MASTERING CREATIVITY, 1st Edition

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FromJamesClear:

Formostofmylife,Ididn'tconsidermyselftobeparticularlycreative.Ididn'tplayamusical
instrument(orevenknowhowtoreadmusic).Iwasn'tskilledatdrawingorpainting,orreally
anythingthatinvolvedthewordsartsorcrafts.

Itwasn'tuntilImovedtoScotlandanddecidedtobuyacameratotakesomepictureswhileI'm
overtherethatIdiscoveredthatcreativitywassomethingthatcouldbedeveloped.Overthe
nextyear,Itookmorethan100,000photos.

FastforwardtotodayandIpursuecreativetasksallofthetime.EveryMondayandThursday,I
publishanewarticleonJamesClear.comanddisplaycreativityasawriter.Occasionally,I'lladd
somehanddrawnimagestothosearticles.And,ofcourse,I'mstillbouncingaroundtheworld
takingphotosandtryingtotellcompellingstoriesasaphotographer.

I'mnotsurewhatyourcreativegoalsare,butIamsurethatyoucanmakeprogresstowards
them.IwroteMasteringCreativitytosharethelessonsI'velearnedandtoexpressonesimple
truthaboutcreativity:youhavebrillianceinsideofyou,butonlyifyoucanfindthegutsandgrit
topullitoutofyourself.

Let'sgettoit

JamesClear.com 1

10 Things This Guide Will Teach You

1.Howtoovercomethementalblocksthatpreventcreativity.

2.Howtobecreative,evenifit'snotnaturalforyou.

3.Howtomaketimeforcreativeworkifyou'rebusy.

4.Howtheworld'sgreatestartistsapproachthetaskofcreating.

5.Howtomakecreatingaconsistenthabit.

6.Whysmartpeopleshouldcreatethings.

7.Onesimpletrickthatmakesiteasiertobecreative.

8.Howtostaymotivatedoverthelongrun.

9.Whyitisimportanttogeneratealotofworktofindyourcreativity.

10.Andmostimportantly,howtomaketheseideasahabitinreallife.

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Table of Contents

HowtoFindYourHiddenCreativeGenius 4

HowCreativeGeniusesComeUpWithGreatIdeas 5

HowtoUncoverYourCreativeTalentbyUsingtheEqualOddsRule 8

TheMythofCreativeInspiration 11

TheDifferenceBetweenProfessionalsandAmateurs 15

TheWeirdStrategyDr.SeussUsedtoCreateHisGreatestWork 20

HowtoBeMotivatedtoCreateConsistently 24

SmartPeopleShouldCreateThings 29

TheNextStep:WheretoGoFromHere 32

Sources 33

JamesClear.com 3

 How to Find Your Hidden Creative Genius

ThereisainterestingstoryabouthowPabloPicasso,thefamousSpanishartist,developedthe
abilitytoproduceremarkableworkinjustminutes.

Asthestorygoes,Picassowaswalkingthoughthemarketonedaywhenawomanspottedhim.
Shestoppedtheartist,pulledoutapieceofpaperandsaid,Mr.Picasso,Iamafanofyour
work.Please,couldyoudoalittledrawingforme?

Picassosmiledandquicklydrewasmall,butbeautifulpieceofartonthepaper.Then,he
handedthepaperbacktohersaying,Thatwillbeonemilliondollars.

ButMr.Picasso,thewomansaid.Itonlytookyouthirtysecondstodrawthislittle
masterpiece.

Mygoodwoman,Picassosaid,Ittookmethirtyyearstodrawthatmasterpieceinthirty
seconds.[1]

Picassoisnttheonlybrilliantcreativewhoworkedfordecadestomasterhiscraft.Hisjourneyis
typicalofmanycreativegeniuses.Evenpeopleofconsiderabletalentrarelyproduceincredible
workbeforedecadesofpractice.

Letstalkaboutwhythatis,andevenmoreimportant,howyoucanrevealyourowncreative
genius.

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How Creative Geniuses Come Up With

Great Ideas

In2002,MarkusZusaksatdowntowriteabook.

Hebeganbymappingoutthebeginningandtheendofthestory.Then,hestartedlistingout
chapterheadings,pagesofthem.Somemadeitintothefinalstory,manywerecut.

WhenZusakbegantowriteoutthestoryitself,hetriednarratingitfromtheperspectiveof
Death.Itdidntcomeoutthewayhewanted.

Herewrotethebook,thistimethroughthemaincharacterseyes.Again,somethingwasoff.

Hetriedwritingitfromanoutsidersperspective.Stillnogood.

Hetriedpresenttense.Hetriedpasttense.Nothing.Thetextdidntflow.

Herevised.Hechanged.Heedited.Byhisownestimation,Zusakrewrotethefirstpartofthe
book150to200times.Intheend,hewentbacktohisoriginalchoiceandwroteitfromthe
perspectiveofDeath.Thistimethe200thtimeitfeltright.Whenallwassaidanddoneithad
takenZusakthreeyearstowritehisnovel.Hecalledit
TheBookThief
.

