#my life is just sooo incredibly hopeless like i have no hope of escaping this cycle. i just dont

[doebt]

I am so miserable lately but like too at rock bottom to even talk or type about it like i just cant be bothered. just know that at any moment im being crushed by like. an emotional hydraulic press or trash compactor or something

[drarryangels]

angst corner recs

Hello hello everyone. Long time no see. Here are some fics that I love under the angst tag in my bookmarks that I'd probably (totally) die for. I tried to include mostly fics that I don’t hear people talking a lot about, but there are some big titles in here as well. 

-

I'd Catch You by Caellie_E_and_Vaye_Rue_Y, G

...Five times Harry made a promise, and one time he had to fulfill it.

R/N: Royalty au! Friends to lovers! Angsty! Perfection. I got into some heeeavy royalty au obsession for like two days, and was blessed to discover this fic. Seriously, so good. Beware MCD.

Stone, Sky, and Sea by RurouniHime, M

...(In which the Wizarding Saviour wanders about Oop North, tries to escape his partner, and fails miserably.)

R/N: Um this specific writing style is literally everything I love and also everything I aspire to be. Plus, this fic is just... hard to explain but it's so.... nice. Nice writing, nice location. Heartbreaking, but also so sweet.

The Bucket List by GallaPlacidia, NR

Draco will die in six months if he can't get Harry Potter to fall in love with him. Since that's not going to happen, he might as well spend his last days working through his Bucket List....

R/N: I think everyone has read this by now. But if you haven't... seriously do. It's one of the Drarry Classics That Everyone Must Read.

I've Built My Dreams Around You by fwooshy, T

Harry loves Draco. But starting over is hard, even when you're in love.

R/N: Rip my heart out and bury it anyways.

the last time that you touched me by silvergalaxy, M

What do you do when your boyfriend refuses to admit that his snarky comments about your hair are just a cover up so that you don't find out how much he actually loves it?

Harry Potter has a plan.

It doesn't work out quite as hoped.

R/N: I have no idea how many times I've read this fic. Like so many. Sooo many.

Espresso Patronum by tasteofshapes, T

When Draco reappears five years after the war and opens a wildly popular coffee shop, Harry’s pretty sure that Draco’s Up to Something. He just has to prove it.

R/N: Coffeeshop plus enemies to friends to lovers plus potions plus pining and lots of feelings. I can tell you: you want to read it!

Quiet World by augustskies, G

The first time the silence is broken, it’s Harry, nudging Malfoy’s shoulder, pointing out a single firefly perched on the ledge between them.

“Look,” he whispers, forgetting about one hundred and sixty-seven words.

R/N: Such a beautiful fic in a unique world where people can only say a limited amount of words per day. Really puts how inexhaustible what we say is, and what things could be like if our mouths couldn't run on forever. I like how this fic puts it all together, and how it shows that there are things that can be shown without words and those things are equally as important as the things said in words.

if stars died of old age by LiviKate, NR

His mother had had six months after his father had died. But it was expected; they had prepared and were already rather distanced. Draco hadn’t been ready, and Merlin, he had been so in love. He knew he was counting down in weeks, not months.

R/N: Gives me you are the antidote for me vibes but a little bit shorter for all the darlings out there who need shorter fics.

Small Thing by tsauergrass, G

...Or more simply: Draco falling in love with Harry.

R/N: Okay god, but I love this fic. Literally any who knows me knows that I am head over heels for tsauergrass, and none of their works have ever let me down, and I must rec them and comment on them endlessly because I just... cannot imagine a world where my life didn't cross pass with theirs. And GOD WHAT A HORRIBLE THOUGHT (i can't imagine never reading anything of tsauergrass') JUST READ THIS PLS

Ship of Theseus by GallaPlacidia, T

When Harry gets amnesia and forgets he and Draco were ever married, he refuses treatment to remember.

R/N: One of my favorite fics ever, no exaggeration. Beautifully written, incredibly heartbreaking, and so tragically GOOD.

The Green Vial by eidheann, E

After months of seeing Harry Potter walk into his Apothecary disappointed and hopeless, Draco offers to carry the baby that Harry can't. Now he's just got to hide the fact that he's been half in love with Harry for years.

R/N: I know most people don’t really like mpreg, but I do so there. This is so sweet and precious with all the heartbreak and pining and trying for a baby and and and. 10/10 would read. 

Silverpoint by tackytiger, E

...Or: How Harry Potter Fell In Love (and Realised that Draco Malfoy Loved Him Back).

R/N: Tacky is a beautiful writer, and this fic is perfectly heartbreaking so. Yeah. 

Stop All the Clocks (This Is the Last Time I’m Leaving Without You) by firethesound, E

Living with Draco was difficult; living without him is unbearable. But if there’s one thing Harry learned from the war, it’s that even when one life ends, the rest of the world goes right on living.

