Here's how you can maintain focus and overcome procrastination as a creative strategist.

Get out, get some air. Drink coffee and get the creative juices going...look for a music spark that will help you to get around barriers and keep you on the right path

In the creative flow, essentials reside: clear goals, well-orchestrated time, cherished discipline. Find your rhythm, dance with time, break the chains of procrastination. Breathe inspiration, take breaks in bloom, find beauty in the ordinary. With these keys, the creative strategist unveils their art, in a harmonious ballet, towards the summits of productivity.

Simplest yet effective way is to take short breaks to refresh your mind. Stepping outside for a breath of fresh air can clear your head, stimulate your senses, and rejuvenate your creative energy. Similarly, the ritual of drinking a cup of coffee not only provides a physical boost from caffeine but also serves as a psychological signal to your brain to wake up and refocus. These brief pauses from work are essential to reset your concentration levels and can significantly enhance your productivity when you return to your tasks.

One of my mentors once set before going on a creative pursuit. Always pin down the next vacation. And give yourself that vacation. 1. Accept it Procrastination is normal, Don't self-doubt yourself. 2. Set Goals at the beginning with proper timeout. (Use SMART) method for goal setting. 3. Always update yourself with upcoming AI technology so that it can do maximum work for you. If you still facing a focus issue talk to your therapist and do daily meditation. I can promise you will overcome procastination.

Goal-setting isn't just a buzzword; it's the roadmap to success in business! ?? Setting clear, actionable goals gives your dreams direction and purpose. Whether it's crushing sales targets, expanding your network, or mastering a new skill, goals fuel your journey towards greatness. Embrace the power of setting goals and watch your business soar!

Using time blocks on your calendar can be essential to defeating procrastination, especially if you identify your key time zones of your day and week and allocate your time blocks accordingly. You are most creative in the early mornings - then block some early mornings for yourself. You get the point! Identify. Block. Prompt. Unblock. 1. Identify the key times for your best mental focus / creativity. 2. Block the time on your calendar and use the time (even if you don't always feel like it - use the time anyways). 3. Prompt yourself in the calendar appointment by adding questions, topics, projects, ideation task, etc. 4. Unblock the creativity in yourself to let it flow and benefit from the open time you've created for yourself.

Add symbolism and value to your workload and turn time-blocking into ritual. It enhances focus, improves time management, and reduces stress by setting clear work expectations. It promotes accountability and work quality by allowing deep focus on tasks. This consistency aids in managing professional and personal life, ensuring a better work-life balance.

Allocate specific blocks of time in your calendar dedicated solely to creative tasks, brainstorming sessions, or strategy development. This method helps in creating a structured day where each hour has a purpose, reducing the temptation to delay tasks. By honouring these blocks as you would any important meeting, you discipline your workflow, enhancing focus and productivity. Moreover, it allows you to measure the effectiveness of your time spent, adjusting as necessary to optimise your creative output.

Cambiar de una tarea a otra es una estrategia efectiva, sin embargo debemos medir, dependiendo del proyecto o tarea que tengamos, cuánto tiempo dedicar a cada bloque. No hay una receta, ni es tan fácil como solo dedicar 2 horas a cada cosa. En ocasiones, al momento de cambiar de bloque te encuentras en un momento de inspiración donde "todo está fluyendo" y debes dejarlo fluir. Extiende ese bloque el tiempo necesario para no cortar el flujo creativo. Si por el contrario, decidiste dedicar 1-2 horas a una tarea que te está costando arrancar, no te obligues a intentar durante 1-2 horas sacarla. Cambia de bloque y déjala en "segundo plano". Ser flexibles y conocernos a nosotros mismos es la clave en este punto.

Understand not only the priority of a task, but the amount of effort required. Achieving something often drives the motivation to get on with the next task. Being stuck on a heavy lifting task can lead to procrastination, which is a downward spiral. If you use a to-do list, an easy task can often take up as much space as a hard task. Focusing only on the high priority tasks can therefore build up a long list of potentially easy tasks, which is a pathway to becoming overwhelmed. Go easy on yourself, sometimes it's ok to take the low hanging fruit and feel good about getting on with the next task. Sometimes the best days are ones filled with lots of little wins, providing more clarity for those high priority tasks.

To excel as a creative strategist, prioritize tasks by considering deadlines and impact. Break projects into manageable steps and allocate focused time for each task. Set clear, measurable goals to track progress and seek accountability from colleagues or mentors. Prioritize self-care to maintain energy and creativity levels. This approach ensures timely delivery of impactful work, minimizes procrastination, and fosters sustained productivity and innovation.

Start by identifying tasks that align closely with your strategic goals and have the highest impact on your projects. Utilise the Eisenhower Box to categorise tasks into four quadrants—urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Focus on completing tasks in the 'urgent and important' category first to drive immediate results, then allocate time to 'important but not urgent' tasks to sustain long-term objectives. This approach ensures you're not just busy, but productive, keeping your creative projects on track and impactful.