Inaninterviewafterhisbookwasfinallyreleased,Zusaksaid,Inthreeyears,Imusthavefailed
overathousandtimes,buteachfailurebroughtmeclosertowhatIneededtowrite,andforthat,
Imgrateful.[2]

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Thebookexplodedinpopularity.ItstayedontheNewYorkTimesbestsellerlistforover230
weeks.Itsold8millioncopies.Itwastranslatedinto40languages.Afewyearslater,Hollywood
TheBookThief
camecallingandturned intoamajormotionpicture.

The Simple Secret to Having Good Luck

Weoftenthinkthatblockbustersuccessesareluck.Maybeitseasiertoexplainsuccessthat
wayasachancehappening,afortunateoutlier.Nodoubt,thereisalwayssomeelementofluck
involvedineverysuccessstory.

ButMarkusZusakisproofthatifyoureviseyourwork200timesifyoufind200waysto
reinventyourself,togetbetteratyourcraftthenluckseemstohaveawayoffindingyou.

Howdocreativegeniusescomeupswithgreatideas?Theyworkandeditandrewriteandretry
andpullouttheirgeniusthroughsheerforceofwillandperseverance.Theyearnthechanceto
beluckybecausetheykeepshowingup.

Inher
DartmouthCommencementAddress
,ShondaRimessharesastrategythatechoesZusaks
approach

Dreamsdonotcometruejustbecauseyoudreamthem.Itshardworkthat
makesthingshappen.Itshardworkthatcreateschange

Ditchthedreamandbeadoer,notadreamer.

Maybeyouknowexactlywhatitisyoudreamofbeing,ormaybeyoure
paralyzedbecauseyouhavenoideawhatyourpassionis.Thetruthis,it

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 doesntmatter.Youdonthavetoknow.Youjusthavetokeepmovingforward.
Youjusthavetokeepdoingsomething,seizingthenextopportunity,staying
opentotryingsomethingnew.Itdoesnthavetofityourvisionoftheperfect
jobortheperfectlife.Perfectisboringanddreamsarenotreal.Justdo.

Soyouthink,IwishIcouldtravel.Great.Sellyourcrappycar,buyatickettoBangkok,andgo.
Rightnow.Imserious.Youwanttobeawriter?Awriterissomeonewhowriteseveryday,so
startwriting.

How Creativity Works

Weallhavesometypeof
creativegeniusinsideofus
.Theonlywaytoreleaseitistoworkonit.

Nosingleactwilluncovermorecreativepowersthanforcingyourselftocreateconsistently.For
MarkusZusakthatmeantwritingandrewriting200times.Foryou,itmightmeansinginga
songoverandoveruntilitsoundsright.Orprogrammingapieceofsoftwareuntilallthebugs
areout,takingportraitsofyourfriendsuntilthelightingisperfect,orcaringforthecustomers
youserveuntilyouknowthembetterthantheyknowthemselves.Youcanmakeanyjobawork
ofartifyouputtherightenergyintoit.

Howdocreativegeniusescomeupwithgreatideas?Theyworkhardatit.

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How to Uncover Your Creative Talent by

Using the Equal Odds Rule

PaulErdoswasastrangeman.Helivedoutoftwosuitcases,neverlearnedhowtocookhisown
meals,workedupto19hoursperday,tookamphetaminesdailyandwashedthemdownwith
caffeine,andgaveawaynearlyallofthemoneythatheearned.[3]

Erdoswasalsothemostprolificmathematicianofthe20thcentury.Hewroteorcoauthored
over1,500mathematicalarticlesduringhiscareerandpartneredwithover500different
collaborators.Asyouwouldexpect,hiscontributionstomathematicsweresignificant.

Erdossolvedavarietyofdifficultproblems.Heworkedoutaprooffortheprimenumber
theorem.HeledthedevelopmentofRamseytheory.Hediscoveredtheproofforadifficult
mathematicalriddleknownasBertrandspostulate.Longstoryshort,Erdoswasgood.He
workedhistailoffandadvancedthefieldofmathematicsbecauseofit.

Andyet,doyouknowwhatbecameofthevastmajorityofhis1,500articlesandpapers?

Nothing.Theyarelonggone.Forgotten.Tuckedawayinthearchivesofanoldresearchjournal
orfiledintoaboxatthebottomofsomemathloverscloset.AndthatiswhythestoryofPaul
ErdosisperhapsthebestexampleofwhatisknownastheEqualOddsRule.

Letstalkaboutwhatthisrulemeansandhowitcanhelpyouuncoveryourcreativetalent.

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The Equal Odds Rule

In1977,aHarvardtrainedpsychologistnamedKeithSimonton,developedatheorythathe
calledtheEqualOddsRule.

TheEqualOddsRulesaysthattheaveragepublicationofanyparticularscientistdoesnothave
anystatisticallydifferentchanceofhavingmoreofanimpactthananyotherscientistsaverage
publication.[4]Inotherwords,anygivenscientistisequallylikelytocreateagamechanging
pieceofworkastheyaretocreatesomethingaveragethatisquicklyforgotten.

Translatedtotheworldatlarge:Youcantpredictyourownsuccess.Scientists,artists,
inventors,writers,entrepreneurs,andworkersofalltypesareequallylikelytoproduceauseless
projectastheyaretoproduceanimportantone.

