Mary Schmidt Marketing Troubleshooter

Like everyone else, I sometimes get in a rut and my creativity (and perspective) drops into the negative zone.

This always happens when I don’t take time to read at least 1/2 hour each morning during Coffee Zen time…find myself chained to my computer (”No, NO! I can’t stop! I’ve JUST GOT to get this done!”)…and lapse into zombiefied channel surfing after a long day. “Wow, I’ve only seen this episode of House Hunters five times! Oh, look - who knew Ice T was in Leprechaun V, In The Hood?”

So, here’s my 10.5 Things To Get Outta That Rut and Get Creative!!

1. Turn off the television unless there is something I really, really want to watch. This pretty much eliminates 99% of television.

2. DO NOT turn on the computer until after my morning coffee Zen time.

3. GO OUTSIDE at least twice a day. Take a short walk. Go pull a few weeds. Water a plant…or simply sit on my front step and read the mail.

4. Take long walks at least three times a week (an hour or more.)

5. On those long walks, stop and swing in the “big girls” swing at the playground for at least five minutes. Think about NOTHING while swinging. (This also makes the people walking by smile…look at that crazy woman…)

6. Walk to the library, and spend some time in the stacks just browsing. Check out a book by an unknown author without reading the cover flaps.
6.5. Browse my own book shelves. I’ve got TONS of great stuff that I’ve forgotten about. Highly recommended: P.G. Wodehouse, Dawn Powell, Barbara Holland. (Nope, no business authors on this browse.)

7. Do some garden planning. I may never actually build that path, fountain or shed…but it gets me thinking (literally) outside the box.

8. Do more volunteer time - I’ll be packing food at Roadrunner one Saturday this month. Thinking about signing up for Meals on Wheels - I delivered meals when I lived in suburban Philly and it was great fun. The people were always happy to see me…andI’d given them at least one bright spot in their day…which made my day. The macho WWII vets loved it when the blonde in the sports convertible came vrooming up with their meals…the little old ladies wanted to talk about lipstick, gardening and men…we all enjoyed it. (Related Post: Martini Musing - All Year Long. More volunteer ideas.)

9. Plan my next trip- short, long, road trip. I can at least read about the restaurants in Hong Kong and the old ruins in Italy.

10. Shut down by 3:30 once a week and work my way through that teetering stack of books by Tom Peters, Seth Godin, Jeffrey Fox, Steve Yastrow, etc. etc.
10.5. RE-READ some of the idea and design books and magazines that are piled around.

Did I mention reading? Happy Friday!

Related Posts:
Productive Procrastination
A Monday Musing - “I Don’t Have Time To”
I Don’t Take My Own Advice
Just Don’t Do It.
Martini Musing - Pssst, Look Around!
Silly Versus Serious
The Not So Big Life

P.S. Yes, like you, I’m still processing that there was a Leprechaun I, II, III, and IV…much less V.

What’s on your list?

Tags: Friday martini time, creativity