The ULTIMATE Energy Cocktail
How to Get Stuff Done
I hate not creating. Sure, I like to relax a couple hours every day by reading or watching some YouTube videos, but in general I like creating things a lot more. The problem is that creating things, whether it be programming websites, woodworking, or doing home renovations, requires a lot of energy that I usually don’t have.
I’m a morning person, so I usually don’t have any problems revving up at the start of my day and getting things done. It’s only in the late afternoons and evenings that I struggle to get started working on projects. By the time I get home from work my morning energy is all used up, my brain wants to change gears, my muscles ache from that day’s workout, and so it becomes very tempting to just go sit on the couch and watch TV for hours on end. However every single time I spend an evening binging on Netflix or YouTube I regret the way I spent my time when I could have spent hours doing something fun and awesome.
I try to minimize those unproductive days as much as possible, instead opting to work on awesome projects. I accomplish this by making myself an “Energy Cocktail” when I get home to help me have a productive evening.
Recipe for an Energy Cocktail:
Ingredients:
- Rest
- Exciting Projects
- Reflection
- Exercise
Rest
Being rested is key. I don’t necessarily need to have had a full 8 hours (or whatever amount of sleep you require) of sleep the night before, but I need to have slept long enough to not have the lack of sleep be on the forefront of my mind. If I don’t get enough sleep, my mind doesn’t work as well, my brain feels sluggish, and my arms and legs feel like they weigh 100 lbs each and movement seems like too much effort. Like David Heinemeier Hansson says, “sleep deprivation is not a badge of honor.”
Most days I manage to get enough sleep to where this isn’t an issue, but some days around 4pm if all I can think of is sleeping then I try to take a 15–45 minute nap. Note, I’m not a napper by any means (I often envy my wife that she is able to fall asleep any time anywhere in order to recharge) and sometimes I can’t fall asleep for that short period of time, but just laying down and trying to sleep seems to accomplish the same thing.
Caffeine is a help too but never fully replaces rest. If I try to run off caffeine alone without enough sleep it’s bad — my brain still feels slow and overall I feel like garbage. When rested though, caffeine makes me feel like I can focus better.
Exciting Projects
If I have work to do that’s not necessarily fun but needs to get done, I get that out of the way in the mornings. The evenings are not a good time for me to work on boring and uninspiring chores and errands — put those boring chores head to head with TV and TV will always win. The projects I work on need to be exciting and fortunately this is really easy to do since I get to have complete reign over how I want to spend my personal time.
If possible, I try to think about my projects throughout the day and then execute those ideas that same evening. Motivation and desire to work are easy when the ideas you are executing are still fresh. Over time ideas go stale.
Reflection
If I never need a kick in the butt to get started on something daunting, I like looking back on previous accomplishments for motivation. Reading an old blog post, going through an old photo album, watching a video I previously made are all good motivators. Building self-confidence through reflection on past successes gets me energized and excited to start something difficult. Sure, the anxiety never completely goes away and there’s always a little bit of hesitation left in me, but knowing that I have done similarly difficult things in the past allows me to try and do similarly difficult things in the present and future.
Exercise
When all else fails exercise is the 100% guaranteed way for me to get motivated to start working on a creative endeavor. Exercise could mean something like going for a run, but it also could be as simple as mowing the lawn or cleaning the house. At a minimum I try to commit myself to doing at least 5 minutes of the exercise activity. If after 5 minutes I don’t feel motivated to do 5 more, it means I’m sick and need to take a break that day. 99% of the time though, 5 minutes is enough to start get the heart pumping and creative juices flowing. If I feel I need it, I’ll keep up with the exercise longer, but often times after 5 minutes of cleaning the bathroom or turning over the compost pile is enough to get me energized and ready to go work on fun projects.