IfyoubelievetheEqualOddsRule,thenthenaturalconclusionisthatyoureplayinganumbers
game.Becauseyoucantpredictyoursuccess,thebeststrategyistoproduceasmuchworkas
possible,whichwillprovidemoreopportunitiestohitthebullseyeandcreatesomething
meaningful.[5]

IveseentheEqualOddsRuleatplayinmyownworkeachmonth.Iwritenewarticlesevery
MondayandThursday.IknowthatifIwriteanewarticleeveryMondayandThursday,then
thatwillbeabout8or9articlespermonthonaverage.AndifIwrite8or9articlespermonth,
then2or3ofthemwillbedecent.

Which2or3willbewinners?Ihavenoidea.

Afterstickingtothisscheduleforalmosttwoyears,ithasbecomeverycleartomethatIama
ratherterriblejudgeofmyownwork.AllIcandoistrymybesteachtime,
committodoinga

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volumeofwork
,andtrustifI
stickwiththeprocess
thensomethingusefulwillfinditswayfrom
myhandstothekeyboard.

The Willingness to Create Garbage

PaulErdosknewsomethingthatallgreatcreatorseventuallydiscover:Creativegeniusonly
revealsitselfafteryouveshownupenoughtimestogettheaverageideasoutoftheway.Time
aftertime,problemafterproblem,Erdoskeptworkingonhiscraft.1,500paperslater,itturns
outhehadsomeprettygoodideas.

Ifyouwantto
extractyourcreativegeniusandmakeadifference
,thenembracingideabehind
theEqualOddsRuleisausefulstrategy.Sometimesyoullcreatesomethinggood.Sometimes
youllcreatesomethinguseless.Butnomatterwhat,youshouldalwaysbecreating.

Ifyouwanttomakeamasterpiece,youhavetobewillingtocreatealittlegarbagealongtheway.

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The Myth of Creative Inspiration

FranzKafkaisconsideredoneofthemostcreativeandinfluentialwritersofthe20thcentury,
butheactuallyspentmostofhistimeworkingasalawyerfortheWorkersAccidentInsurance
Institute.HowdidKafkaproducesuchfantasticcreativeworkswhileholdingdownhisdayjob?

Bystickingtoastrictschedule.

Hewouldgotohisjobfrom8:30AMto2:30PM,eatlunchandthentakealongnapuntil7:30
PM,exerciseandeatdinnerwithhisfamilyintheevening,andthenbeginwritingat11PMfora
fewhourseachnightbeforegoingtobedanddoingitalloveragain.

Kafkaishardlyuniqueinhiscommitmenttoaschedule.AsMasonCurreynotesinhispopular
book,
DailyRituals:HowArtistsWork
,manyoftheworldsgreatartistsfollowaconsistent
schedule.

MayaAngelou
rentedalocalhotelroomandwenttheretowrite.Shearrivedat6:30AM,
wroteuntil2PM,andthenwenthometodosomeediting.Sheneversleptatthehotel.

PulitzerPrizewinnerMichaelChabon
writesfivenightsperweekfrom10PMto3AM.

HarukiMurakami
wakesupat4AM,writesforfivehours,andthengoesforarun.

Theworkoftopcreativesisntdependentuponmotivationorinspiration,butratheritfollowsa
consistentpatternandroutine.Itsthemasteringofdailyhabitsthatleadstocreativesuccess,
notsomemythicalsparkofgenius.

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Hereswhy

Daily Routines

WilliamJames,thefamouspsychologist,isnotedforsayingthathabitsandschedulesare
importantbecausetheyfreeourmindstoadvancetoreallyinterestingfieldsofaction.

An
article
inTheGuardianagreedbysaying,Ifyouwasteresourcestryingtodecidewhenor
wheretowork,youllimpedeyourcapacitytodothework.Andthereareplentyofresearch
studieson
willpower
and
motivation
tobackupthatstatement.

Inotherwords,ifyoureseriousaboutcreatingsomethingcompelling,youneedtostopwaiting
formotivationandinspirationtostrikeyouandsimplysetaschedulefordoingworkona
consistentbasis.Ofcourse,thatseasytosay,butmuchhardertodoinpractice.

Heresonewayofthinkingaboutschedulesthatmayhelp

Permission to Create Junk

Weightliftingoffersagoodmetaphorforschedulingcreativework.

IcantpredictwhetherornotIllsetaPR(personalrecord)beforeIgotothegym.Infact,there
willbemanydayswhenIllhaveabelowaverageworkout.Eventually,Ifiguredoutthatthose
belowaveragedayswerejustpartoftheprocess.Theonlywaytoactuallyliftbiggerweightswas

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tocontinuallyshowupeveryMonday,Wednesday,andFridayregardlessofwhetherany
individualworkoutwasgoodorbad.

Creativeworkisnodifferentthantraininginthegym.Youcantselectivelychooseyourbest
momentsandonlyworkonthedayswhenyouhavegreatideas.Theonlywaytounveilthegreat
ideasinsideofyouisto
gothroughavolumeofwork
,
putinyourrepetitions
,andshowupover
andoveragain.

