As a freelancer I have my good days and my bad days. And on my good days I am three or four times as productive and creative as I am on my bad days.
So what constitutes a bad day? What are the symptoms of bad days? For me it’s largely a matter of mood. I’m either feeling upbeat and positive in my outlook, or I’m feeling down and negative.
The scary thing is, during a bad day, the cause of the negativity may have nothing to do with my work at all. Its root might lie in something I read in the news, the dream I was having when I woke up, or some bad family news.
In other words, negativity impacts my work, whatever its root or cause.
Fortunately, it works the other way around as well. I may have a great day at work because something outside of my work lifted my spirits.
The day can start on a positive note because of a beautiful sunrise, a smile from my girlfriend or stepdaughter, a short video that makes me smile or fills me with awe and admiration…and so on.
Knowing that as well as having “regular” days and bad days, I also have those really good days, I jump at the chance to make the most of them. This doesn’t mean just being more productive and getting more done, it also means I will deliberately focus on some of the bigger issues surrounding my business.
What do I mean by that?
Well, when I’m feeling bad I can still get the daily work chores done. I can still do some writing, although not as much. I can still answer emails and update my schedule, and so on. But a negative mind is not an open or creative mind. It doesn’t help you see opportunities. It doesn’t allow for a beautiful future.
So when I have a good day, and am in a positive mindset, I take advantage of my frame of mind and spend time looking at future opportunities for my business. I may open up my mind mapping software and map out some big ideas for the future. Or I might stare out the window and think of smarter ways to leverage the work I am already doing.
A positive mindset is open to success and opportunity. A negative mindset is not.
So whether you are having a bad day or a good day, are feeling negative or positive, make the best use of that day for focusing on different types of tasks and projects.
About the author: Nick Usborne is an online writer, copywriter, author and coach. Read more…
Good points Nick – I think for me it’s more about feeling positive or negative in terms of ‘flow’, and this makes a massive difference in writing productivity. If I really feel good, words just happen – other days, it’s difficult to get each sentence out.
What I have realised is that it’s good to keep a pile of things that need doing but don’t require much mindspace – filing, admin, etc – so if I know I’m getting nowhere writing, I’ve at least got something productive I can get done.