper at the end of the day. I first got hooked when I discovered this template from Etsy. And I made it my own by creating sparkly glitter flower covers that I got laminated and took the whole thing over the Kinkos to get bound. SO worth it, by the way, because those stupid sparkles made me do a little happy dance every time I looked at them (not to mention, they serve as a GREAT conversation starter right before a meeting).

You should find what works for you. Do you like adorable fluffy pets? Do you like fashion magazines? Do you love everything at Anthropologie? Whatever it is that can bring just a tiny bit of happiness to your day, stick it right on the cover of your planner (or on your computer background, or tape a pic of it to your desk…)

Each Monday I get into work and spend 15 minutes to make a list of projects that I aim to complete that week. Then I spend another 15 minutes writing the day’s meetings into my daily planner, and scheduling tasks for appropriate chunks of time based on my availability outside of meetings. I find it helpful to doodle quick tasks along the side, so I can still be productive when I have a quick 10 minutes to spare.

The biggest challenge in this game is avoiding distractions when you set aside time for specific tasks. When working from home I put my phone away and make sure it’s set not to make sounds or vibrate, sometimes I’ll also put my computer on “Do not disturb” so the iMessages don’t come through. Log off of Gchat, close all social media tabs (or any non-relevant browser tabs). You’ll likely be surprised at how focused you can be when you eliminate distraction! It’s a bit more challenging in the workplace, where people are your biggest distraction. If you have the possibility of using a private space, take advantage of that. Or ask coworkers not to disturb you when you’ve got headphones in. Just be honest: when you need to be working, tell those around you that you can’t speak to them until you’re finished. (Pro tip: I also found these playlists made specifically for productivity, which I swear works)

Each day I start off with a new daily list, taking 10 minutes to get settled at work and be intentional about my plan for the day. The more I plan in advance, the more I can be proactive, not reactive, in the workplace. And that’s the main goal, right? Be proactive.