A very worthwhile read even if you're not trying to "manage your day-to-day" or build a routine. This is a wonderful collection of essays, articles, interviews, etc. having to do with rediscovering your creative self. Some great tips on being mindful of our device use, maintaining our sanity in today's information-heavy world, and tips on working through creative blocks. ( )

Gives a decent introduction on the why and what of the routines and rituals. It is a collection of essays from various authors, so it is not an authoritative guide or so, but a decent place to start. Maybe next stop for me will be Tools of Titans. ( )

I actually enjoyed this little read and related to so much of what was written. This book contains a montage of accomplished writers and their advise on building a routine, finding focus, and sharpening writing skills to complete your creative projects and maybe become an accomplished writer as well.

The message was the same: You must cultivate a DAILY routine! Establish a rhythm into your life with uninterrupted focus. Mark it on your calender as "busy". This means resist temptation to look at your Facebook. No phones. No internet. No emails. UNPLUG FROM TECHNOLOGY! And If need be, do your work with pen and paper to avoid online distractions. If you can't even do this, then be satisfied as a Facebook poster or a blogger with a few interested people. Nothing wrong with this at all, at least it's an outlet for your creativity. But, if you crave more, then you must put in more work. Period.

Do not even think about producing quality work by multitasking. You will disrupt your flow if you try to work (write) and leave your phone on nearby, waiting to hear that ding from instant messaging or your Facebook. It is better even to read for a few hours, than to read and suddenly stop to answer an instant message or to stop for a second to give Facebook a scroll, which I have done all morning long...TURN IT OFF....REMOVE THE TEMPTATION..so you aren't even tempted to go down that rabbit hole.

Writer Leo Babauta mentions our brains jumping around much like monkeys in a tree because of our daily interactions on the internet. I know exactly what he is talking about and have talked about this often lately. My brain feels different since the age of Facebook, like it can't focus on things. It feels like electrical currents bouncing around, short circuiting, anything but calm and peaceful. Reading "books" again is helping me to regain focus and has calmed my mind quite a bit. Maybe it's time to add writing into my morning routine.

Everyone has demons for not getting work done. I have my own demons for not writing. My internal dialogue tells me I don't write good enough. That I'm not creative enough to come up with my own ideas. That no one is interested in my shit. Another more prominent demon is always telling me the project is just way too big for me. Once that thought takes hold inside my head, game over! It takes months & months for me to get back in the game. What's interesting is the fact that all of these professional writers also mention going through these very same insecure thoughts in the beginning.

Tips for cultivating daily routines that encourage yourself to get in the writing mode, called "associative triggers". Some examples professionals use:

1. Designate one specific place to write.
2. Particular pair of glasses
3. Listen to the same particular music or write in complete silence.
4. Specific time each day...after exercise & Bible study...or first thing in the morning with coffee or tea...after a walk.
5. Arrange desk a specific way
6. Work in 90 minute bursts, then break ( )

http://pro-libertate.net/20140620/242-read-manage-your-day-day ( )

I've been feeling pretty unproductive for a couple of years now, despite also feeling constantly stressed out and busy. So I wanted to read this book before the start of a new year to see if I could find any ideas for how to be, well, better.

This book did not disappoint. Now that I've finished reading it, it's time to cull through all my highlights (yay for the Kindle app, that tracks all the things I've highlighted and compiles them in one location!) and create some specific goals/life changes from the tidbits that affected me most.

One thing is clear--as paradoxical as it might seem, creativity actually demands routine, and that is something I need to fine tune just a bit. I have my routine of what time I wake up and how long I stay at work, but other than that, the rest of my time is not routinized enough. So that's definitely a starting point for me.

It's a quick read with, granted, some bumper-sticker wisdom throughout, and some take-aways that can be easily and quickly implemented into the most harried of lives (read: mine). ( )