How Limits Set You Free
Revealing Secret #5 of My Unbroken 289-Day Writing Streak: Constraints Are Your Superpower(Part 5/6)
Harnessing the Power of Limits: How Constraints Boost Creativity
Constraints provide the greatest freedom.
You are right if you think the above statement is contradictory and doesn’t make sense.
But below is my reasoning.
Before I used constraints, I used to have many choices. The more choices I had, the more confused I felt.
This confused state stopped me from taking action.
By introducing constraints into my daily writing practice, I’ve been able to focus unlike before.
1. Constraints have helped control the scope of work every time I felt overwhelmed.
For example — Writing a 150-word article is easier than not knowing the length.
2. Constraints help in providing proper incentives when I sit down to write.
For example — Telling myself to finish the work in 90 minutes feels challenging. Plus I’d know there is an end time for the activity.
Knowing these two things works wonders because my mind gets into problem-solving mode and stays there.
3. Constraints help in increasing focus and stop your mind from wandering.
For example — when I sit down to write, I know I only have to focus on one idea.
This frees me from overthinking and worrying about everything else that comes along with it.
This has been my journey so far. It is far from perfect. But it has worked and I’ve enjoyed working this way.
While this sounds fantastic, I’ll warn you against becoming too rigid while using constraints so that it doesn't cause an obstacle while trying to do your daily activity.
I hope my examples give you an idea of how to use constraints and that they might not be so bad after all.
If you’ve used constraints in the past for any of the activities you engage in consistently, I’d love to hear them.
