Comments on: How Much is Your Creative Time Worth? http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-much-is-your-creative-time-worth/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed The Art of Meaningful Productivity Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:04:39 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: No-One is Perfect – So Be Kind to Yourself | The BridgeMaker http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-much-is-your-creative-time-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-4005 No-One is Perfect – So Be Kind to Yourself | The BridgeMaker Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:56:45 +0000 http://www.productiveflourishing.com/?p=1412#comment-4005 [...] hours coming up with solutions to problems I really didn’t have. Three hours, when I look at what my creative time is worth, converts to at least $300. Furthermore, it’s not like it was just thirty minutes – there are a [...] [...] hours coming up with solutions to problems I really didn’t have. Three hours, when I look at what my creative time is worth, converts to at least $300. Furthermore, it’s not like it was just thirty minutes – there are a [...]

]]> By: What is Your Time Really Worth to You? | Capt's Lost Treasures http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-much-is-your-creative-time-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-3669 What is Your Time Really Worth to You? | Capt's Lost Treasures Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:57:45 +0000 http://www.productiveflourishing.com/?p=1412#comment-3669 [...] also worth taking a look at Charlie Gilkey’s thought-provoking post on the  Productive Flourishing blog about how your peak creative time is worth more than the other parts of your [...] [...] also worth taking a look at Charlie Gilkey’s thought-provoking post on the  Productive Flourishing blog about how your peak creative time is worth more than the other parts of your [...]

]]> By: What is Your Time Really Worth To You | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-much-is-your-creative-time-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-3645 What is Your Time Really Worth To You | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:56:01 +0000 http://www.productiveflourishing.com/?p=1412#comment-3645 [...] also worth taking a look at Charlie Gilkey’s thought-provoking post on the  Productive Flourishing blog about how your peak creative time is worth more than the other parts of your [...] [...] also worth taking a look at Charlie Gilkey’s thought-provoking post on the  Productive Flourishing blog about how your peak creative time is worth more than the other parts of your [...]

]]> By: Charlie http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-much-is-your-creative-time-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-2613 Charlie Sat, 07 Mar 2009 02:05:29 +0000 http://www.productiveflourishing.com/?p=1412#comment-2613 @Amy: Thanks for the feedback - you're welcome! @Mike: Looking at my time that way made it very hard for me to do the GTD thing. Is "creative time" a context? What if the creative thing isn't a next action? GTD stuff fell away in many ways to a more intuitive productivity system with less structure (but that incorporated a lot of GTD principles.) Let me know how this works for you. @Joely: Thanks - is that good "thwack" or a bad thwack? @JoVE: The heatmapping ideas are just the measure of your intuitive gauge; some people find them useful, others don't. I'm glad you commented on the connection. @Christine: Take back your creative time, or others will continue to take it from you. I'm glad this helped put the finger on things for you. @Gabe: I'll have something coming up for your questions next week. The heatmapping posts had some tips for setting yourself up for those zones, but not upshifting them in the moment. That's the harder task. @Finola: It's easier to pin down those times than you may think - use the Productivity Heatmap, or just chart your days using the same 0-5 scale by the hour. Do it for three or four days and you'll have a pretty good picture. And I really agree with the resting bit. You can overwork the horse, y'know? @Kelly: Finally! After a year of working on you! :) You've got a hard task here, because harnessing your creative times and exercising are both important in different ways. Is there a way you can work out after 10 but before lunch? Can you grab a nap from 12:30-3pm so you're getting enough sleep, even if you stay up? I'll email you next week to discuss this a bit. I find it interesting that you found a peak in the morning that you didn't originally report. @Amy: Thanks for the feedback – you’re welcome!

@Mike: Looking at my time that way made it very hard for me to do the GTD thing. Is “creative time” a context? What if the creative thing isn’t a next action? GTD stuff fell away in many ways to a more intuitive productivity system with less structure (but that incorporated a lot of GTD principles.) Let me know how this works for you.

@Joely: Thanks – is that good “thwack” or a bad thwack?

@JoVE: The heatmapping ideas are just the measure of your intuitive gauge; some people find them useful, others don’t. I’m glad you commented on the connection.

