8 Tips to Being More Productive

Start Off the Year With a Bang!

Resolutions have been made and now it’s time to get to work being more productive. Here are 8 tips to help you do just that…

Even 15 minutes daily can be beneficial to your productivity. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Copyright: Vladimir Mucibabic)

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1. Draw every day, even for just 15 minutes. This is a big one. Not only does it build discipline, but it also helps you gain momentum AND improve your skills!
2. Time blocking. Multitasking is an illusion. It is impossible to devote 100% of your attention to more than one thing at a time. Organizing your time in this manner eliminates everything of lesser importance and creates blocks of time which allows you to focus 100% of your attention on the task at hand. …………………………………………………………………………….
   

   Treat your goal like a second job. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Copyright: Kittitee Pangwang)

   Are You Taking Notes? …………………

3. Adopt a 2^nd job attitude. If your art is important to you, then treat it like a 2^nd This is especially important if you would like to one day give up your boring office job and survive as a working artist.
4. Organize your work space. It doesn’t have to be OCD spic n’ span. My area is what I call organized clutter. I’m currently using pencils which are scattered across my desk and I usually have several reference photos lying around. But everything I’m not using is put away in various art bins. The point is, your space shouldn’t be so cluttered that it’s distracting and whatever you do need is within reach. You also won’t be wasting any time looking for what you need. …………………………………………………………………………….
   

   Setting deadlines for yourself,even for personal projects, can help increase productivity.

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5. Create deadlines for yourself. Deadlines can keep you on track. If your deadline is three months from now, have intermediate deadlines for the first and second month. In other words, by the end of the first month, I’ll be this far along, etc.
6. Take scheduled breaks. This is essential. If you’re going to be working for more than an hour, schedule a break between every hour. It serves to give your eyes, back, and hand a much needed break. In addition, it also allows you to look at your work with fresh eyes upon your return. You’ll see things you didn’t notice before with your tunnel vision. ………………………………………………………………………..
   

   Our phones have become one of the biggest distractions. Scheduling it for a “Do Not Disturb” time can give you time to be productive.

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7. Eliminate distractions. Put your phone in another room or set it to “do not disturb” mode. If you have kids that are old enough, make sure they understand that you’re working. For instance, you may have to enlist your spouse/partner to lend a hand during this time. It takes a while to get “into the flow.” However, if you’re constantly being pulled away from your work, you’ll never reach the flow and it will always seem like a struggle to get anything done.
8. Get involved with challenges – your own and/or on social media. Challenges can be fun and super motivating. If you get involved in an online challenge, like Inktober, for example, you post your own sketch based on a daily prompt. You also get to browse through everyone else’s interpretation of the same word. People of all skill levels participate and I can honestly say that I’ve never seen any harsh or judgmental comments. So get involved!

This is your year!

At the start of a new year, with resolutions having been made, it’s time to get productive. Adopt any one or all eight of these tips and see what happens. I’m pretty sure you’ll have a nice body of work by this time next year.

Happy New Year everyone!