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creativity.
2. Constraints force you to get something done.
Time constraints have forced me to produce some of my best work. This is
especially true with my writing. Every Monday and Thursday, I write a new
article — even if it’s inconvenient.
This constraint has led me to produce some of my most popular work in
unlikely places. When I was sitting in the passenger seat on a road trip through
West Virginia, I wrote an article. When I was visiting family for the 4th of July,
I wrote an article. When I spent all day flying in and out of airports, I wrote an
article.
Without my schedule (the constraint), I would have pushed those articles to a
different day. Or never got around to them at all. Constraints force you to get
something done and don’t allow you to procrastinate. This is why I believe that
professionals set a schedule for their production while amateurs wait until they
feel motivated.
What constraints are you setting for yourself? What type of schedule do you
have for your goals?
Related note: Sticking to your schedule doesn’t have to be grand or impressive.
Just commit to a process you can sustain. And if you have to, reduce the scope.