Professional Growth

Professional Growth Archives

Professional Growth | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

<p>Andy Grove, former CEO and chairman of Intel, used to arrive at work at 8:00 and leave by 6:00 every day. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, leaves the office by 5:30 every evening so she can have dinner with her kids at 6:00. VMware’s CEO Pat Gelsinger&nbsp;is awarded “points” by his secretary for arriving home by 5:00.</p>

<p>Regardless of whether you are a high profile business leader or a freelancer in charge of your own hours, it can be a struggle to fit in a productive day’s work and shut down your computer at a reasonable hour. However, turning your working day around might be as&nbsp;simple as changing just a handful of behaviors.</p>

<p class="rteindent1"><em>Related:&nbsp;</em><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/3-mind-tricks-to-make-you-more-productive"><strong>3 Mind Tricks to Make You More Productive </strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>1. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-train-your-brain-to-focus">Get focus fit.</a></strong></h2>

<p>We are living in a world of distractions. Some of them are inflicted upon us through notifications that pop up on our devices. Others are self-imposed, like when Jenny checks Facebook for the 53rd time today, just in case that cute photo of her Labradoodle&nbsp;has another like.</p>

<p>In his book <em><a href="https://amzn.to/2v5qWar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deep Work</a></em>, Cal Newport suggests that because of the distractions technology imposes on us, we spend the majority of our time doing “shallow work”—work that is non-cognitively demanding. Because of the constant distractions, we have forgotten how to truly engage in “deep work”—that is, focused thinking where we make meaningful progress on our most impactful projects.</p>

<p>What we need to do is get <em>focus fit</em>. When we start a new exercise regime, we don’t start by bench pressing 100 pounds in our first session. So when it comes to (re)building your focus muscle, build up slowly. When I began retraining myself, I started out by doing just 30 minutes of focused work where all notifications and distractions were switched off. And I simply built up from there.</p>

<h2><strong>2. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/want-to-get-more-done-know-the-no-1-productivity-tip">Take frequent breaks</a> instead of one long one.</strong></h2>

<p>If you are in a busy job and already working long hours, you may be someone who can easily get consumed with your busyness and “forget” to take a break. Or perhaps you believe you simply don’t have time to take a break. Unfortunately, this puts us in a constant state of poor cognitive performance.</p>

<p>One study showed that the most productive performers <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/science-tells-you-how-many-minutes-should-you-take-a-break-for-work-17/380369/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worked solidly for 52 minutes</a> and then had a break for 17 minutes. Other research has shown that in contrast to one 30-minute break, <a href="https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-016-0437-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hourly five-minute walking breaks</a> boost energy, sharpen focus, improve mood and reduce feelings of fatigue in the afternoon more effectively.</p>

<p>To help make this happen in my own working life, I have banned 60-minute meetings from my schedule. Instead, I make what would have previously been 60-minute meetings as 50 minutes. This gives me time for a quick walk and a few minutes to get ready for my next meeting or activity.</p>

<h2><strong>3.</strong> <strong>Don’t eat lunch at your desk.</strong></h2>

<p>Did you know 62 percent of Americans <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/failure-to-lunch.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eat lunch at their desk</a>? While I am not American, I am ashamed to admit that I most definitely fell into this category of people. Surely I was being more productive by eating and working at the same time. Multitasking, right? Wrong.</p>

<p>Research has shown that the simple act of eating our lunch anywhere <em>but</em> at our desks leads to us being better able to cope with workplace stress and also gives us greater energy for the afternoon. Real estate company CBRE has even gone so far as to <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/property-report/in-this-office-desks-are-for-working-not-eating-lunch/article34153148/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ban desk lunches in their Toronto office</a>.</p>

<h2><strong>4.</strong> <strong>Park on a downhill slope.</strong></h2>

<p>If you are human, there is a good chance that when you have sat down to start or even continue work on a project, you have felt overwhelmed, not knowing what to do first. Sometimes, it’s just hard to get started.</p>

<p>Even writers such as Ernest Hemingway&nbsp;are not immune to this issue. To find motivation and flow in the morning, Hemingway used to end his writing sessions mid-sentence. It allowed for an easy start the next day, because he could simply complete the sentence and keep on going.</p>

<p>Hemingway’s technique is the writing equivalent of parking on a downhill slope. It tricks our sometimes lazy brain into starting, because it’s starting from an easy base.</p>

<h2><strong>5. Shut down your day.</strong></h2>

<p>It’s so easy to leave the office, only to get home and start working again. And even if you are not engaged in this pattern, it’s very easy for work and stresses from the day to linger in your mind well beyond 5 p.m.</p>