@Christine: Take back your creative time, or others will continue to take it from you. I’m glad this helped put the finger on things for you.

@Gabe: I’ll have something coming up for your questions next week. The heatmapping posts had some tips for setting yourself up for those zones, but not upshifting them in the moment. That’s the harder task.

@Finola: It’s easier to pin down those times than you may think – use the Productivity Heatmap, or just chart your days using the same 0-5 scale by the hour. Do it for three or four days and you’ll have a pretty good picture.

And I really agree with the resting bit. You can overwork the horse, y’know?

@Kelly: Finally! After a year of working on you! :)

You’ve got a hard task here, because harnessing your creative times and exercising are both important in different ways. Is there a way you can work out after 10 but before lunch? Can you grab a nap from 12:30-3pm so you’re getting enough sleep, even if you stay up?

I’ll email you next week to discuss this a bit. I find it interesting that you found a peak in the morning that you didn’t originally report.

]]> By: Kelly@SHE-POWER http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-much-is-your-creative-time-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-2538 Kelly@SHE-POWER Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:39:44 +0000 http://www.productiveflourishing.com/?p=1412#comment-2538 As promised, I monitored my optimum creative periods when it was easy to work and lots got done. My times so far are: 7.30-10am, as long as I don't work out first. I don't know why, but if I work out then I lose focus and fiddle faddle around when I try to write. 3-7pm 10pm-midnight Only problem with these times are they don't work so well for my family commitments. Mornings I have to feed my son and get him off to pre-school 3 days a week. Late afternoon I need to pick him up and get him dinner. And staying up to midnight too many nights leaves me underslept and cranky. So, where does that leave me? Kelly As promised, I monitored my optimum creative periods when it was easy to work and lots got done. My times so far are:

7.30-10am, as long as I don’t work out first. I don’t know why, but if I work out then I lose focus and fiddle faddle around when I try to write.
3-7pm
10pm-midnight

Only problem with these times are they don’t work so well for my family commitments. Mornings I have to feed my son and get him off to pre-school 3 days a week. Late afternoon I need to pick him up and get him dinner. And staying up to midnight too many nights leaves me underslept and cranky.

So, where does that leave me?

Kelly

]]> By: Creativity Links I http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-much-is-your-creative-time-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-2523 Creativity Links I Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:11:48 +0000 http://www.productiveflourishing.com/?p=1412#comment-2523 [...] How much is your creative time worth? “One of the biggest lessons I learned from reading a bunch of stuff on entrepreneurialism was not how to make money - it was how to put a price tag to my time. Honestly, the first book I read that made me think about that was The Four Hour Work Week, but for one reason or the other, it didn’t click.” [...] [...] How much is your creative time worth? “One of the biggest lessons I learned from reading a bunch of stuff on entrepreneurialism was not how to make money – it was how to put a price tag to my time. Honestly, the first book I read that made me think about that was The Four Hour Work Week, but for one reason or the other, it didn’t click.” [...]

]]> By: Kelly@SHE-POWER http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-much-is-your-creative-time-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-2508 Kelly@SHE-POWER Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:40:44 +0000 http://www.productiveflourishing.com/?p=1412#comment-2508 Okay, I really am convinced now. I have to start getting honest about when I'm truly productive. Generally I hate systems so I've never been one to actually sit down and work out the way my creative energy changes throughout the day. I know roughly when I am peaking: mid - late afternoon and late at night, but that's a gut guess from years of working. I can't chart this more definitively. But I know I'm not optimizing my time now between my creative tasks, family commitments, work, household chores and errands, so I think it's about time I figured out how all the different parts of my life should be slotted in. I am lucky enough to have the flexibility to structure most of my week to suit myself, but the down side of that is my lack of discipline and structure can leave me unfocused. When this happens I get frustrated and upset with myself for not getting more of the things done that are important to me. This is the big cost of my lack of organization - the guilt I heap upon myself. It doesn't help the situation and it certainly won't help me achieve more out of my creativity. I'm going to start charting my day tomorrow. Next week I'll report back with what discovered. That's a promise. Kelly Okay, I really am convinced now. I have to start getting honest about when I’m truly productive. Generally I hate systems so I’ve never been one to actually sit down and work out the way my creative energy changes throughout the day. I know roughly when I am peaking: mid – late afternoon and late at night, but that’s a gut guess from years of working. I can’t chart this more definitively. But I know I’m not optimizing my time now between my creative tasks, family commitments, work, household chores and errands, so I think it’s about time I figured out how all the different parts of my life should be slotted in. I am lucky enough to have the flexibility to structure most of my week to suit myself, but the down side of that is my lack of discipline and structure can leave me unfocused. When this happens I get frustrated and upset with myself for not getting more of the things done that are important to me. This is the big cost of my lack of organization – the guilt I heap upon myself. It doesn’t help the situation and it certainly won’t help me achieve more out of my creativity.