Obviously,doingsomethingbelowaverageisneverthegoal.Butyouhavetogiveyourself
permissiontogrindthroughtheoccasionaldaysofbelowaverageworkbecauseitsthepriceyou
havetopaytogettoexcellentwork.

Ifyoureanythinglikeme,youhatecreatingsomethingthatisntexcellent.Itseasytostart
judgingyourworkandconvinceyourselftonotsharesomething,notpublishsomething,and
notshipsomethingbecausethisisntgoodenoughyet.

Butthealternativeisevenworse:ifyoudonthaveascheduleforcingyoutodeliver,thenits
reallyeasytoavoiddoingtheworkatall.Theonlywaytobeconsistentenoughtomakea
masterpieceistogiveyourselfpermissiontocreatejunkalongtheway.

The Schedule is the System

Duringaconversationaboutwriting,myfriend
SarahPeck
lookedatmeandsaid,Alotof
peoplenevergetaroundtowritingbecausetheyarealwayswonderingwhentheyaregoingto
writenext.

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Youcouldsaythesamethingaboutworkingout,startingabusiness,creatingart,andbuilding
mosthabits.Thescheduleisthe
systemthatmakesyourgoalsareality
.Ifyoudontseta
scheduleforyourself,thenyouronlyoptionistorelyonmotivation.

Ifyourworkoutdoesnthaveatimewhenitusuallyoccurs,theneachdayyoullwakeup
thinking,IhopeIfeelmotivatedtoexercisetoday.
Ifyourbusinessdoesnthaveasystemformarketing,thenyoullshowupatwork
crossingyourfingersthatyoullfindawaytogetthewordout(inadditiontoeverything
elseyouhavetodo).
Ifyoudonthaveatimeblocktowriteeveryweek,thenyoullfindyourselfsayingthings
like,Ijustneedtofindthewillpowertodoit.

Stopwaitingformotivationorinspirationtostrikeyouandsetascheduleforyourhabits.

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The Difference Between Professionals and

Amateurs

Lastsummer,Iwasspeakingwithamannamed
ToddHenry
.Toddisasuccessfulauthorand
doesagreatjobofputtingoutvaluableworkonaconsistentbasis.

I,ontheotherhand,doaremarkablejobofputtingoutquestionableworkonaninconsistent
basis.IstartedtoexplainthistoTodd

Todd,whatdoyouthinkaboutwritingonlywhenyoufeelmotivated?IfeellikeIalwaysdomy
bestworkwhenIgetasparkofcreativityorinspiration,butthatonlyhappenseverynowand
then.ImprettymuchonlywritingwhenIfeellikeit,whichmeansIminconsistent.ButifI
writeallthetime,thenImnotcreatingmybestwork.

Thatscool,Toddreplied.IonlywritewhenImmotivatedtoo.Ijusthappenedtobe
motivatedeverydayat8am.

The Difference Between Professionals and Amateurs

Itdoesntmatterwhatyouaretryingtobecomebetterat,ifyouonlydotheworkwhenyoure
motivated,thenyoullneverbeconsistentenoughtobecomeaprofessional.

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Theabilitytoshowupeveryday,sticktotheschedule,anddotheworkespeciallywhenyou
dontfeellikeitissovaluablethatitisliterallyallyouneedtobecomebetter99%ofthetime.

Iveseenthisinmyownexperiences

WhenIdontmissworkouts,Igetinthebestshapeofmylife.WhenIwriteeveryweek,I
becomeabetterwriter.WhenItravelandtakemycameraouteveryday,Itakebetterphotos.

Itssimpleandpowerful.Butwhyisitsodifficult?

The Pain of Being A Pro

Approachingyourgoalswhatevertheyarewiththeattitudeofaprofessionalisnteasy.In
fact,beingaproispainful.

Thesimplefactofthematteristhatmostofthetimeweareinconsistent.Wehavegoalsthatwe
wouldliketoachieveanddreamsthatwewouldliketofulfill,butweonlyworktowardsthem
occasionallywhenwefeelinspiredormotivatedorwhenlifeallowsustodoso.Itsjusteasier
thatway.

Icanguaranteethatifyousetascheduleforanytaskandstartstickingtoit,therewillbedays
whenyoufeellikequitting.Whenyoustartabusiness,therewillbedayswhenyoudontfeellike
showingup.Whenyoureatthegym,therewillbesetsthatyoudontfeellikefinishing.When
itstimetowrite,therewillbereportsthatyoudontfeelliketyping.Butsteppingupwhenits
annoyingorpainfulordrainingtodoso,thatswhatmakesyouapro.

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Professionalssticktotheschedule,amateursletlifegetintheway.Professionalsknowwhatis
importanttothemandworktowardsitwithpurpose,amateursgetpulledoffcoursebythe
urgenciesoflife
.

Youll Never Regret Starting Important Work

SomepeoplemightthinkImpromotingthebenefitsofbeingaworkaholic.Professionalswork
harderthaneveryoneelseandthatswhytheyregreat.Actually,thatsnotitatall.

Beingaproisabouthavingthedisciplinetocommittowhatisimportanttoyouinsteadof
merelysayingsomethingisimportanttoyou.Itsaboutstartingwhenyoufeellikestopping,not
becauseyouwanttoworkmore,butbecauseyourgoalisimportantenoughtoyouthatyoudont
simplyworkonitwhenitsconvenient.Becomingaproisaboutmakingyourprioritiesareality.