R/N: There were tears rolling down my neck pretty much the whole time I was reading this. It’s another one of the Drarry Classics I think, but please do proceed with caution because it is quite a bit heavier than the other fics on this rec list. The portrayal of grief is incredibly vivid, and while that is a beautiful and special thing about this fic, it’s also very hard to read about. Really wonderful, but take water breaks in between and breathe a little. 

Blackberry Jam by JulietsEmoPhase, E

10-year-old Harry and Draco are evacuated from London during the Blitz, and through a logistical error, end up sharing not only a home but a bed. Follow them as they grow up against the backdrop of the war, discovering who they really are and slowly falling in love.

WWII Muggle AU. Mild smut, warnings for some thoughts of self harm/suicide.

R/N: This was the first Drarry fic I read over like 7k and I remember thinking how freaking long it was when I read it for the first time (it’s about 36k). My oh my how the times have changed. And yet, this fic is still just as good as ever. 

-

Aaaand that’s the end of the list for now. I hope someone finds something on this list that they enjoy, and please feel welcome to leave additional recs in the comments/reblogs. 

[nightwingswing]

The family’s girl. (Batfam x reader)

Happy new year, babes!

Parings: Batfam x reader. (romance)

(y/n) – your name.

(y/l) – your lastname

(y/c) – your country. (If you’re American, your state.)

(y/dg) – your dream degree.

Part1 (you are here)  Part2  Part3   Part4  Part5  Part6  [Interlude] Part7  Part8  Part9  Part10

It was your second year of college and you couldn’t wait to go on your student exchange. Your destination?

Blüdhaven University.

Oh well.

Why Blüdhaven? If it’s completely corrupt, dangerous and crazy?

Because you didn’t know that.

Duh!…

Your parents opposed over and over but there was no way of stopping you. You wanted out of (y/c) and you didn’t care where you were going meanwhile it’s far away from your home town as possible.

With your bags on your hands you exited of the taxi after paying the driver and headed towards the crappy looking building where you had rented a flat for the time you were staying.

The bags were quite heavy on your tired arms, you dragged them to the door when suddenly the door was yanked over by a hideous looking man who shouted at you to get out of the way and pushed you away then a police officer helped you up asking if you were alright you nodded and he helped you gather you things and put them in the elevator with you, when a guy in a tight shirt with you in the elevator said.

“If I were you I wouldn’t trust the police force.” The guy said. You looked at him quizzically with a raised eyebrow.

“Thanks. I keep it in mind” You looked at him, dang he was attractive. Oh this was your floor. You bid him goodbye and exited the elevator. When you were opening your door, you heard an amused voice.

“Need help, beautiful?”

Oh.

It was the same guy in the elevator.

“Are you stalking me or something? Seriously I know hand in hand combat.”

“Don’t worry, I’m a nice guy” He said with raised hands” Hi, my name is Dick, Dick Grayson” He smiled at you, damn that was a cute smile, he had dimples and everything!.

“(y/n) (y/l)” You said as he helped you open the door and put your things inside. After that, you asked him if he wanted a drink or something. He smiled at you and said yes, sitting next to you on the couch. You brought two (f/d) you bought with you for you and for Dick.

“Sorry, I don’t have anything else” You smiled apologetic. Dick laughed and grabbed the drink.

“Don’t worry, I’ve had worse”

“Sooo, why were you following me?” You asked.

“I wasn’t following you, I live in front of you.” You blushed a bit embarrassed because you seriously thought he was a creep.

A hot creep

but a creep nonetheless.

“Oh…”

“So, tell me (y/n), what brings you to the ‘Haven?”

“I’m studying abroad in the Blüdhaven University.”

“Oh! And what are you studying?”

“(y/dg)”

“That’s cool”

“And you, Dick? If you don’t mind me asking…”

“I’m a police officer”

“But this morning you said…”

“Because I know Officer Siller, the guy who helped you, and he is bad news. Almost everybody in the force is. You look like a nice girl, so if you have any trouble, come looking for me I’ll help you.” You looked at him suspiciously.

“And why would I trust you? What makes you different from them?”

Dick smiled at you sadly.

“You have a point. You just have to trust me. “

You looked at him, his eyes were sincere and he seems like somebody you can trust.

“I think I trust you” His face brightness “But, do something strange and I will kick your ass!” Dick laughed and looked at his watch. His face hardened.

“Sorry, (nickname), I got something to do.” He went to the door you trailed behind him.

“Well, I hope to see you son Dick” You kissed his cheek and smiled at his blushing cheeks.

“Good bye…” He said with a silly smile. You closed the door and smiled.

You hoped to see him soon.

****

It was nighttime when you were sitting by your window with a hot chocolate in hand when suddenly and knock in the window startled you.

A guy clad in a tight black suit with a blue bird and finger stripes. And he looked hurt. You quickly opened your window and help him sit in your conch after putting a towel to protect the couch from the blood.

You tended to his wounds the best you could and after cleaning and bandaging his wounds you stated asking him questions:

“Who are you?”