Aquí es vital utilizar la matriz de Eisenhower para determinar la importancia vs urgencia de cada tarea. Si hoy tengo que redactar un guion importante para la apertura de una campa?a, y dar visto bueno a los artes que se van a publicar, aunque el guion sea una tarea más importante, me va a tomar demasiado tiempo y podría perfectamente salir primero de la revisión de artes para sentarme a redactar el guion con tranquilidad. Ser ágiles en detectar qué "tareas rápidas" podemos sacar primero, nos ayudará a concentrarnos en las grandes tareas sabiendo que las otras ya fueron completadas y evitamos que nos distraiga el pensamiento de "los pendientes" mientras realizamos las tareas más pesadas.

PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY

Distractions could be your worst enemy. Set time slots to keep focus in your next task and put your phone away. After each task completion, you can check your emails, phone and grab a snack. That way will help you to experience a smooth process and motivate yours los for the next completion.

Start by creating a work environment that enhances concentration. This could involve organising your physical workspace to reduce clutter and using digital tools to block non-essential notifications during work hours. Establishing clear boundaries, such as specific times for checking emails and social media, can also prevent frequent interruptions that disrupt your creative flow. Additionally, communicate your focused hours to colleagues and use signage like a 'Do Not Disturb' sign when deep in strategic tasks. This disciplined approach safeguards your creative zone, enabling you to deliver high-quality work.

Avoid opining on LinkedIn. Or avoid LinkedIn in general. And apparently that wasn't enough characters. Almost there. Okay there.

Mi sugerencia mágica: -Encontrar un playlist de "background music" que nos aisle del entorno. Preferiblemente instrumental o música que no sea la que normalmente escuchamos, para evitar que más bien nos distraiga y nos den ganas de cantar o bailar -Ponerse audífonos -Avisar a las personas que estén cerca "Me voy a poner audífonos, necesito concentrarme / por favor no me hablen durante un rato" -Soltar el teléfono -Concentrarse en la tarea el mayor tiempo posible sin estar viendo la hora o revisando mensajes entrantes

AI is a great tool for creatives to spark ideas. If you are struggling with feeling bored or not wanting to do work, leverage an AI tool to help you focus, become inspired, or overcome a challenge. Let technology work with your creative ideas, not against them, to keep you motivated.

AI will not replace the role of a creative, however even a less experienced creative with an ability to leverage AI will. There is no doubt that there are numerous tools available to make a creative more efficient, more effective and more organised. We shouldn't worry about what new technology will take aways from us, but instead be excited by the opportunities that it opens up to us.

Take the time to reflect on what is/is not working for you and your process. Measure the outputs and results from your creative strategy sessions. Question every aspect without judgment. Adapt any and all aspects to find your sweet spot. But know that your sweet spot as a creative is a moving target and will flux based on the seasons, stress, life circumstances, etc. Mostly - remember that the key to reflecting and evaluating here is to keep a keen eye on shame and shaming narratives. Shame is a creativity and productivity killer. Don't shame yourself for what hasn't worked or is no longer working for you. Reflect and adapt to find what will work. No shame in shifting your approaches regularly, occasionally, or never at all.

Reflecting on your work methods is crucial because it helps identify what enhances or hinders your productivity and satisfaction. This ongoing evaluation enables you to adapt and optimize your strategies for better outcomes. Don’t be afraid to flip the script when something is not working. The process is the progress.

Al final del día revisar: -Si cumplí todas las tareas que tenía dispuesto cumplir -Cuánto tiempo perdí por distracciones o imprevistos -Qué imprevistos o distracciones puedo prevenir y cómo (Desde moverme a trabajar en otro lugar, hasta ponerme alarmas o recordatorios cada cierto tiempo)

Wait. Why wouldn’t you procrastinate?! It’s kinda part of the creative and strategic process. Or, at least it can be. Sometimes (quite often), great ideas come from letting your mind wander. Do other things. Look at your phone. Do the dishes. Stare out the window. It’s quite well documented that when you (also) focus on other things than the task at hand, your mind is capable of great(er) things. ??

Everyone has a different experience. Somedays its easier to focus than others. Dont beat yourself up if youre not at your 100% each day, its normal you are not a robot. Take time off to reset. Learnt to integrate creativity in your daily life. Embrace nature and sports.

Take a break! It will allow your brain to rest, recharge and return to tasks with renewed energy and focus. Even 5 minutes a day can help you overcome procrastination. Here are 3 simple mini breaks you can do to instantly reboot your brain - and productivity: 1-Conscious Breathing. Take 2-5 minutes to practice deep belly breathing or alternate nostril breathing for a powerful mental reset. 2-Walking Break. Get up from your desk and walk around the office, or step outside if possible. The change of scenery and physical movement will re-energize your brain. 3-Energizing Music. Listen to a few minutes of an upbeat song. You’ll feel motivated to focus back on work, but with a refreshed, positive mindset.

Don't wait and force creativity into a timeline. Always be observant and curious! If inspiration strikes take note. If you work better in the evening don't force yourself into the 9-5 stereotype. Fresh air and your favorite music are great ways to get the ideas flowing in a pinch!

A certain amount of procrastination is beneficial, according to Adam Grant. It allows time for reflection, consideration, and development of an idea. Too much 'go-go-go' can overlook deeper thought. Saying that, too much is of course will not lead to getting anything done! Structuring in deep work, task work, and also space to breathe, walk, reflect can help us to find a good balance.