As I sit here at my desk preparing to design curriculum for a client whose project I am totally excited about, I am distracted by the question of “writer’s block.” What is it that propels us forward to actually start the design process, to put words to paper, to get our creative juices going? Today is the perfect day for it. I’m an entrepreneur; it’s a holiday; AND it’s pouring rain. What could be better for this kind of work? I have ideas, I have a structure in mind, and I always deliver a quality product on time. So what’s the catch? I have a hunch:
1. No immediate deadline. Do I actually fall into this category? Do I need the dreaded deadline to be creative? Rule #1: Establish your own deadline if your client (internal or external) hasn’t specified one. Isn’t this what we coach others to do?
2. Lack of clarity. Last night I dreamt that I couldn’t produce an assignment because the instructions were too vague for me. I guess that’s a sign. If you are feeling that things are unclear, they probably are. Rule #2: Talk to your client. Don’t scrimp on the time required to get clear!
3. There’s too much candy in the store. If you are like me, you block off days or hours to work on specific projects. Then the phone rings, the email comes in, one of your colleagues or employees needs you, the computer goes down, the sun shines. There’s so much to distract us from our work. Rule #3: Unplug the phone. Detach from your blackberry, computer and people. Shut yourself in and surround yourself with all the things you need, and just FOCUS. Remind yourself that the opportunities will wait a few hours and the world won’t fall apart without your input either. Set milestone objectives and reward yourself each time you achieve one.
So now that I’ve had this talk with myself, I’m going back to my project. I am reclaiming the next two hours for this wonderful client that deserves my undivided attention. I’ll keep you posted on my progress and good luck with yours.