<p>To help reduce stress and provide closure on your day, author Dan Pink&nbsp;suggests developing a <a href="https://amzn.to/2JCzxEB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mental shut down</a> of your day. Specifically, he recommends spending two to three minutes writing down what you have accomplished that day; feeling <a href="https://amzn.to/2GQ6j7F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a sense of progress</a> has been shown in research to be the most powerful motivator at work. Then spend two to three minutes planning the following day, which helps provide a sense of control, another great motivator, and mental closure.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you have a spare minute left, express gratitude for someone, in the form of an email or a text message. Gratitude has been shown time and time again to be an effective mood elevator.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="rteindent1"><em>Related:</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/what-30-days-of-productivity-taught-me-about-finding-time"><strong>What 30 Days of Productivity Taught Me About Finding Time</strong></a></p>


Do better work and go home on time. | SUCCESS

5 Strategies for Your Most Productive Workday

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5 Strategies for Your Most Productive Workday | SUCCESS

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Dr. Amantha Imber is the founder of Inventium, Australia's leading innovation consultancy. Her latest book, The Innovation Formula, tackles the topic of how organizations can create a culture where innovation thrives.

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Amantha Imber

Personal Development

Personal Development Archives

Personal Development | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

Creativity is often seen as an elusive gift—a talent some people have been blessed with and others have missed out on. But this perception is simply untrue, because countless scientific studies demonstrate methods any of us can use to tap into our inner creative genius.
<p class="rteindent1"><em>Related: </em><strong><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/6-ways-to-tap-into-your-creative-self">6 Ways to Tap Into Your Creative Self</a></strong></p>
In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Formula-scientifically-proven-creativity-boosters/dp/0646509624/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1479162885&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=The+Creativity+Formula&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=cfa979dfa08d3a69189ce8013c9976cd" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Creativity Formula</em></a>, I list 50 research-based ways to boost creativity. Here are three you’ve probably never heard of:
<h2><strong>1. Stare at your iPhone’s Apple logo.</strong></h2>
Accessing your inner creative genius can be as simple as staring at the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone, thanks to the effects of priming. <a href="https://today.duke.edu/2008/03/apple_ibm.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Researchers</a> from Duke University brought a group of people into their laboratory and exposed them to either the Apple or IBM logo. Participants were then asked to think of as many uses for a brick as possible.

Those exposed to the Apple logo performed significantly better on the creativity task than did the IBM people, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-5-ways-to-get-ideas-flowing">generating more unusual and creative ideas.</a> Because the majority of people associate Apple with innovation, the researchers explained that simply seeing the Apple logo is enough to trigger this type of thought. This then leads to a significant increase in creative behavior.
<h2><strong>2. Set a big roadblock.</strong></h2>
Letting your mind wander wherever it needs to, starting with a blank canvas and being free of rules are all considered conducive to creativity. However, the latest psychological research has shown the complete opposite to be true.

In one <a href="https://plj.sagepub.com/content/2/2/87.short" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a>, a group of adults was asked to make a construction using LEGO bricks. One group was told they could build whatever they liked. The other group had several constraints placed upon them, such as being only allowed to use one type of brick. The constructions built by the “constrained” group were judged to be significantly more creative and lateral than those in the “free expression” group.
<p class="rteindent1"><em>Related: </em><strong><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/a-4-question-guide-to-unlock-your-creativity">A 4-Question Guide to Unlock Your Creativity </a></strong></p>
Placing constraints or roadblocks in the way forces us to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-be-a-better-thinker-innovator-and-problem-solver">search for new and creative ways of completing a task or solving a problem</a>. So when you’re faced with a problem, impose some big and deliberate constraints in the way and watch your creativity soar.
<h2><strong>3. Imagine yourself on a hot date.</strong></h2>
When it comes time to mate, male bowerbirds spend much of their time making colourful and elaborate nests. They use moss, sticks, leaves, grass and flowers and even paint the nest using berries. When selecting a mate, a female bowerbird is attracted to the males that have built the most creatively decorated nests.

A group of researchers from the University of Arizona hypothesised a similar link between mating and creativity among humans. In a series of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16834480" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experiments</a>, two groups of participants were required to complete several creativity tasks. Both received the same instructions about the task but the second group was first asked to imagine themselves on a hot date. Those assigned to the “hot date” group performed significantly better on the creativity tasks.

Why does this happen? The researchers suggested that humans evolved in a way that required them to demonstrate their creativity to attract members of the opposite sex. Throughout history, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/scott-barry-kaufman-on-living-a-creative-lifestyle">creativity has been regarded as a sign of a person’s adaptability and problem-solving skills</a>, which in turn suggests an ability to rise to the complex challenges of life—a valued characteristic in a partner.