“I’m Nightwing”

“Why did you come to my window?”

“…” He looked like he wanted to say something but he couldn’t say it. “ ‘Cause you’re a nice girl…?”

“Are you asking me?”

“no…?”

You sighed and decided that it was hopeless. Looking at your already cold hot chocolate you decided to make a new one.

“Do you want a hot chocolate?”

“I would like that very much, thanks.” He smiled.

After the hot chocolate Nightwing fell asleep in the couch, you covered him with your fluffy blanked and walked to your room.

Meanwhile you were changing somebody started a chat with you, once you had your warm pajama on you exited the bathroom to grab your tabled.

Guess who was messaging you?

Your pen pal.

Well, he’s more like your best internet friend.

Tim Drake.

The two of you started chatting in high school and since then you’ve been friends, you two only meet once in your hometown in summer where he meet your family but you never met his. Well, it was time to meet them since they live in Gotham and that it’s not too far from the ‘Haven.

  Chat :

Tim Drake said:

Hi (y/n) ! How was you trip?

You said:

Looooooong LLL

Tim Drake said:

Are you installed in your apartment or do you need help? I’m free tomorrow and we could hang out it’s been years since I saw you…

You said:

My neigbour already helped me, sorry :/

But I’m up for hanging out with you! They’re playing Rogue one in theatres we could go see that movie.

Tim Drake:

Perfect! I wanted to go see that movie and what better company that a beautiful girl like you? ;)

You said:

Oh, stop it you J You’re making me blush…

Tim Drake said:

;) ;) ;)

You said:

What time and where ???

I don’t know my way around here :/

Tim Drake said:

How about I go pick you up and after seeing the movie we go grab something for dinner?

You said:

Perfect!!! I can’t wait to see you again, timmy!

Tim Drake said:

I can’t wait to see you too.

How about I pick you up at seven?

You said:

Perfect :D

Good night Timmy! Don’t let the bedbugs bite you!

Tim Drake said :

Good night (y/n)! And I won’t let them ;)

Btw

It’s a date.

Tim Drake has disconnected.

You blushed bright red and smiled, turning off the tablet and getting comfortable in your bed, your warm blankets over your body felt heavenly. The tiredness of the day got to you, and your eyes closed heavily.

That night you dream of hot police officers who had dimples, hot superheros that crawled by your windows injured at night and of your best friend who you haven’t seen since high school.

What a good dream that was.

It was like a fanfic in real life

Oh wait.

****

The first rays of morning sun picked at your eyelids, today was the day!

You started in a new college and most importantly

You were going to meet Tim at seven!

You heard a groan behind you and an arm came over your waist.

Processing…..

Who the frick was in your bed?!?!

You turned over and saw Nightwing face (with mask and all ) sleeping next to you but you remembered letting him sleeping in the couch last night. He stirred in his sleep and as he waked up you thought what you were going to do.

A)    Push him out of the bed

B)    Kick his ass

C)    Ask him why was he in you bed.

“Good morning sunshine” He said smiling. Your frown depened as you decide to ask him why was he in your bed…

After pushing him to the ground obviously.

He looked at you face, even with bags in your eyes and your hair a mess you were adorable.

Like an adorable bear who wanted to tear his head off.

You weren’t a morning person, huh?

In an desperate attempt he tried to escape by the windows in you room, but you were faster as you crawled over him and sited in his chest with your legs immobilizing his arms. You crossed your arms and glared at him.

Was it weird than he found everything hot in this situation?

“You got something to explain, don’t’cha?”

Sh*t, he had no excuse

But it was incredibly sexy.

To be continued…

[pamelahetrick]

How successful creatives harness the power of a daily routine

Life can sure be messy. Each day, we’re faced with a series of chaotic events that cry for our attention and ruthlessly gobble up our precious hours. The average person spends their time juggling family obligations and work responsibilities while trying to squeeze in exercise and some level of rest. Add in unexpected dramas and there’s no wonder why we are exhausted human beings. Any free moments we do have are often squandered on social media so whatever precious time is left is easily lost forever at the bottom of a never-ending news feed.

Tomorrow the same pattern will repeat, frustrations will grow and we’ll wonder why we can’t complete the creative endeavors we set out to accomplish. There simply are not enough hours in the day! becomes our hopeless mantra.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Are there really not enough hours in the day? There are mere mortals among us who possess the same number of earth hours yet produce a phenomenal volume of work. They seem to have figured out how to harness their time more effectively. Enter Tim Ferriss, the New York Times best-selling author, marketing guru and entrepreneur who is perhaps most renowned for his examination of the tactics, routines and habits of billionaires, icons and world class performers. According to Ferriss, “not enough time means unclear priorities.”

Similarly, Derek Sivers, a philosophizing programmer and entrepreneur, who is featured in Tim Ferriss’ book Tools of Titans believes busy equals out of control. “Every time people contact me, they say, ‘look, I know you must be incredibly busy…’ and I always think, ‘No, I’m not. I’m in control of my time, I’m on top of it. Busy, to me, seems to imply out of control.'”

