Productivity

The Gap Between You And An Artist

Garth Beyer

Have you ever noticed that some of your best work was done a day or maybe even hours before the deadline?

You waited (procrastinated?) until the deadline was right in front of you and thrashed to complete what you needed to.

While deadlines may suck (they are never far away enough), the thrashing that they provoke is paramount.

An artist in any industry is really no better than you or me. The gap between us isn’t skill, it’s not the number of followers they have and we don’t, it’s not even the connections they inherited and we have not. What creates the gap is that they thrash more often.

Thrashing is that rush of complete productivity we get before being forced to have something produced, finished, shipped.

Most acknowledge this with a term paper that’s due tomorrow afternoon or that personal statement you have to write by April 13th – that you start on April 11th.

The difference between you and an artist is that the artist makes thrashing a habit, it’s done daily, and most importantly, it’s done without a deadline.

What do you say we start closing that gap?

 

Stay Positive & You Can Start By Sharing Your Art On Here (comments section below)

Garth E. Beyer

How You Know That You Are Doing What You Need To

Garth Beyer

If this is at all confusing, it’s because you have a difficult time accepting it. The same went for me at first.

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When there are things that you would rather be doing or that you just want to do, perhaps going to the art museum, hanging around the park more often, or reading more, you know that you have to keep doing what you’re doing.

That craving – when you are actually busy – to do other things (and sometimes even to do nothing) means you’re on the right track and that you need to keep going.

Our minds direct our attention towards things that we would rather be doing because what we are doing is hard work. Our brain wants to distract us, wants to pull our attention toward something more entertaining (and less productive). Often referred to as the lizard brain, this subconscious mental effort for distraction is a cloak of fear. The more we get on the path of productivity, reaching our goals, putting in emotional labor, and putting ourselves and our art out there, the more fear sets in and the lizard brain starts working in every way possible.

The most popular way clearly being the desire to do something more fun than what you are currently doing.

When really, if what you have to be focusing on now didn’t exist, you wouldn’t really be doing what you think you would rather be doing now. You’d be doing nothing.

 

Stay Positive & Outsmart Your Brain. Push Through

Garth E. Beyer

Doing What Matters And Doing What Doesn’t (so much)

Garth Beyer

The problem a lot of people run into when they are finally having a full-time schedule of productivity is that they are so busy doing things that really matter, that they feel unable to make time for the things that still matter, but matter less.

This is one of the biggest fallout’s for people who feel on a roll. Just because you reach a new level of success and productivity, doesn’t mean that you can say goodbye to previous engagements and expectations.

Take the hierarchy of needs for example … you can work your way up, but being on the third level doesn’t mean that you stop building the first and second.What does this mean to you?

It means that yes, you still have to do the grunt work. Every so often you have to pick up the broom and sweep yourself, you have to make those phone calls and send the emails just to keep up the contact with people who still matter, you have to provide input for others instead of receiving the input, you have to find yourself grunting now and then.

 

My suggestion: They say Sunday’s are for rest. I say that one day a week of grunt work is all that you will ever need to do. Get in the habit of it now so that it never stops you from reaching the heights you work so hard for.

 

Stay Positive & Steve Jobs Used To Grunt Everyday (no wonder he was so successful)

Garth E. Beyer

It also does well to note that the more you find yourself grunting (doing the grunt work), the greater understanding you have of how success and progression works. Obvious, but easily forgettable.