Tip: Breaking Schoolhouse Habits
By Behance Research
Our years of formal schooling created habits that actually set us back when it comes to productivity and pushing ideas forward! While our instinct may be to live life as we were taught, we must consider the contrary. Some of the most productive creative professionals that we interview have a different approach to conventional wisdom.
Memorizing takes up mental space and leads to forgetting. Especially as we start to get senior moments, organizing information in a readily accessible manner is much more important than memorizing facts. Memorizing also consumes our precious energy for creativity. Note taking, another scholarly impulse of ours, has become a vestige skill. Amidst our busy lives, we’re lucky to complete our action steps, yet alone have time to read old notes.
The reality is that time must be managed according to our true priorities and goals. We were not trained properly. When your gut tells you that you’re going down the wrong path with a project, sometimes the best answer is to ditch it and try again (or not). And, while it was never acceptable to play with friends in the schoolyard instead of doing our homework, we now must weigh time with our families versus time at work. Often times, leaving the office is the right answer.
Nothing extraordinary is ever achieved through ordinary means. When your mentality has you working toward the next paycheck or the year-end bonus, you are less likely to invest effort in long-term goals. The great achievements that lie years ahead are often compromised for near-term rewards. Sometimes we must short-circuit ourselves and focus on the faint light at the end of the very long tunnel.
Memorizing takes up mental space and leads to forgetting. Especially as we start to get senior moments, organizing information in a readily accessible manner is much more important than memorizing facts. Memorizing also consumes our precious energy for creativity. Note taking, another scholarly impulse of ours, has become a vestige skill. Amidst our busy lives, we’re lucky to complete our action steps, yet alone have time to read old notes.
The reality is that time must be managed according to our true priorities and goals. We were not trained properly. When your gut tells you that you’re going down the wrong path with a project, sometimes the best answer is to ditch it and try again (or not). And, while it was never acceptable to play with friends in the schoolyard instead of doing our homework, we now must weigh time with our families versus time at work. Often times, leaving the office is the right answer.
Nothing extraordinary is ever achieved through ordinary means. When your mentality has you working toward the next paycheck or the year-end bonus, you are less likely to invest effort in long-term goals. The great achievements that lie years ahead are often compromised for near-term rewards. Sometimes we must short-circuit ourselves and focus on the faint light at the end of the very long tunnel.
This tip was written by Scott Belsky, Behance Team. Explore more Behance tips, and check out Behance's guest postings for small businesses trying to make ideas happen, hosted at American Express' OpenForum.
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Posted On
December 5th, 2007 | E-Mail This
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Now thats a keeper
Thanks fro sharing your thinking!
:)