Today, ‘How are you?’ is usually met with the standard response: “Busy. Sooo, busy.” These proclamations of busyness are worn like a badge of honor. But why? According to Ferriss, “If I’m ‘busy’ it is because I’ve made choices that put me in that position.”

Illustration by Sarah Healy

If ‘busyness’ is self-inflicted, why do we take a strange sense of pride in the fact we have resigned ourselves to wade through reams of endless to-do lists and unsavory tasks? And why don’t successful people seem to be drowning in a sea of busy?

Let’s explore the daily habits of successful creatives

When you look closely, the common denominator among the majority of people who get sh*t done is a daily routine—more importantly, sticking to it.

Let’s delve into the daily habits of successful creatives to understand what steps you can take to establish daily habits and reclaim some of your precious hours.

First up is Alex Mathers, a self-taught illustrator and writer who has written extensively on the subject of productivity and how creative beings can unleash their creative potential upon the world. “Taking action trumps all the planning and learning, fidgeting and worrying you will ever do, “Mathers says. “Art will not materialise, life will not get organised, connections will not be made, if you are not taking conscious action steps, big and small, with consistency and self-discipline: exerting boundaries, control, limits and rules on oneself, in order to make positive changes. And yes, you can maintain your level of creativity (if not hugely improve it), with self-discipline.”

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Today, he says, “I’m never really overwhelmed, and I rarely feel as if I lack time. In fact, some days I feel as though I have more time than I need.” However, this was not always the case. He too, previously struggled to harness his time and energy and not submit to the endless distractions that fill an everyday life. So what changed?

Mathers realized that his habits were an obstacle to getting where he wanted to be. So he made a conscious decision to change them. To get back in control of how he used his time, he became extremely strict with how much time he allocated to certain things, specifically:

How much time he spends watching videos or movies

When and how often he engages with social media

When (and what) he eats and how late he goes to sleep

Mathers created a list of rules for himself which he consults on a daily basis. Although this is not a set routine, his personal list of rules provides him with scaffolding that holds up his day, around which he can carve out time for creative pursuits and which dissuades him from falling prey to lazy habits.

Next up is Haruki Murakami, a Japanese novelist, short story writer, and essayist who adheres to a strict daily routine rather than a set of written rules: “When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at 4:00 am and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for 10km or swim for 1500m (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at 9:00 pm. I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind.” For Murakami, it is not the routine itself that is the important thing. The routine is merely a stepping stone to a deeper state of being which enabled him to do his best work.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

This leads me to Steven Pressfield, an American author who wrote The War of Art in addition to historical fiction, non-fiction and screenplays. Pressfield also stresses the importance of sitting down each day and consistently doing your work.

In his words, “When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us… we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete.” In his work The War of Art Pressfield introduces us to the forces at play which attempt to prevent you from doing good work. He calls these invisible, but strongly felt forces “the resistance.”

Daily routines, therefore, serve a dual purpose:

They help to develop the discipline and consistency necessary to begin and complete all creative endeavors

They pave the road to a deeper state of being and deeper thoughts, which is a stepping stone to creating great work

What action steps can you take to begin a daily habit or to begin developing discipline? Daily routines are akin to layers in a photoshop file, it takes many, many layers merged over time to create a final polished masterpiece.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Here are five steps to get you started:

Step 1:  Start with why

Write down exactly why you want to establish a routine. What do you hope to achieve by doing so? When the urge to quit rears its ugly head, motivation wanes and you just don’t feel like doing it anymore turn back to your “why.”

Bruce Lee, an actor, martial artist and philosopher was acutely aware of the power of writing down ‘why’ and taking the time to self-reflect. The process of writing down our goals generates belief in ones self, which is the key to success.

Step 2:  Get ready to struggle

There is often a perception that being a professional creative must be lots of fun. Sure, it can be fun, but “professional” means consistently doing the work whether you feel inclined to or not. There is not a lot of room for waiting for inspiration to strike.

As Chris Fox, an author of over 30 books (and he isn’t even 40) concisely puts it, “Understand that this is going to take a massive amount of sustained effort. Many of us assume that because we like writing it will be easy, or fun. It is occasionally fun, but never easy.”

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Step 3: Make a commitment to yourself

I made an unwritten rule with myself a few years ago. I decided that if I said I was going to do something, then I had to do it. If the words escaped from my mouth, they were set in concrete and now had no option but to be realized.

Research shows that it takes 21 days to form a habit, after which we use less mental energy to decide whether or not to do the task—we go on autopilot of sorts. What would happen if you committed to something for 30 days? Could you form a new habit each month? This could potentially lead to 12 new habits a year, or a sustained action to build upon your daily routine.

You get to decide what kind of person you wish to be. Are you someone who carves out time to actively pursue better habits or one who easily succumbs to lazy habits?