I’m going to start charting my day tomorrow. Next week I’ll report back with what discovered. That’s a promise.

Kelly

]]> By: Finola Prescott http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-much-is-your-creative-time-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-2490 Finola Prescott Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:19:00 +0000 http://www.productiveflourishing.com/?p=1412#comment-2490 Interesting slant that makes a lot of sense - for me the more difficult thing would be to pin down when I am most creative and productive in my income earning work - and then standing firm to not agreeing to disturbances in those times. I think also that you must agree to let yourself rest at those times when your body and mind really demand it - I often push myself to work through these times - to meet that deadline - only to find I have substandard work from that period and then have to deal with being vexed with myself for not resting when I really needed to, on top of usually wreaking my next day's creative time by being exhausted and frustrated! Not a profitable way to work is it!?! <abbr><em>Finola Prescotts last blog post..<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SunRainOr/~3/536864402/work-overload-corporate-gifts-island.html" rel="nofollow">Work Overload - Corporate Gifts Island Style</a></abbr></em> Interesting slant that makes a lot of sense – for me the more difficult thing would be to pin down when I am most creative and productive in my income earning work – and then standing firm to not agreeing to disturbances in those times.

I think also that you must agree to let yourself rest at those times when your body and mind really demand it – I often push myself to work through these times – to meet that deadline – only to find I have substandard work from that period and then have to deal with being vexed with myself for not resting when I really needed to, on top of usually wreaking my next day’s creative time by being exhausted and frustrated! Not a profitable way to work is it!?!

Finola Prescotts last blog post..Work Overload – Corporate Gifts Island Style

]]> By: Gabe http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-much-is-your-creative-time-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-2489 Gabe Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:42:33 +0000 http://www.productiveflourishing.com/?p=1412#comment-2489 Wow. I don't think I would have ever come up with this line of thought if left to my own devices. I am going to make an effort to really "keep non-creative work out of your peak times". Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with all the over-head tasks involved in projects, but keeping them out of my mind while I'm in the zone will pay off in the long run. It might be a good idea to use a time tracking software and track the over head activities separate from the creative/productive activities, too. Does anyone have any advice for getting into that creative zone? For turning on the switch some how? Any resources (sites, blog posts, etc.) for that would be helpful! Wow. I don’t think I would have ever come up with this line of thought if left to my own devices. I am going to make an effort to really “keep non-creative work out of your peak times”. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with all the over-head tasks involved in projects, but keeping them out of my mind while I’m in the zone will pay off in the long run. It might be a good idea to use a time tracking software and track the over head activities separate from the creative/productive activities, too.

Does anyone have any advice for getting into that creative zone? For turning on the switch some how? Any resources (sites, blog posts, etc.) for that would be helpful!

]]> By: Christine Martell http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-much-is-your-creative-time-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-2487 Christine Martell Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:58:22 +0000 http://www.productiveflourishing.com/?p=1412#comment-2487 Thanks Charlie, This makes something I have been feeling concrete. Another big time suck for me is agreeing to drive into the city for meetings that require me to drive in peak traffic. No more! And no more giving my peak creative times to people for coffee. <abbr><em>Christine Martells last blog post..<a href="http://www.christinemartell.com/2009/02/my-business-has-cracked/" rel="nofollow">My business has cracked!</a></abbr></em> Thanks Charlie,
This makes something I have been feeling concrete. Another big time suck for me is agreeing to drive into the city for meetings that require me to drive in peak traffic. No more! And no more giving my peak creative times to people for coffee.

Christine Martells last blog post..My business has cracked!

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