5 Ways to Improve Creative Production Workflow

When you’re producing work and need to be creative, it can be easy to hit walls or have a mental block. Whether you’re suffering from fatigue or are burnt out, there are many causes of a lack of creative productivity. If you want to boost your workflow, there are a few ways to become more creative and discover new ideas while avoiding distractions.

1. Eliminate Clutter

Clutter or excess junk that is sitting around can cause you to become distracted and lose your focus when you need to be productive. Make it a point to remove excess items that are sitting on your desk that you don’t use on a consistent basis. Keep items like your stapler or post-it notes within reach on the desk to save time. Make it a point to go through all of your drawers and remove items that you haven’t used in the last year.

You can also eliminate paperwork by scanning everything and having digital copies on hand, which can create extra space in your office and can offer mental clarity.

Adding a lamp to your desk will also allow you to work in a well-lit area where you can focus and avoid eye strain. A minimal space that is illuminated can allow you to focus more on the task at hand and avoid feeling drawn to items or files in your surroundings.

2. Obtain More Nutrients

Your diet has a direct impact on your cognitive function, making it necessary to eat whole foods that offer more nutrients each day. Consuming more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and lean meats can make it easier to feel alert and increase your focus throughout the day. Eating more nutritious foods can also allow you to feel more alert and can reduce fatigue that you experience, making it easy to get more done. Changing your diet can also reduce your stress levels and allow you to become less irritable, making it worthwhile to make the changes.

You can pack your own lunch to eat and avoid eating processed snacks while sitting at your desk. Consider packing almond butter packs, hardboiled eggs, and protein bars to maintain your mental concentration. Eating a balanced breakfast can also allow you to feel energized as you start the day.

3. Avoid Meetings

Studies show that the average employee spends approximately 31 hours every month in meetings that are unproductive. Although meetings are often unavoidable, they can interrupt your schedule and workflow as you’re focused on a task. Attempt to decline as many meetings as possible or consider scheduling all of them on one day of the week to avoid interruptions when you’re working.

If a meeting is necessary, suggest a standing meeting, which are proven to increase performance and prevent certain employees from becoming territorial. Standing will also allow everyone to waste less time and talk less as they get to the point, which can make meetings more productive.

4. Automate

Automating as many tasks as possible can limit the number of tasks that you have to complete each day to free up extra time that you can spend being creative. Instead of having a bunch of busy work each day, you’ll spend more time using the left side of the brain to brainstorm and create. A contact sheet that you created and shared with your colleagues can easily become automated for future use. Make it a point to use technology as much as possible to eliminate time-consuming tasks from your schedule and avoid interruptions when you’re in the zone and are getting your creative juices flowing.

5. Centralize

Begin to use cloud-based platforms for storing all of your files and projects to ensure that they’re easy to access in seconds by other people on your team to avoid delays. Many people make the mistake of uploading their files onto hard drives or onto Google Drive, which can cause the recipient to wait several days until it reaches them, and will affect your productivity. Keeping everything on a cloud can avoid frustrations and will make your process more streamlined from beginning to end by making the documents easy to access.

There are many ways to make your days more productive as you grow as a creative individual and work towards success. By understanding the right steps to take, you can boost your workflow and get more done throughout the day, which can allow you to feel more fulfilled with the time that is spent on each project.

Adam Richards

About Adam Richards

Adam Richards is a semi-retired business professional originally from Bangor, Maine. He spent the majority of his career in sales and marketing where he rose to the marketing lead of a Fortune 1000 company. He then moved on to helping people as a career counselor that specifically helped bring families to self-sufficiency through finding them rewarding careers. He has now returned to Bangor for his retirement and spends his free time writing. This blog will be about everything he learned throughout his career. He'll write on career, workplace, education and technology issues as well as on trends, changes, and advice for the Maine job market and its employers.