TherehavebeenalotofsetsthatIhaventfeltlikefinishing,butIveneverregretteddoingthe
workout.TherehavebeenalotofarticlesIhaventfeltlikewriting,butIveneverregretted
publishingonschedule.TherehavebeenalotofdaysIvefeltlikerelaxing,butIvenever
regrettedshowingupandworkingonsomethingthatisimportanttome.

Becomingaprodoesntmeanyoureaworkaholic.Itmeansthatyouregoodatmakingtimefor
whatmatterstoyouespeciallywhenyoudontfeellikeitinsteadofplayingtheroleofthe
victimandlettinglifehappentoyou.

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How to Become a Pro

Goingaboutyourworklikeaproisnteasy,butitsalsonotascomplicatedordifficultasyou
mightthink.Therearethreesteps.

1.Decidewhatyouwanttobegoodat.

Purposeiseverything.Ifyouknowwhatyouwant,thengettingitismucheasier.Thissounds
simple,butinmyexperienceevenpeoplewhoaresmart,creative,andtalentedrarelyknow
exactlywhattheyareworkingforandwhy.

2.Setascheduleforyouractions.

Onceyouknowwhatyouwant,setascheduleforactuallydoingit.

Note:DontmakethesamemistakeIhavemade,whichissettingaschedulebasedonresults.
Dontmapouthowmuchweightyouwanttoloseeachweekorhowmuchmoneyyouwantto
make.Lose5poundsisnotanactionyoucanperform.Dothreesetsofsquatsisanaction
youcanperform.

Youwanttosetaschedulebasedonactionsyoucando,notresultsthatyouwant.

3.Sticktoyourscheduleforoneweek.

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Stopthinkingabouthowharditwillbetofollowascheduleforamonthorayear.Justfollowit
forthisweek.Forthenext7days,dontletdistractionsgetintheway.

Settingascheduledoesntmakeyouaprofessional,followingitdoes.Dontbeawriter,be
writing.Dontbealifter,belifting.Foroneweek,dothethingsyouwanttodowithoutletting
lifegetintheway.Nextweek,startagain.

The Power of the Schedule

IraGlassisthehostofthepopularradioshowThisAmericanLife,whichisbroadcastto1.7
millionlistenerseachweek.ThisistheadviceGlassgivestoanyonelookingtointeresting,
creativework:Themostimportantthingyoucandoisdoalotofwork.Doahugevolumeof
work.Putyourselfonadeadlinesothateveryweekoreverymonthyouknowyouregoingto
finishonestory.Itisonlybygoingthroughavolumeofworkthattheworkyouremakingwill
beasgoodasyourambitions.[6]

Ifyouwanttodoyourbestcreativework,thendontleaveituptochoice.Dontwakeupinthe
morningandthink,IhopeIfeelinspiredtocreatesomethingtoday.Youneedtotakethe
decisionmakingoutofit.Setascheduleforyourwork.Geniusarriveswhenyoushowup
enoughtimestogettheaverageideasoutoftheway.

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The Weird Strategy Dr. Seuss Used to

Create His Greatest Work

In1960,twomenmadeabet.

Therewasonly$50ontheline,butmillionsofpeoplewouldfeeltheimpactofthislittlewager.

Thefirstman,BennettCerf,wasthefounderofthepublishingfirm,RandomHouse.Thesecond
manwasnamedTheoGeisel,butyouprobablyknowhimasDr.Seuss.Cerfproposedthebet
andchallengedthatDr.Seusswouldnotbeabletowriteanentertainingchildrensbookusing
only50differentwords.

Dr.Seusstookthebetandwon.Theresultwasalittlebookcalled
GreenEggsandHam
.Since
publication,GreenEggsandHamhassoldmorethan200millioncopies,makingitthemost
popularofSeusssworksandoneofthebestsellingchildrensbooksinhistory.

Atfirstglance,youmightthinkthiswasaluckyfluke.Atalentedauthorplaysafungamewith
50wordsandendsupproducingahit.Butthereisactuallymoretothisstoryandthelessonsin
itcanhelpusbecomemorecreativeandsticktobetterhabitsoverthelongrun.

HereswhatwecanlearnfromDr.Seuss

The Power of Constraints

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WhatDr.Seussdiscoveredthroughthislittlebetwasthepowerofsettingconstraints.

Settinglimitsforyourselfwhetherthatinvolvesthetimeyouhavetoworkout,themoneyyou
havetostartabusiness,orthenumberofwordsyoucanuseinabookoftendeliversbetter
resultsthankeepingyouroptionsopen.

Infact,Dr.Seussfoundthatsettingsomelimitstoworkwithinwassousefulthatheemployed
TheCatintheHat
thisstrategyforotherbooksaswell.Forexample, waswrittenusingonlya
firstgradevocabularylist.

Inmyexperience,Iveseenthatconstraintscanalsoprovidebenefitsinhealth,business,andlife
ingeneral.Ivenoticedtworeasonswhythisoccurs.

1.Constraintsinspireyourcreativity.