Regardless of how creative you currently see yourself, try these techniques to give yourself an instant boost of creativity.
<p class="rteindent1"><em>Related:</em> <strong><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/6-scientifically-proven-creativity-boosters-youve-probably-never-heard-of">6 Scientifically Proven Creativity Boosters You’ve Probably Never Heard of</a></strong></p>

Because we all have the potential to be creative.

Because we all have the potential to be creative. | SUCCESS

3 Easy (and Scientifically Proven!) Ways to Access Your Inner Creative Genius

Unleashing Your Creative Genius: 3 Easy and Proven Techniques

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There is a myth that creative geniuses are born, not made—but the idea that you can only be creative if you were born that way is so false. Hundreds of studies have demonstrated that creativity is a skill that can be built up, and very easily. Indeed, research has shown that only 30 percent of creativity is genetically predetermined. The remaining 70 percent is up to you.

In my first book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Innovation-Formula-Science-Based-Creating-Culture/dp/0730326667/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470942608&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=The+Innovation+Formula&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=31001a55ee479cae1806a85f1ec9cb0c" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Creativity Formula</em></a>, I described 50 scientifically proven ways to boost creativity. Here are six you have probably never heard of.
<p class="rteindent1"><em>Related:</em><strong> <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/6-ways-to-tap-into-your-creative-self">6 Ways to Tap Into Your Creative Self</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>1. Crank up the volume.</strong></h2>
Although silence is great for many different types of work, when it comes to innovation, research suggests you should turn up the volume. Researchers from the University of British Columbia found that 70 decibels (the sound level of a busy café or city street) is the optimal noise level for creativity. It leads to a greater amount of distraction compared to lower noise levels, and some distraction is important for creativity.
<h2><strong>2. Look for the odd one out.</strong></h2>
Enhancing our ability to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-be-a-better-thinker-innovator-and-problem-solver">create new and original solutions to problems</a> can be as simple as staring at an image for a couple of minutes—as long as that image represents the concept of “being different.” One study compared the ideas generated by people looking at a poster depicting an “odd one out” image versus people seeing an image representing conformity. The “odd one out” viewers came up with significantly more ideas. In addition, their ideas were judged as being 25 percent more creative.
<h2><strong>3. Clench your left hand. </strong></h2>
Psychology professor Nicola Baumann set up an experiment where one group of people had to squeeze a ball with their left hand while the other group had to squeeze a ball with their right. It was found that this simple act of squeezing one’s left hand activated a brain circuit associated with thinking holistically and intuitively, and thus more creatively. So the next time you have a creative problem to solve, squeeze your left hand into a fist for optimum creative results.
<h2><strong>4. Get sweaty. </strong></h2>
Participating in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise has been found to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-5-ways-to-get-ideas-flowing">increase our ability to think creatively</a>. And our increased creative ability can last for up to two hours post exercise.
<h2><strong>5. Raise your eyebrows.</strong></h2>
Researchers at the University of Maryland theorized that facial expressions associated with widening and narrowing our visual perception affected creativity. They thought that broadening your visual field, such as raising your eyebrows, could increase performance on a creative thinking task. Likewise, they hypothesized that furrowing your brows, which narrowed your attention field, would have the opposite effect. Participants in the study were asked to hold one of these expressions for two minutes, while completing a creative thinking task. The raised-eyebrow group generated significantly more original ideas and a greater quantity of ideas.
<h2><strong>6. Sleep on it.</strong></h2>
Ultimately the success of our creative thought rests on whether we <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/stop-overthinking-it-9-ways-to-make-decisions-with-confidence">make good decisions</a>. Research suggests that we make far better decisions in the morning, when we have strong cognitive resources available to us. These resources deteriorate throughout the day with each decision we make. So the earlier in the day you make decisions, the better those decisions will be.

Whether you see yourself as a highly creative thinker or someone who doesn’t have a creative bone in your body, try incorporating some of these simple changes to turbocharge your creative thought.
<p class="rteindent1"><em>Related:</em> <strong><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/a-4-question-guide-to-unlock-your-creativity">A 4-Question Guide to Unlock Your Creativity </a></strong></p>

6 Scientifically Proven Creativity Boosters You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Unheard of Creativity Boosters: 6 Scientifically Proven Methods

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Amantha Imber

Latest Articles

5 Strategies for Your Most Productive Workday

3 Easy (and Scientifically Proven!) Ways to Access Your Inner Creative Genius

6 Scientifically Proven Creativity Boosters You’ve Probably Never Heard Of