We live amid the noise. Our lives are constantly anchored by the hustle and bustle of mundane affairs. It can be difficult to get inspired in a world like that. Most professionals, especially those who work in creative professions, must possess an impeccable capacity for inspiration.
Inspiration usually occurs when we are relaxed, and our mental state is stable. When we feel tired or stressed, our minds and our creativity take a nosedive.
After a while, work can turn into a routine task where proposing new ideas and maintaining the highest level of productivity becomes an unsustainable job. It is especially if the monotony makes it almost impossible to find a source of inspiration and renewed energy.
To avoid a mental block, we have listed the habits that successful people put into practice to awaken their more creative side, and to get rid of the feeling of stagnation that slows their professional practice. Shake the habit and get to work.
1. Plan your day
Believe it or not, when planning the day, we can consciously decide to focus on the things that deserve more attention. Set three important tasks for the day. Apply the 50/10 rule that consists of working on an important activity for 50 minutes and leaving 10 minutes for a break.
It helps to refocus and get the work done more effectively. Take 10 minutes to reflect at the end of the working day. It helps to self-evaluate how you are doing your work and improve day by day.
2. Tidy desk, tidy mind
A cluttered and dirty desk can leave you feeling stressed and disorganized, which can demotivate you can cause lack of inspiration. Take a morning every so often to tidy up your workspace. Get rid of all the paper and documents that you have accumulated and organize the necessary documents in files or folders.
3. Take the right breaks
If you have a heavy workload, it can be tempting to work through lunch. Although it is sometimes unavoidable, it is very unproductive not to take a break properly. It can be easy to lose focus or motivation if you don't let your workplace air out for a while.
Whenever possible, get away from your computer screen and take a walk outside at lunch to come back refreshed and perhaps with new ideas or answers to questions that you had in motion.
4. De-clutter
Our concentration is often tied up by different distractions. Twitter, Emails, WhatsApp texts, and the urge to change your song on YouTube. It is an abyss of distractions. Break the wheel and do not fall trap to the pit of distractions. Cut the hours you scroll social media and watch out your Netflix habits.
5. Practice Mindfulness
No, this is not some millennial mumbo jumbo. Mindfulness is backed by science, and it can do wonders for you. Meditation enables you to live in the moment, manage stress, and gain perspective. It is a great way to de-clutter your mind.
6. don't forget to Hydrate
Water is essential for life. It is equally essential for focus and to have a clear mind. Therefore, we must be adequately hydrated, as this will help us be in an ideal state of inspiration. By contrast, dehydration will cause fatigue.
It must be considered that the mental processes that lead to innovative ideas are complex mental operations. When the means to maintain the organism are scarce, other bodily functions begin to be prioritized.
7. Words of wisdom go a long way
If there is a quote or saying that you find particularly inspiring, place it somewhere prominent in your eye line. These words will stimulate you on a difficult day at the office. Mine is:
Never was anything great achieved without danger – Niccolò Machiavelli
8. Apply creativity techniques
Different techniques offer you wonderful ways to infuse creativity and inspiration. Try the brainstorming technique. Take a step ahead and practice techniques like the six hats, scamper, the eraser technique, and others that you can find on Google.
9. Get Inspired by Art
A painting, a sculpture, a song or a photograph (a Flickr tour can be very helpful), few things in this world are as inspiring as art. If you have walked through the Prado Museum or have been stunned by Michelangelo's David's majesty, you will know what we mean. A wave of sensations that well channeled can lead to a formidable idea.
10. Question Things
Everything is fine, maybe yes or maybe not. That is why you should question things related to your project or simple things in everyday life, do not lose sight of the fact that questions can end in an improvement thanks to the appearance of inspiration.
11. Always carry a Notebook with You
Take your notebook if you go to an important meeting, watch a series or to bed to sleep, because you never know when the ideas will arrive! Writing down EVERYTHING, any thought, inspirational phrase, or even sketch can lead you to find the idea of the millennium.
Some experts recommend making lists. When you start to list the steps to follow or only related words, many ideas come to mind. It is just a matter of starting.
12. Never Stop Learning
Knowing what is happening in the world is probably the most important thing before starting any project. If you know the current situation in economic, social, and political matters, you will be able to offer more ad hoc solutions for your clients.
Read the daily news and subscribe to newsletters that keep you informed in the areas that interest you most.
13. Experimental Boards
Like brainstorming, but in this case, your projects are visible. The board can be a blackboard type, write your ideas there with stickers with your annotations (it does not matter if they are in the middle of the cooking recipe that you liked) the important thing is that you can always feed it.
Inspiration mustn’t be confused with Motivation
The motivation of people in companies is a topic that is frequently talked about, and yet many people do not understand what it means. Many people confuse motivation with inspiration. They believe that the two words mean more or less the same and use them interchangeably.
Let's look at each of these concepts.
Motivation is a force that pulls you. For example, if you want to exercise and think you don't have a lot of time available, or maybe it’s cold outside, or that you will be too tired and sore afterward, you need to motivate yourself to do so. That motivation will pull you. And the key to being motivated has a reason.
In other words, if you want to exercise, you need to motivate yourself by reminding yourself why you are doing it. It could be losing weight, getting fit, getting some fresh air, etc. Without reason, it will be difficult to get motivated.
Inspiration, on the other hand, is more of a process. You may be inspired by a speaker, or a book, or a song, or a person around you, or an object. Whatever inspires you touches you from the inside and puts you in a state where you feel most excited and productive, where you feel you have a purpose.
The word inspiration comes from the Latin word "inspirare," which means "to breathe inward, excite, inflame, instill, or implant."
So, inspiration is something you feel on the inside, whereas motivation comes from the outside and it forces you to act. Inspiration is a driving force, while motivation is a pulling force.
Some people think that motivation is insufficient and that the best thing is an inspiration. The truth is that both are necessary. Both can help you move toward your goals. But it must be clear that it comes from different sources: Motivation needs a motive, whereas inspiration needs a purpose and the connection with our heart, with our values.
As Wayne Dyer, a well-known author and speaker on personal development, said:
“Motivation is when you get hooked on an idea and carry it through to completion. Inspiration is when an idea hooks you and leads you to your destination.”
It is good to cultivate these two forces in your professional life. This is the only way to get those highly desired high-performance days.