Ifyourefivefootfiveinchestallandyoureplayingbasketball,youfigureoutmorecreativeways
toscorethanthesixfootfiveinchguy.

Ifyouhaveaoneyearoldchildthattakesupalmosteveryminuteofyourday,youfigureout
morecreativewaystogetsomeexercise.

Ifyoureaphotographerandyoushowuptoashootwithjustonelens,thenyoufigureoutmore
creativewaystocapturethebeautyofyoursubjectthanyouwouldwithallofyourgear
available.

Limitationsdriveyoutofigureoutsolutions.Yourconstraintsinspireyourcreativity.
2.Constraintsforceyoutogetsomethingdone.

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Timeconstraintshaveforcedmetoproducesomeofmybestwork.Thisisespeciallytruewith
mywriting.EveryMondayandThursday,Iwriteanewarticleevenifitsinconvenient.

Thisconstrainthasledmetoproducesomeofmymostpopularworkinunlikelyplaces.WhenI
wassittinginthepassengerseatonaroadtripthroughWestVirginia,
Iwroteanarticle
.WhenI
wasvisitingfamilyforthe4thofJuly,
Iwroteanarticle
.WhenIspentalldayflyinginandoutof
airports,
Iwroteanarticle
.

Withoutmyschedule(theconstraint),Iwouldhavepushedthosearticlestoadifferentday.Or
nevergotaroundtothematall.Constraintsforceyoutogetsomethingdoneanddontallowyou
toprocrastinate.ThisiswhyIbelievethat
professionalssetaschedule
fortheirproductionwhile
amateurswaituntiltheyfeelmotivated
.

Whatconstraintsareyousettingforyourself?Whattypeofscheduledoyouhaveforyourgoals?

Relatednote:Stickingtoyourscheduledoesnthavetobegrandorimpressive.Just
committoa
processyoucansustain
.Andifyouhaveto,
reducethescope
.

Constraints are Not the Enemy

Sooftenwespendtimecomplainingaboutthethingsthatarewithheldfromus.

Idonthaveenoughtimetoworkout.
Idonthaveenoughmoneytostartabusiness.
Icanteatthisfoodonmydiet.

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Butconstraintsarenottheenemy.Everyartisthasalimitedsetoftoolstoworkwith.Every
athletehasalimitedsetofskillstotrainwith.Everyentrepreneurhasalimitedamountof
resourcestobuildwith.Onceyouknowyourconstraints,youcanstartfiguringouthowtowork
withthem.

The Size of Your Canvas

Dr.Seusswasgiven50words.Thatwasthesizeofhiscanvas.Hisjobwastoseewhatkindof
picturehecouldpaintwiththosewords.

YouandIaregivensimilarconstraintsinourlives.

Youonlyhave30minutestofitaworkoutintoyourday?
Sobeit.Thatsthesizeof
yourcanvas.Yourjobistoseeifyoucanmakethose30minutesaworkofart.

Youcanonlyspare15minuteseachdaytowrite?
Thatsthesizeofyourcanvas.Yourjob
istomakeeachparagraphaworkofart.

Youonlyhave$100tostartyourbusiness?
Great.Thatsthesizeofyourcanvas.Yourjob
istomakeeachsalescallaworkofart.

Therearealotofauthorswhowouldcomplainaboutwritingabookwithonly50words.But
therewasoneauthorwhodecidedtotakethetoolshehadavailableandmakeaworkofart
instead.

Weallhaveconstraintsinourlives.Thelimitationsjustdeterminethesizeofthecanvasyou
havetoworkwith.Whatyoupaintonitisuptoyou.

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 How to Be Motivated to Create

Consistently

TwylaTharpwasborninIndianaandwasnamedafterthelocalPigPrincessattheAnnual
MuncieFair,whowentbyTwila.

Itwasnttheprettiestofstarts,butTharpturneditintosomethingbeautiful.

Sheiswidelyregardedasoneofthegreatestdancersandchoreographersofthemodernera.She
hastouredacrosstheglobeperformingheroriginalwork.Sheiscreditedwithchoreographing
thefirstcrossoverballetandshehaschoreographeddancesfortheParisOperaBallet,TheRoyal
Ballet,NewYorkCityBallet,BostonBallet,andmanyothers.Herworkhasappearedon
Broadway,ontelevision,andinfilms.In1992,shewasawardedaMacArthurFellowship,often
calledtheGeniusGrant,forhercreativework.

Toputitsimply:TwylaTharpisprolific.Thequestionis,howdoesshedoit?

The Power of Ritual

Inherbestsellingbook,
TheCreativeHabit
,Tharpdiscussesoneofthesecretsofhersuccess:

IbegineachdayofmylifewitharitualIwakeupat5:30A.M.,putonmy
workoutclothes,mylegwarmers,mysweatshirts,andmyhat.Iwalk
outsidemyManhattanhome,hailataxi,andtellthedrivertotakemetothe

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 PumpingIrongymat91ststreetandFirstAvenue,whereIworkoutfortwo
hours.TheritualisnotthestretchingandweighttrainingIputmybody
througheachmorningatthegymtheritualisthecab.ThemomentItellthe
driverwheretogoIhavecompletedtheritual.

