Creating a creative time block




 

If I had one secret for productivity, the Creative Time Block would be it.

What is a creative time block? In the simplest terms? Total focus. Short break. Total focus. Short break.

Where do you find the time? Get up an hour or two earlier than normal. This won’t work for me because I’m a night owl but if you can start before the clutter of the day kicks in, it really is the best time of the day.

Myself? I add an hour or two to the end of the day. Either way that works for you, pick a time when you have at least one hour, preferably two, all to yourself. Shut off all distractions. Turn off your phone, disconnect the internet, lock the door, whatever it takes to shut out the world.

Set a timer giving yourself twenty-five minutes of complete creative focus, followed by a 5-minute refresher (stand up, do some jumping jacks, take a brisk walk around the house, pet the dog, grab a drink, check your messages briefly… very briefly), then back at it with twenty-five more minutes of complete creative focus.

If you have time left, take another five minute refresher and then repeat the process. That’s it. Creating a creative time block in simple steps.

Those blocks of complete and total focus are powerful. And the short breaks keep you fresh, ensuring that you don’t slip into a state of drift or see your energy fade away.

Try it for a week and see how much progress you have made. Just remember, it takes three weeks of doing something daily to make it a habit. I promise you won’t regret it if you make creative time blocks a habit.

Bonus bit of the creative time block? This technique works at the day job as well increasing work productivity. Give it a try.

Thank you, Sebastian Michaels, for teaching me all about this technique.

GLENDA THOMPSON, a columnist for the Pleasanton Express and is currently writing a series on finding your hidden talents. Glenda resides in Charlotte where she is hard at work on the second novel in a series about Texas Rangers with dark secrets. Her first novel, Broken Toys, is now available on Amazon.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *