The work of top creatives isn’t dependent upon motivation or creative inspiration, but rather it follows a consistent pattern and routine. It’s the mastery of daily habits that leads to success, not some mythical spark of creative inspiration.
Daily Routines: The Power of the Schedule
- William James, the famous psychologist, said that habits and schedules are important because they “free our minds to advance to really interesting fields of action.”
- If you’re serious about creating something compelling, you need to stop waiting for motivation and creative inspiration to strike you and simply set a schedule for doing work on a consistent basis
Permission to Create Junk
- Creative work is no different than training in the gym
- You can’t selectively choose your best moments and only work on the days when you have great ideas
- The only way to unveil the great ideas inside of you is to go through a volume of work, put in your repetitions, and show up
The Schedule is the System
The schedule is the system that makes your goals a reality. If you don’t set a schedule for yourself, then your only option is to rely on motivation.
Stop waiting for motivation or creative inspiration to strike you and set a routine. This is the difference between professionals and amateurs. Professionals set up a schedule and stick to it. Amateurs wait until they feel inspired.