Itsasimpleact,butdoingitthesamewayeachmorninghabitualizesit
makesitrepeatable,easytodo.ItreducesthechancethatIwouldskipitor
doitdifferently.Itisonemoreiteminmyarsenalofroutines,andoneless
thingtothinkabout.

LetstalkaboutwhatmakesTharpsmorningritualsoimportantandhowwecanuseitto
masterourownhabits.

The Surprising Thing About Motivation

Ifyouhavetroublestickingtogoodhabitsorfallvictimtobadones,thenitcanbeeasyto
assumethatyousimplyneedtolearn
howtogetmotivated
orthatyoudontunderstand
how
willpowerworks
.

Buthereisthesurprisingthingaboutmotivation:itoftencomesafterstartinganewbehavior,
notbefore.Gettingstartedis
aformofactiveinspiration
thatnaturallyproducesmomentum.

Youhaveprobablyexperiencedthisphenomenonbefore.Forexample,goingforarunmayseem
overwhelmingorexhaustingjusttothinkaboutbeforeyoubegin,butifyoucanmusterupthe
energytostartjogging,youlloftenfindthatyoubecomemoremotivatedtofinishasyougo.In
otherwords,itseasiertofinishtherunthanitwastostartitinthefirstplace.

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ThisisbasicallyNewtonsFirstLawappliedtohabitformation:objectsinmotiontendtostayin
motion.Andthatmeansgettingstartedisthehardestpart.

Ioftenfindthistobetruewithmyarticles.OnceIbeginwriting,itsmucheasierformeto
powerthroughandfinish.However,ifImstaringatablankpage,itcanseemoverwhelming
andtaxingtotakethefirststep.

Andthis,myfriends,iswhereTwylaTharpsmorningritualcomesbackintothepicture.

Rituals Are an On Ramp for Your Behavior

Thepowerofaritual,orwhatIliketocalla
pregameroutine
,isthatitprovidesamindlessway
toinitiateyourbehavior.Itmakesstartingyourhabitseasierandthatmeansfollowingthrough
onaconsistentbasisiseasier.

Habitsresearchersagree.BenjaminGardner,aresearcherintheDepartmentofEpidemiology
andPublicHealthatUniversityCollegeLondonrecently
publishedapaper
inthe
Health
PsychologyReview
thatcoveredhowwecanusehabitstoinitiatelonger,morecomplex
routines:

Ahabitualbicyclecommuter,forexample,mayautomaticallyopttousea
bicycleratherthanalternativetransport(soautomaticallyenactingthefirst
behaviourinasuperordinatebicyclecommutingsequence,suchasputting
onacyclehelmet),butnegotiatingthejourneymayrequirehigherlevel
cognitiveinput.

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Inotherwords,gettingstartedwithasimplerituallikeputtingonahelmetorcheckingtheairin
thebiketiresmakesiteasiertofollowthroughonthebiggerbehavior(makingthecommute).If
youfocusontheritual,thenextstepfollowsmoreautomatically.
TwylaTharpsmorningroutineisaperfectexampleofthisideainpractice.Naturally,thereare
goingtobedayswhenshedoesntfeellikegettingoutofbedandexercising.Thereareboundto
betimeswhenthethoughtofstartingthedaywithatwohourworkoutseemsexhausting.

Butherritualofwakingupandcallingthetaxitakestheemotion,motivation,and
decisionmakingoutoftheprocess.Herbraindoesntneedtowasteanyenergydecidingwhatto
donext.Shedoesnthaveadebatewithherselfaboutwhatthefirststepshouldbe.Shesimply
followsthesamepatternthatshealwaysdoes.Andoncethepatternisinmotion,therestofthe
sequencefollowsmoreeasily.

Thekeytoanygoodritualisthatitremovestheneedtomakeadecision:WhatshouldIdofirst?
WhenshouldIdothis?HowshouldIdothis?Mostpeoplenevergetmovingbecausetheycant
decidehowtogetstarted.Havingaritualtakesthatburdenoffyourshoulders.

The Idea in Practice

Herearesomeotherexamplesofhowyoucanapplyritualandroutinetoyourhabitsand
behaviors:

Exercisemoreconsistently:Usethesamewarmuproutineinthegym
Becomemorecreative:Followacreativeritualbeforeyoustartwritingorpaintingor
singing
Starteachdaystressfree:Createafiveminutemorningmeditationritual
Sleepbetter:Followapowerdownroutinebeforebed

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Whateveritis,makeityourown.Useyourritualasanonrampforthebiggerbehaviorand
habitsyouwanttobuildintoyourlife.Whenyoumastertheabilitytomindlesslyinitiatethe
tasksthatareimportanttoyou,itsnotnecessarytorelyonmotivationandwillpowertomake
themhappen.

Wherecanyouusearitualorroutinetohelpyoucreatemoreconsistently?

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Smart People Should Create Things

Itwas1974andArtFrywasspendinghisweekendsingingforthelocalchurchchoir.Onthis
particularSunday,Frywasdealingwitharelativelyboringproblem:hecouldntkeephis
bookmarksinplace.