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Step 4: Put it on the calendar

The next step is to block out time in your calendar for your priorities. For example, you may factor in two hours of writing every morning or a one-hour workout. Factoring this time into your calendar ensures that these are the most important tasks of the day and must be given priority over other tasks that are less important.

Step 5:  Go forth and play!

To remain constantly in work mode is draining both for you and for those around you. It can also be counter productive to the creative process. A brain that is tired and exhausted is less likely to generate fresh and exciting ideas.

It is as important to be able to switch out of work mode, as it is to switch into it. This is where habits and routines come into play. When you have completed your set hours of work for the day you can switch off and enjoy your ‘free’ hours recovering and recharging for tomorrow’s effort.

This means stepping away from the screen, going outside, spending time in nature or with family and friends.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

While rigidly sticking to a routine may seem boring and even counterproductive to the entire creative process, working consistently instills a discipline that will enable us to do our best work.

Jocko Willink a renowned Navy SEAL who co-authored the New York Times bestseller Extreme Ownership: How U.S Navy SEALs Lead and Win says that discipline equals freedom. This advice transcends creative disciplines and can be implemented by anyone trying to form better daily habits. Although freedom from responsiblities and goals may appear idyllic, when there is no shape to your day it can actually be paralyzing. “If you want freedom in life, be it financial freedom, more free time, or even freedom from sickness and poor health, you can only achieve these things through discipline,” Willink writes.

Tap into the power of a daily routine

Prescheduled workouts, routines and habits create a framework for your life. They enable your mind to go beyond the many, many daily decisions we are faced with into deeper, more important questions.

“The paradox seems to be, as Socrates demonstrated long ago, that the truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery,” says Steven Pressfield. “Those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them.”

At the time of writing this, there are 250 days, 6016 hours, 360983 minutes and 21658998 seconds until 2019. How will you use it? What will you create?

Time is our most precious commodity, spend it wisely.

About the author

Sarah Healy is a freelance writer, designer, and adventurer. She has worked in animation studios creating award winning apps, and for large corporations helping them to tell their unique story through branding and visual creations. She can usually be found competing in ultra-marathons or undertaking crazy bike expeditions and is currently traversing Australia with little more than a backpack and a smile.

The post How successful creatives harness the power of a daily routine appeared first on 99designs.

via 99designs https://99designs.co.uk/blog/business-en-gb/daily-routine/

[myongfisher]

How successful creatives harness the power of a daily routine

Life can sure be messy. Each day, we’re faced with a series of chaotic events that cry for our attention and ruthlessly gobble up our precious hours. The average person spends their time juggling family obligations and work responsibilities while trying to squeeze in exercise and some level of rest. Add in unexpected dramas and there’s no wonder why we are exhausted human beings. Any free moments we do have are often squandered on social media so whatever precious time is left is easily lost forever at the bottom of a never-ending news feed.

Tomorrow the same pattern will repeat, frustrations will grow and we’ll wonder why we can’t complete the creative endeavors we set out to accomplish. There simply are not enough hours in the day! becomes our hopeless mantra.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Are there really not enough hours in the day? There are mere mortals among us who possess the same number of earth hours yet produce a phenomenal volume of work. They seem to have figured out how to harness their time more effectively. Enter Tim Ferriss, the New York Times best-selling author, marketing guru and entrepreneur who is perhaps most renowned for his examination of the tactics, routines and habits of billionaires, icons and world class performers. According to Ferriss, “not enough time means unclear priorities.”

Similarly, Derek Sivers, a philosophizing programmer and entrepreneur, who is featured in Tim Ferriss’ book Tools of Titans believes busy equals out of control. “Every time people contact me, they say, ‘look, I know you must be incredibly busy…’ and I always think, ‘No, I’m not. I’m in control of my time, I’m on top of it. Busy, to me, seems to imply out of control.‘”

Today, ‘How are you?’ is usually met with the standard response: “Busy. Sooo, busy.” These proclamations of busyness are worn like a badge of honor. But why? According to Ferriss, “If I’m ‘busy’ it is because I’ve made choices that put me in that position.”

Illustration by Sarah Healy

If ‘busyness’ is self-inflicted, why do we take a strange sense of pride in the fact we have resigned ourselves to wade through reams of endless to-do lists and unsavory tasks? And why don’t successful people seem to be drowning in a sea of busy?

Let’s explore the daily habits of successful creatives

When you look closely, the common denominator among the majority of people who get sh*t done is a daily routine—more importantly, sticking to it.

Let’s delve into the daily habits of successful creatives to understand what steps you can take to establish daily habits and reclaim some of your precious hours.

