As I mentioned when recently interviewed on the Mr. Barton Maths Podcast. There have been times during lockdown that I've found quite challenging. Motivation was waning in a way that I found challenging, and I struggled to work productively on several different projects. I find writing to be a very therapeutic process, and began to write for myself a few tips to try to put my mind in order and process some of what I was feeling. These tips appear to be addressed to some external ‘other', but they're really addressed to me. I often write this way when I'm trying to sort through stuff.
I thought I'd share this because I found these tips helpful myself, but also because this is my first piece of incremental writing (similar to incremental reading) that I've done, and I thought it would be neat to post the first (very short) note that I've written through this iterative and spaced process. This note was written over about five incremental writing sessions. Each of a couple of minutes duration. If it's helpful to someone other than me, that's great, if not, it'll be a good record that I can refer back to over time. Enjoy.
How to avoid burnout on your creative project
So you have a project that you want to work on. A long term creative project (writing a book, designing a process, etc) requiring grit and commitment. Here are some tips
1. Success comes from long term application. It's super important to build the habit to work consistently on the project on a routine basis, ideally every day.
2. Some days you won't feel like doing it. On these days, it's really important to try to do the thing. Sit down, prepare, and give it a good go to get started! The reason it's important to try starting, even if you really don't feel like it, is that often after a short time you'll find that you actually get into the flow of writing and get cranking.
3. However, if you give it a good go to get started and you find yourself dragging your feet, too tired, too bored, struggling, DON'T push through. If it's a creative process, you simply won't do good work in your current state. If it isn't working for you, try a micro-break. Some good options are to take a micronap, listen to a song that you find uplifting, do a quick clean of your desk or bedroom or do a short burst of exercise. Then have another crack.
4. If it still isn't working for you, do a longer bout of exercise, a longer nap, or do some cleaning around the house (not for hours, just for 30 – 60 minutes). Again, have another crack.
Note, these actions aren't procrastination, as long as they're done purposefully and consciously. They're purposeful interventions to help you to get back into a more productive state.
5. If after this you still aren't feeling it… stop for the day and do something else! Come back to the project tomorrow.
You need to train yourself to know that you'll rest when you need a rest. If your body knows that you have this pressure release valve, it will actually allow you to work more efficiently, consistently, for longer, and get more done.
This practice will help to prevent burnout. Burnout happens when you continue to push yourself, over and over again, even when you really need a break. You continue to wear yourself down until one day you really can't take it any more, become totally overloaded, and can't function at all for a long time. It's like driving a car on empty. It'll go for quite a way with the fuel gauge reading ‘E', might even surprise you how far it goes. But the effect of pushing on empty for too long is costly damage, damage that can only be recovered from a much more significant period of time at the mechanics. Post burnout, you're going nowhere fast!
It's also very worthwhile to have several projects going at once. This way, the break techniques in step 3 and 4 can be swapped out for work on your alternate project. Double productivity!
Good luck!