Inordertofindhymnsquickly,Frywouldsticklittlepiecesofpaperbetweenthepageslike
bookmarks.Theonlyproblemwasthateverytimehestoodup,thepiecesofpaperwouldslide
downdeepbetweenthepagesorfalloutofthebookcompletely.Annoyedbytheconstant
placingandreplacingofhisbookmarks,Frystarteddaydreamingaboutabettersolution.

Itwasduringthesermon,Frysaid,thatIfirstthought,WhatIreallyneedisalittle
bookmarkthatwillsticktothepaperbutwillnottearthepaperwhenIremoveit.[7]

Withthisideainmind,Frywentbacktoworkthenextweekandbegandevelopingasolutionto
hisbookmarkproblem.Asluckwouldhaveit,Fryhappenedtobeworkingattheperfect
company.Hewasanemployeeat3Mandoneofhiscoworkers,SpencerSilver,wasan
adhesivesspecialist.

Overthenextfewmonths,FryandSilverdevelopedapieceofpaperthatwouldsticktoapage,
butcouldbeeasilyremovedandreappliedoverandover.Eventually,thislittleprojectbecame
oneofthebestsellingofficesuppliesofalltime:thePostItNote.

Today,3MsellsPostItNotesinover100countriesworldwide.Youcanfindthematlibraries
andschools,inofficesandboardrooms,andscatteredaroundnearlyeveryworkspacein
between.

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WhatcanwelearnfromthestoryofArtFry?Andistheresomethingwecantakeawayfromthis
tomakeourlivesandtheworldbetter?

Create Something Small

ArtFrywasnttryingtocreateabestsellingofficesupplyproduct.Inthebeginning,Frywas
simplytryingtodesignabetterbookmarkforhischoirhymnal.Hewasjusttryingtocreate
somethingsmall.

Foralongtime,IthoughtthatifIwasntworkingonsomethingincredible,thenitwasntof
muchvalue.ButgraduallyIdiscoveredthetruth:themostimportantthingisnttocreate
somethingworldchanging,butsimplytocreate.Youdonthavetobuildsomethingfamousto
buildsomethingmeaningful.

AndthisbringsustothemostimportantlessonwecanlearnfromArtFryandhisPostItNotes:
whentheworldpresentsyouwithsomethinginterestingorfrustratingorcurious,choosetodo
somethingaboutit.Choosetobeacreator.

Inotherwords,theworldneedssmartpeopletobuildthings.Weneedemployeeswhoinvent
things,entrepreneurswhocreatethings,andfreelancerswhodesignthings.Weneedsecretaries
whomakejewelryasasideprojectandstayathomedadswhowriteamazingnovels.Weneed
moreleaders,notmorefollowers.Weneedmorecreators,notmoreconsumers.

Andperhapsthemostimportantthingtorealizeisthatwenotonlyneedtocreateforeach
other,butforourselvesaswell.Creatingsomethingistheperfectwaytoavoidwastingthe
preciousmomentsthatwehavebeengiven.Tocontribute,tocreate,tochipintotheworld
aroundyouandtoaddyourlinetotheworldsstorythatisalifewelllived.

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Whatwillyoucreatetoday?

JamesClear.com 31

The Next Step: Where to Go From Here

Ifyouenjoyedthisguide,thenyou'llprobablylovemyweeklynewsletter.It'stotallyfreeandI
sharesciencebasedideasandpracticalstrategiesformasteringyourcreativehabitsandlivinga
betterlife.

Youcansignuphere:
http://jamesclear.com/newsletter

Idon'thaveitallfiguredout,butI'mdoingmybesttowalktheslowmarchtowardgreatness
withyou.

JamesClear

JamesClear.com 32

Sources

1. IcouldntfindtheoriginalsourceforthisPicassostoryandImnotsureifitstrue.The
pointremainsjustasstrongandcompellingeitherway,butifyouknowtheoriginal
sourcepleaseshare.
2. MarkusZusaktalksaboutthewritingofTheBookThiefbyMacmillanPublishers
Australia
3. DailyRitualsbyMasonCurrey,pgs.178179.
4. ThisquotecamefromanAmazonreviewbyJohnKeezellofSimontonsbook,Creativity
inScience.
5. RecentresearchhasrevealedthattheEqualOddsRuledoesntquitetellthewholestory.
Forexample,researchshowsthatdeliberatepracticemattersandthatyoucanimprove
yourskillsastimegoeson.Andasyourskillsimprove,sodoyouroddsofsuccess.In
otherwords,theoddsofproducingsomethinggoodstarttoshiftinyourfavorasyour
skillsimprove.Ofcourse,youneedtoembracetheideabehindTheEqualOddsRule
anyway:theonlywaytoimproveyourskillsthroughdeliberatepracticeistogothrough
avolumeofwork.AttheendofthedaytheEqualOddsRuleisntperfect,buttheresult
isthesame:practicemore.
6. IraGlass,ThisAmericanLifeinterviewbyGothamist.
7. DaydreamAchieverbyJonahLehrer

Thanks
toSebastianMarshallfororiginallytellingmeabouttheEqualOddsRule,toSriniRao
fororiginallywritingaboutthewillingnesstocreategarbage,andtoAndrewYangforinspiring
thetitleofoneofthesectionsinthisguidewithhisbook,SmartPeopleShouldBuildThings.

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