First up is Alex Mathers, a self-taught illustrator and writer who has written extensively on the subject of productivity and how creative beings can unleash their creative potential upon the world. “Taking action trumps all the planning and learning, fidgeting and worrying you will ever do, “Mathers says. “Art will not materialise, life will not get organised, connections will not be made, if you are not taking conscious action steps, big and small, with consistency and self-discipline: exerting boundaries, control, limits and rules on oneself, in order to make positive changes. And yes, you can maintain your level of creativity (if not hugely improve it), with self-discipline.”

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Today, he says, “I’m never really overwhelmed, and I rarely feel as if I lack time. In fact, some days I feel as though I have more time than I need.” However, this was not always the case. He too, previously struggled to harness his time and energy and not submit to the endless distractions that fill an everyday life. So what changed?

Mathers realized that his habits were an obstacle to getting where he wanted to be. So he made a conscious decision to change them. To get back in control of how he used his time, he became extremely strict with how much time he allocated to certain things, specifically:

How much time he spends watching videos or movies

When and how often he engages with social media

When (and what) he eats and how late he goes to sleep

Mathers created a list of rules for himself which he consults on a daily basis. Although this is not a set routine, his personal list of rules provides him with scaffolding that holds up his day, around which he can carve out time for creative pursuits and which dissuades him from falling prey to lazy habits.

Next up is Haruki Murakami, a Japanese novelist, short story writer, and essayist who adheres to a strict daily routine rather than a set of written rules: “When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at 4:00 am and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for 10km or swim for 1500m (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at 9:00 pm. I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind.” For Murakami, it is not the routine itself that is the important thing. The routine is merely a stepping stone to a deeper state of being which enabled him to do his best work.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

This leads me to Steven Pressfield, an American author who wrote The War of Art in addition to historical fiction, non-fiction and screenplays. Pressfield also stresses the importance of sitting down each day and consistently doing your work.

In his words, “When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us… we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete.” In his work The War of Art Pressfield introduces us to the forces at play which attempt to prevent you from doing good work. He calls these invisible, but strongly felt forces “the resistance.”

Daily routines, therefore, serve a dual purpose:

They help to develop the discipline and consistency necessary to begin and complete all creative endeavors

They pave the road to a deeper state of being and deeper thoughts, which is a stepping stone to creating great work

What action steps can you take to begin a daily habit or to begin developing discipline? Daily routines are akin to layers in a photoshop file, it takes many, many layers merged over time to create a final polished masterpiece.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Here are five steps to get you started:

Step 1:  Start with why

Write down exactly why you want to establish a routine. What do you hope to achieve by doing so? When the urge to quit rears its ugly head, motivation wanes and you just don’t feel like doing it anymore turn back to your “why.”

Bruce Lee, an actor, martial artist and philosopher was acutely aware of the power of writing down ‘why’ and taking the time to self-reflect. The process of writing down our goals generates belief in ones self, which is the key to success.

Step 2:  Get ready to struggle

There is often a perception that being a professional creative must be lots of fun. Sure, it can be fun, but “professional” means consistently doing the work whether you feel inclined to or not. There is not a lot of room for waiting for inspiration to strike.

As Chris Fox, an author of over 30 books (and he isn’t even 40) concisely puts it, “Understand that this is going to take a massive amount of sustained effort. Many of us assume that because we like writing it will be easy, or fun. It is occasionally fun, but never easy.”

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Step 3: Make a commitment to yourself

I made an unwritten rule with myself a few years ago. I decided that if I said I was going to do something, then I had to do it. If the words escaped from my mouth, they were set in concrete and now had no option but to be realized.

Research shows that it takes 21 days to form a habit, after which we use less mental energy to decide whether or not to do the task—we go on autopilot of sorts. What would happen if you committed to something for 30 days? Could you form a new habit each month? This could potentially lead to 12 new habits a year, or a sustained action to build upon your daily routine.

You get to decide what kind of person you wish to be. Are you someone who carves out time to actively pursue better habits or one who easily succumbs to lazy habits?

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Step 4: Put it on the calendar

The next step is to block out time in your calendar for your priorities. For example, you may factor in two hours of writing every morning or a one-hour workout. Factoring this time into your calendar ensures that these are the most important tasks of the day and must be given priority over other tasks that are less important.

Step 5:  Go forth and play!

To remain constantly in work mode is draining both for you and for those around you. It can also be counter productive to the creative process. A brain that is tired and exhausted is less likely to generate fresh and exciting ideas.

It is as important to be able to switch out of work mode, as it is to switch into it. This is where habits and routines come into play. When you have completed your set hours of work for the day you can switch off and enjoy your ‘free’ hours recovering and recharging for tomorrow’s effort.

This means stepping away from the screen, going outside, spending time in nature or with family and friends.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

While rigidly sticking to a routine may seem boring and even counterproductive to the entire creative process, working consistently instills a discipline that will enable us to do our best work.

