June: Productivity

“It’s not always that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less.”

– Nathan W. Morris

Things I love about June - it’s my birthday month so I always associate it with celebrations. I also love how it marks the halfway point of the year. Because of these two things, it’s the perfect time for me to reflect on how the year is going thus far. That’s why, this month, we’re talking about productivity.

Chances are, you haven’t accomplished as much as you thought by this point in the year. If you happened to exceed your expectations, you’re one of the rare ones so great job! The best way for me to get productive this time of year is to revisit the goals I set back in January. Usually, I’m lacking productivity because I’m trying to do too many of the wrong things. For example, last year I set a primary goal of writing and illustrating a children’s book. Even though that was my main goal, I realized I’d spent the year working on everything but that. I’d reworked my website, added tons of prints to my shop, and even launched The Green Paint Society. All good things, but none of them were making me feel productive because I hadn’t done the one thing that was most important to me.

And that’s usually how it goes. The most important things feel the toughest to accomplish. It’s our ego’s way of protecting us from failure. If there’s an important project you can’t seem to get done, this is the work you need to do most. The way to override our fear of failure is to simply get to work. For me, I like to tackle a challenging part of the project first because I have the most momentum at the start. Then, I tackle the easiest parts of the project just when my energy starts to fizzle. At the end, I wrap up the toughest things I have left because I’ve already come so far. I have no choice not to finish the project. This approach matches the energy ebbs and flows I have around a new endeavor. Your approach may be different. For instance, maybe you need to start with the easiest part of the project just to get yourself to sit down and get started. It’s important to analyze your past behavior to find a productivity approach that works best for you. Everyone is different.

And remember, big projects come down to small daily choices. It’s the little things we do every day that make big waves. Even if you can just spend a few minutes daily working towards your big goals, you won’t believe how far you can go in a year.

This month, ask yourself what important projects are you putting off? And, what can you differently the rest of the year so you can end the year saying you did everything you wanted to?


Journal Prompts:

  1. What is my biggest distraction right now from creating as much art as I could?

  2. In what new ways can I trick myself into sitting down to make art on a regular basis?

  3. Picture a productive artist in your mind. What do you envision them doing all day? What’s stopping you from living out this day?

  4. When in your life were you making the most art? Why were you so productive at that time?

Sketchbook Prompts:

  1. Illustrate your interpretation of a productive day as an artist.

  2. Illustrate some vintage clocks.

  3. Illustrate your favorite productivity tools.

  4. Illustrate an idea you’ve had for a while that you’ve been putting off.

Assignment:

Develop your own art productivity plan, including ways to hold yourself accountable to doing what you say you’re going to do. For example, maybe you create a habit tracker you create for yourself. Or maybe you set some deadlines for your big goals. Don’t forget to reward yourself when you accomplish your big projects!

Fun Finds:

  • This quick video explains the Pareto Principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) really well!

  • I practice all of these 8 WFH Productivity Hacks.

  • Need something to hold you accountable? Check out this Productivity Planner by Intelligent Change.

  • One of the best investments I made in my productivity was purchasing an Echo Show for my office. I can do everything from quickly turning on music hands-free to setting work timers. Highly recommend!

  • This Habit Tracker app.


Nicole Cicak