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Ok, so you have this amazing project you want to complete, but you feel sluggish and unmotivated.
Wondering what you can do to turn things around? There are a few habits of highly effective people that you can use to get the ball rolling and tackle your creative project like a champ!
Step 1: Get a Good Night's Rest
Ditch the phone and TV series binge watching for a good night's rest.
Research shows that getting a good night's sleep may help improve your concentration and productivity.
Good quality sleep has also been linked to creative behavior. So if you haven't been getting good quality sleep, this could be a good place to start.
Step 2: Get Some Exercise
Walk, run, do yoga, go for a swim, or go to the gym!
Exercising not only improves your mood and motivation levels. Research shows that physical activity can "enhance immediate creative thinking."
Even a quick walk around the block is a great way to wake up your mind and body. It can also signal to your mind to start the "work" part of your day.
Barack Obama: The former US President works out for 45 minutes, 6 days a week. He also loves playing basketball.
Mark Cuban: The owner of the Dallas Mavericks and Shark Tank Judge does at least one hour of cardio, 6 days a week.
Here is a totally free, simple 10-minute workout you can do at home to get you started.
Step 3: Visualize Your Creative Task
Photo by 3D Render on UnsplashIn his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (you can access an online copy of the book), Steven R. Covey said that highly effective people "begin with the end in mind."
Visualizing your end goal is a powerful tool that successful artists, like Jim Carrey, use when they experience a creative block. For example, Jim Carry performs visualization meditation to relieve anxiety and stress that can cause creative blocks.
Other successful creatives like Quintin Tarantino would use the “The First Frame” method. They would look at a single vivid visual before anything else and then build the creative outcome around that emotional moment.
Here are a few simple ways to practice this:
Write down what it is that you want your project to look like.
Do a quick online search to find visual examples that inspire you, or go somewhere that you can see or hear work that is similar to what you're aspiring towards. Exchange ideas and brainstorm with like-minded people if needed.
Collect your visuals using a vision board.
Visualization Quiz
You are having difficulty visualizing a project you're working on. What can you do to help with your creative block? Select all that apply:
A. Go for a walk. Take pictures on your phone of anything that inspires you.
B. Do a few minutes of visualization meditation.
C. Tell a friend about your project. Ask them to share some Instagram accounts that have related visuals.
D. Go to an art gallery and view a striking painting.
Quiz
Select all that apply:
Going for a walk gives you plenty of visuals to look at and record. Visualization meditation allows you to engage your senses and concentrate on your project's goal. Asking a friend to share visuals can help you generate ideas, and at an art gallery, you can practice the "first frame” method.
Step 4: Practice, Practice, Practice!
There is an old saying that goes "practice makes perfect". The TedEd video below explains how it works:
Kobe Bryant, who reportedly used to practice more than any other player in the NBA, was famous for his "deliberate practice". His method included:
Showing up, no matter what.
Repeating the same action (Kobe made 800 jump shots during every practice).
Being consistent every day with practice.
Whatever your creative project is — be it photography, graphic design, writing a novel, or even a song — keep at it and find ways to make it better. It's a great way to get over a creative hump!
Did you know?
Creatives need to be open to notice, capture, and curate their thoughts while being open to new ideas. Check out this article for success strategies: How Top Artists & Entrepreneurs Remain Sustainably Successful
Step 5: Don't Be Afraid to Fail
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Very Wang
Before becoming a fashion designer, she aspired to be an Olympic figure skater but she failed to make the U.S. national team. She then faced obstacles working for fashion magazines, being passed over for editorial positions, before founding her successful wedding dress business.
Image courtesy of 
Remember — failing is part of succeeding!
The key lesson here is that these people didn't give up even after they failed. They took their failure in stride and kept on going, and this is true for many successful people in this world.
So keep trying! Don't give up on that project you are working on.
Quiz
A graphic design student creates a poster for a friend’s art show. When they reveal it, their friend doesn’t like it at all and says they won’t use it. How could the creator learn from this failure? What next steps should they take?
Asking what they don’t like (color, layout, tone, copy) turns a vague failure into concrete, actionable information. Revising shows professionalism and that you value collaboration. Offering multiple drafts lets the friend choose. Ask for 2–3 specific criticisms, make targeted changes, present at least two revised options, and document what you learned for future projects.
Take Action
Remember, success doesn't come easy! You need to work for it, and these habits will help you become successful:
This Byte has been authored by
Talal Cassim
Instructional Designer and e-learning Developer
CPTD, MBA