Jocko Willink a renowned Navy SEAL who co-authored the New York Times bestseller Extreme Ownership: How U.S Navy SEALs Lead and Win says that discipline equals freedom. This advice transcends creative disciplines and can be implemented by anyone trying to form better daily habits. Although freedom from responsiblities and goals may appear idyllic, when there is no shape to your day it can actually be paralyzing. “If you want freedom in life, be it financial freedom, more free time, or even freedom from sickness and poor health, you can only achieve these things through discipline,” Willink writes.

Tap into the power of a daily routine

Prescheduled workouts, routines and habits create a framework for your life. They enable your mind to go beyond the many, many daily decisions we are faced with into deeper, more important questions.

“The paradox seems to be, as Socrates demonstrated long ago, that the truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery,” says Steven Pressfield. “Those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them.”

At the time of writing this, there are 250 days, 6016 hours, 360983 minutes and 21658998 seconds until 2019. How will you use it? What will you create?

Time is our most precious commodity, spend it wisely.

About the author

Sarah Healy is a freelance writer, designer, and adventurer. She has worked in animation studios creating award winning apps, and for large corporations helping them to tell their unique story through branding and visual creations. She can usually be found competing in ultra-marathons or undertaking crazy bike expeditions and is currently traversing Australia with little more than a backpack and a smile.

The post How successful creatives harness the power of a daily routine appeared first on 99designs.

How successful creatives harness the power of a daily routine published first on https://www.lilpackaging.com/

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How successful creatives harness the power of a daily routine

Life can sure be messy. Each day, we’re faced with a series of chaotic events that cry for our attention and ruthlessly gobble up our precious hours. The average person spends their time juggling family obligations and work responsibilities while trying to squeeze in exercise and some level of rest. Add in unexpected dramas and there’s no wonder why we are exhausted human beings. Any free moments we do have are often squandered on social media so whatever precious time is left is easily lost forever at the bottom of a never-ending news feed.

Tomorrow the same pattern will repeat, frustrations will grow and we’ll wonder why we can’t complete the creative endeavors we set out to accomplish. There simply are not enough hours in the day! becomes our hopeless mantra.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Are there really not enough hours in the day? There are mere mortals among us who possess the same number of earth hours yet produce a phenomenal volume of work. They seem to have figured out how to harness their time more effectively. Enter Tim Ferriss, the New York Times best-selling author, marketing guru and entrepreneur who is perhaps most renowned for his examination of the tactics, routines and habits of billionaires, icons and world class performers. According to Ferriss, “not enough time means unclear priorities.”

Similarly, Derek Sivers, a philosophizing programmer and entrepreneur, who is featured in Tim Ferriss’ book Tools of Titans believes busy equals out of control. “Every time people contact me, they say, ‘look, I know you must be incredibly busy…’ and I always think, ‘No, I’m not. I’m in control of my time, I’m on top of it. Busy, to me, seems to imply out of control.'”

Today, ‘How are you?’ is usually met with the standard response: “Busy. Sooo, busy.” These proclamations of busyness are worn like a badge of honor. But why? According to Ferriss, “If I’m ‘busy’ it is because I’ve made choices that put me in that position.”

Illustration by Sarah Healy

If ‘busyness’ is self-inflicted, why do we take a strange sense of pride in the fact we have resigned ourselves to wade through reams of endless to-do lists and unsavory tasks? And why don’t successful people seem to be drowning in a sea of busy?

Let’s explore the daily habits of successful creatives

When you look closely, the common denominator among the majority of people who get sh*t done is a daily routine—more importantly, sticking to it.

Let’s delve into the daily habits of successful creatives to understand what steps you can take to establish daily habits and reclaim some of your precious hours.

First up is Alex Mathers, a self-taught illustrator and writer who has written extensively on the subject of productivity and how creative beings can unleash their creative potential upon the world. “Taking action trumps all the planning and learning, fidgeting and worrying you will ever do, “Mathers says. “Art will not materialise, life will not get organised, connections will not be made, if you are not taking conscious action steps, big and small, with consistency and self-discipline: exerting boundaries, control, limits and rules on oneself, in order to make positive changes. And yes, you can maintain your level of creativity (if not hugely improve it), with self-discipline.”

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Today, he says, “I’m never really overwhelmed, and I rarely feel as if I lack time. In fact, some days I feel as though I have more time than I need.” However, this was not always the case. He too, previously struggled to harness his time and energy and not submit to the endless distractions that fill an everyday life. So what changed?

Mathers realized that his habits were an obstacle to getting where he wanted to be. So he made a conscious decision to change them. To get back in control of how he used his time, he became extremely strict with how much time he allocated to certain things, specifically:

How much time he spends watching videos or movies

When and how often he engages with social media

When (and what) he eats and how late he goes to sleep

Mathers created a list of rules for himself which he consults on a daily basis. Although this is not a set routine, his personal list of rules provides him with scaffolding that holds up his day, around which he can carve out time for creative pursuits and which dissuades him from falling prey to lazy habits.

