Creativity and Discipline (10 tips for artists + musicians)
I’ve been a bit obsessed with creativity and discipline recently. I’ve definitely fallen into the trap of overplanning, overthinking and not taking enough focused, consistent action with my creative goals.
So what was the wrench in my process? A lack of discipline mostly.
So this post explores what creative discipline is, why it matters and some essential tips for honing it.
Truly, developing discipline will make you a way stronger creator and person.
So let’s wrap up this small talk. Let’s dive right in and work out some definitions and benefits.
What Is Discipline and Why Does It Matter for Creativity?
Alex Hormozi (among others) inspired this phrasing, but: doing ordinary things for unordinary amounts of time leads to extraordinary results.
This encapsulates discipline pretty well. But let’s expand further and get a clear definition.
Discipline is the ability to push through and do the things you need to do, when you have no inspiration or motivation to do the things you need to do.
Simple enough. And I think most people inherently understand what discipline is. So let’s look at why it’s so crucial in anything – especially creativity.
Why discipline in creativity is important:
It makes you a finisher – not a talker
You get better and strengthen your skills, pushing you to be disproportionately better and smarter than others in your niche
Creative discipline spills over into other things in life (exercise and healthy living, finance, etc.)
It teaches patience, listening and doing more while speaking less
Discipline is attractive and inspiring to see
Discipline is the “secret” sauce that will get you to wherever you want to go
Creativity and Discipline: 10 Tips to Get More Done
OK, now that we’ve established what discipline is and why it’s so critical, let’s look at how we can better dial it in.
These are tricks and tips that I still use today – because not every day will be a home run, so go easy on yourself (especially in the beginning).
And of course, if you’ve got any other creative discipline hacks, let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear them!
1. What Would the Person You’re Aiming to Become Do?
This tip is a simple idea – but surprisingly powerful. It’s a subtle mindset shift that reframes things into a new perspective.
Whenever you find yourself stalling or spinning for what to do next, how to get started or the best creative action, ask yourself one simple question:
What would the person I’m striving to become do in this situation?
It’s a simple trick that can add a ton of clarity to things. This person may be a future version of yourself once you’ve reached your goals, or someone that embodies who you’d like to become.
2. Set Realistic Goals (or Really Small Ones)
Sometimes, just simply starting is the hardest part. I think there is one major culprit…
If you’re hyper focused on your long-term, out-of-reach macro goal – which feels largely unattainable – your motivation and discipline is more likely to suffer.
So break up your bigger goals into component steps. Set smaller micro goals.
Even setting a nano goal of just simply starting and focusing for 5 minutes is a great step forward. Because chances are, you’ll keep working past that 5 minutes.
Once you build the habit of just starting, you’ll find you can control inspiration and discipline way better, since motivation more often comes after action.
3. The Zone of Proximal Development
Working within your zone of proximal development is the perfect followup to setting and focusing on realistic goals.
Essentially, this is the area of expertise and skills just outside of your current abilities.
So you’re challenging yourself and skillbuilding, but you’re not overwhelmed by going after skills and tasks that are too far outside your current level.
It’s a method for sustainable growth and fostering better discipline since meeting objectives in your proximal zone is way more realistic and results are more easily felt.
4. Creativity and Discipline Need Action
Action begets creativity and discipline.
It’s one of the many mistakes that we make – relying solely on motivation to get things done.
And I know that can be tricky since great creativity is often the product of inspiration and magical moments of motivation.
But the truth is we can oftentimes turn on our motivation and creativity by simply starting and taking action. Just the simple act of getting started often creates motivation and builds healthy discipline habits.
So rather than waiting for the mood to strike just right, just start doing the thing.
5. Mindset Shift
How do you view discipline and getting creative work accomplished?
What’s your relationship with creative work, focus and patience? As creatives, we need to fall in love with the process, our work and what we’re trying to achieve.
We should develop a realistic time horizon (not bank on viral growth). We should love the process of making, failing, making, failing and adding value in any way we can.
Developing this way of seeing things really boils down to mindset and perspective. So adjust your way of thinking and strive for a growth mindset with sustainable long-term growth.
With these healthier perspectives and expectations, you may find your discipline to start and finish more things also improves in lockstep.
6. Create A Workflow
Having a workflow is incredibly powerful – and fairly straightforward.
Essentially, it’s an organized guide of your tasks and goals broken into daily actionable steps and objectives. It’s home to your practice time, action-taking and creative schedule.
After creating my music production workflow, I found my skills improved as well as my discipline to start more things and get more done.
So audit your process and create a timeboxed workflow you can realistically stick with.
7. Physical and Mental Health
Our physical and mental health is closely tied to our motivation and discipline.
So the advice here is simple: take care of yourself and prioritize wellness and good sleep.
Of course, I’m not an expert and I understand there are nuances to health, nutrition and wellness. But committing to and prioritizing this will do wonders for your creative discipline – trust me.
If you’re looking for some more expertise on this topic, my good friend is a registered dietitian who specializes in customized nutritional planning – so feel free to reach out and explore more of her site here.
8. Know Your Why and Your Purpose
Knowing your purpose is incredibly important. It not only guides your brand, content and creativity, but fosters motivation and, yep, discipline.
Any time I’m feeling a bit blah, remembering my why and my core long-term, macro goals resets my perspectives and motivates action.
All of this supports my discipline and builds a healthy habit of getting more sh!t done.
So have your creative vision, purpose and goals clearly identified. It’s critical.
9. Hang Around More Motivated People
Jim Rohn is widely known for his claims that we become the average of the five closest people in our lives.
There’s been some debate about numbers and specifics, but I think the main point remains valid. It’s this:
If you want to do great things and build powerhouse discipline, hang around more people who motivate you and are doing those same things (but even better).
So meet more people with similar creative goals, network and build out a new community if you don’t have one.
Create a network for accountability and mutual inspiration and watch your discipline go through the roof.
10. Refresh Your Environment
I’m a huge supporter of creating an environment that’s inspired and conducive to creative work.
It’s different for everyone, but one universal thing is a level of general cleanliness. I’m really talking about keeping things smelling and feeling fresh.
Because of course, a bit of clutter is inevitable. But keeping things fresh and intentional is super helpful.
Design is the next big thing. For me, I love organic aesthetics like plants, natural light, bright colors and dark woods. I like things to feel light, airy and natural.
I love the smell of essential oils mixed with fresh linens and brewing coffee also.
All of these things support a super productive, high discipline environment for me.
So revamp your space – and get more done.
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