Work In Colour - Work. Think. Live. In Colour
Tuesday 12th July 2011 | 8 comments
Last week I spent a few hours waiting at the international terminal, and in the process was reminded of an important aspect of productivity and creative thinking.
I didn't learn this from the airline or even from airport management (which probably won't surprise you). Here's what happened...
I was going out to meet my 80-year-old stepfather, returning from an extended trip overseas on an 8.45am flight from Hong Kong. On checking before I left home, I found his flight was cancelled, and I couldn't work out whether he was on the flight before or the one afterwards (or for that matter, on neither). The airline's recorded message suggested he was coming back the next day, no-one answered the phone enquiry line, and the arrivals website treated the whole incident as if the flight had never existed in the first place.
So, at 7am I did the only thing I could think of - a mad dash to the airport (just in case he was on the flight before, which was about to land), bringing some work with me (just in case he was on the flight after, which was over 3 hours away).
You can probably imagine my next hour, trying to get to the bottom of the story. Best to move on...
It turned out he had been moved to the later flight, so I had a nearly-three-hour wait. I found a quiet corner and took out my work. I had no laptop and few things to distract me. What I (re)discovered was the joy of delving into one job, one task, with the aim of making it last as long as possible. I tapped into a creative vein and not only finished the client report itself, but also thought of a much better way to organise this kind of work and also a whole new spinoff report that I could market.
It was all to do with having space, time and few distractions. So, now my challenge is to do this again in the real world. I am going to start using that Freedom software that I downloaded months ago to block me from the internet for an hour at a time, and do more work away from my desk altogether.
What about you? How do you carve out space to think and dream and work in-depth?
Tag: creativity
I took a train trip that took an hour and experienced exactly what you are talking about - an hour of focused attention on one project that produced strong visible results -
I swore after that I'd replicate it once a week by finding a similar spot where I could enter a 'capsule' like environment where I'd be forced to be at one with the work in hand - Not trying to keep all the other plates spinning whilst getting the next one airborne!
Thanks for the reminder :)
Thanks Linda, great example. Maybe there's a business in that, a writers' train, no internet, only one project allowed on board with you...hmmm.
I also experienced this 'freedom to focus' on a recent trip to the UK/Europe. I used all those train journeys (each at least an hour long and comfy with spacious tables) to work on my next business plan, as well as a few articles I'd been putting off for 'when i had time'. I've never felt more productive!
The much longer plane journeys, on the other hand, were too cramped to be work-friendly.
Yesterday I used a 3 hour drive (to see anew regional client) to catch up on podcasts about writing. Again, I felt inspired - but I wish I could take notes while driving on freeways!
I love podcasts too, Sara. And I have been experimenting with recording notes onto the voice recorder in my phone, then using voice recognition software to type them up. The jury's out, but as an experiment it's worked well enough to keep playing with it...
Aha! That perhaps explains why it seems that repeatedly, great ideas magically emerge within my cranium - when in the shower. Not that I'm trying to crank out answers to things when in the shower - quite the opposite...
The shower would have to be the closest thing to a capsule in my life. Four rain-dropped walls that narrow the focus...
Love it, Rachael. It's that magic of simultaneously narrowing and expanding the focus that does the trick for me in the shower...just need one of those underwater writing pads to capture my brilliance :)
Just happened upon here (can't say stumbled upon anymore). Oh to experience the joys of disconnect - it's rare that our lives get the chance to experience such bliss! The wake up call for me came during a lengthy black out. Since stopped carrying my laptop every where to ensure I spend less time connected. Thanks for the post.
Corri, thanks. Love the 'joys of disconnect' phrase...