Next up is Haruki Murakami, a Japanese novelist, short story writer, and essayist who adheres to a strict daily routine rather than a set of written rules: “When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at 4:00 am and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for 10km or swim for 1500m (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at 9:00 pm. I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind.” For Murakami, it is not the routine itself that is the important thing. The routine is merely a stepping stone to a deeper state of being which enabled him to do his best work.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

This leads me to Steven Pressfield, an American author who wrote The War of Art in addition to historical fiction, non-fiction and screenplays. Pressfield also stresses the importance of sitting down each day and consistently doing your work.

In his words, “When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us… we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete.” In his work The War of Art Pressfield introduces us to the forces at play which attempt to prevent you from doing good work. He calls these invisible, but strongly felt forces “the resistance.”

Daily routines, therefore, serve a dual purpose:

They help to develop the discipline and consistency necessary to begin and complete all creative endeavors

They pave the road to a deeper state of being and deeper thoughts, which is a stepping stone to creating great work

What action steps can you take to begin a daily habit or to begin developing discipline? Daily routines are akin to layers in a photoshop file, it takes many, many layers merged over time to create a final polished masterpiece.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Here are five steps to get you started:

Step 1:  Start with why

Write down exactly why you want to establish a routine. What do you hope to achieve by doing so? When the urge to quit rears its ugly head, motivation wanes and you just don’t feel like doing it anymore turn back to your “why.”

Bruce Lee, an actor, martial artist and philosopher was acutely aware of the power of writing down ‘why’ and taking the time to self-reflect. The process of writing down our goals generates belief in ones self, which is the key to success.

Step 2:  Get ready to struggle

There is often a perception that being a professional creative must be lots of fun. Sure, it can be fun, but “professional” means consistently doing the work whether you feel inclined to or not. There is not a lot of room for waiting for inspiration to strike.

As Chris Fox, an author of over 30 books (and he isn’t even 40) concisely puts it, “Understand that this is going to take a massive amount of sustained effort. Many of us assume that because we like writing it will be easy, or fun. It is occasionally fun, but never easy.”

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Step 3: Make a commitment to yourself

I made an unwritten rule with myself a few years ago. I decided that if I said I was going to do something, then I had to do it. If the words escaped from my mouth, they were set in concrete and now had no option but to be realized.

Research shows that it takes 21 days to form a habit, after which we use less mental energy to decide whether or not to do the task—we go on autopilot of sorts. What would happen if you committed to something for 30 days? Could you form a new habit each month? This could potentially lead to 12 new habits a year, or a sustained action to build upon your daily routine.

You get to decide what kind of person you wish to be. Are you someone who carves out time to actively pursue better habits or one who easily succumbs to lazy habits?

Illustration by Sarah Healy

Step 4: Put it on the calendar

The next step is to block out time in your calendar for your priorities. For example, you may factor in two hours of writing every morning or a one-hour workout. Factoring this time into your calendar ensures that these are the most important tasks of the day and must be given priority over other tasks that are less important.

Step 5:  Go forth and play!

To remain constantly in work mode is draining both for you and for those around you. It can also be counter productive to the creative process. A brain that is tired and exhausted is less likely to generate fresh and exciting ideas.

It is as important to be able to switch out of work mode, as it is to switch into it. This is where habits and routines come into play. When you have completed your set hours of work for the day you can switch off and enjoy your ‘free’ hours recovering and recharging for tomorrow’s effort.

This means stepping away from the screen, going outside, spending time in nature or with family and friends.

Illustration by Sarah Healy

While rigidly sticking to a routine may seem boring and even counterproductive to the entire creative process, working consistently instills a discipline that will enable us to do our best work.

Jocko Willink a renowned Navy SEAL who co-authored the New York Times bestseller Extreme Ownership: How U.S Navy SEALs Lead and Win says that discipline equals freedom. This advice transcends creative disciplines and can be implemented by anyone trying to form better daily habits. Although freedom from responsiblities and goals may appear idyllic, when there is no shape to your day it can actually be paralyzing. “If you want freedom in life, be it financial freedom, more free time, or even freedom from sickness and poor health, you can only achieve these things through discipline,” Willink writes.

Tap into the power of a daily routine

Prescheduled workouts, routines and habits create a framework for your life. They enable your mind to go beyond the many, many daily decisions we are faced with into deeper, more important questions.

“The paradox seems to be, as Socrates demonstrated long ago, that the truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery,” says Steven Pressfield. “Those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them.”

At the time of writing this, there are 250 days, 6016 hours, 360983 minutes and 21658998 seconds until 2019. How will you use it? What will you create?

Time is our most precious commodity, spend it wisely.

About the author

Sarah Healy is a freelance writer, designer, and adventurer. She has worked in animation studios creating award winning apps, and for large corporations helping them to tell their unique story through branding and visual creations. She can usually be found competing in ultra-marathons or undertaking crazy bike expeditions and is currently traversing Australia with little more than a backpack and a smile.

The post How successful creatives harness the power of a daily routine appeared first on 99designs.