Category: Productivity and Work Techniques

Covers themes around productivity, work techniques, focus, overcoming distractions, and managing big tasks.

How to Finish Big Projects

Motivation on big projects

My client work has slowed down a bit this first half of the year. While this is bad for my bank account, it is quite good for my long-term projects. As mentioned in my blog post about big projects, I’m working on a graphic novel. The first (crappy) layout has already been viewed and heavily judged by people, and now I’m already working on the second layout version. Hopefully a less crappy one.

Another project is a webcomic I’m preparing. It’s actually the third webcomic idea I’ve had (the second one became the graphic novel I’m working on), but I’m pretty confident about this version. It has everything: Wacky characters, a silly story, and memes! I won’t go into too much detail for now (stay tuned), but I wanted to talk to you about working on these big projects and the ups and downs that such projects can have. Especially overcoming the downs that you will face as you work on them.

We always see the finished work of creatives. Big projects like paintings, books and movies, and other works. But I think it is important to see the less positive side of these beautiful works. So I’m here to share my personal experiences and insights.

Overcoming Challenges and Finding Solutions

While it’s all fun and games in the beginning, and we’re fueled by motivation and inspiration, as soon as we hit roadblocks (or the realization that this is a lot of work), we get into some trouble. Over time, this can lead to the project being abandoned, but it is important to fight through these hard times.

When faced with these challenges, I realized the importance of seeking support and advice from friends and fellow creatives. Talk to them about your project. It will lead to more (and better) ideas for continuing the project, and the people you talk to can motivate you to keep going. Often a pep talk happens automatically when you discuss your project. Your listeners get excited about your ideas and what you have planned, and this will infect you and push you on when your motivation is low.

In addition, breaking the project down into smaller, more manageable tasks helped me face these big projects with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. By focusing on one step at a time, I was able to make progress, even when it was slow. Leverage digital tools for this purpose: I use a project management system with Notion to break down these big projects into smaller pieces.

Another valuable lesson I learned from these projects was the power of experimentation and embracing failure. Instead of being discouraged by setbacks, I saw them as learning opportunities. The more we fail, the better we become. I discovered new ideas by iterating, exploring different approaches, and allowing myself to make mistakes.

Take Time and Push Through Big Projects

While working on my graphic novel, I faced unforeseen difficulties and moments of self-doubt. I realized that I needed more revisions of my layout, which pushed back my estimated time frame for completion of the project. To stay motivated in those moments, I tried to remind myself that it was perfectly fine to take the time I needed to make the graphic novel as good as possible (not perfect, of course). As long as I keep working on it, I will finish it. Even if it takes me a year longer than I thought it would.

I also take breaks that allow me to recharge and return to the project with renewed energy and focus. In my case, it is also good to find flaws in the visuals and story of my graphic novel and my webcomic. After a break of a few weeks, you can read your script as if you had never written it. You will see if your dialog feels natural or not. Just don’t take a break for too long. A long break will quickly turn into an abandoned project.

Finally, I developed a routine of regular reflection and self-evaluation that helped me push through lows. By evaluating my progress, identifying areas for improvement, and reaffirming my commitment to the project, I could push through moments of doubt and stay committed. Until I finish this behemoth of a project.

Conclusion

In summary, you need to overcome challenges by seeking support from others and breaking tasks into smaller parts. Accept failure and take the time necessary to complete your project. Engage in self-reflection so that you know where you are going. It is essential that you remain persistent and committed in the face of difficulties. Then you will be able to complete your big projects.

By sharing my experiences, I hope to inspire others to take on ambitious projects, understanding that the journey and personal growth are just as important as the finished product. After all, you probably won’t like the finished projects anyway when you’re done.

Why You Need To Do a Big Project

My big project
My messy workspace and my new big project.

While listening to the Draftsmen Podcast, I was struck by a line from guest Flint Dille about his experience writing a novel. Despite being advised to start with a short story, Dille decided to jump into a big project by writing a book. Although the resulting novel did not sell, he gained confidence in his ability to tackle ambitious projects and never again felt intimidated by their scope.

This idea is fascinating – I had previously thought of large projects as simply opportunities to learn but had never considered their potential to reduce the anxiety they often cause. Dille’s example of writing a novel without hesitation is a reminder that anyone can take on such a challenge. And so can you!

My new project

This podcast episode was one reason I decided to start drawing a graphic novel. But mostly because it has always been a personal goal of mine. However, I never felt ready to take on such a significant project. Following the advice of others, such as Moebius, I initially focused on some wacky short stories to improve my skills. However, I now feel that I’m at a stage in my artistic life where I’m ready to tackle something bigger. The wackiest comic I’ve ever done!

Last year I started a major project that required a considerable amount of pre-work, but I recently decided not to do it because I wasn’t feeling 100% committed to it. I decided to turn another idea into a full-fledged graphic novel. It was originally intended to be a sitcom-like webcomic, but with my newfound confidence, I am excited to take it to the next level!

Will it be a masterpiece? Of course not. But one thing is for sure, I am committed to seeing this project through to completion.

I will be showing some work in progress on Instagram in the not-too-distant future. Until then, stay tuned.

Tips for your big project

Working on your big project? Or are you still thinking about it? Then do it! Here are some tips on this topic:

  1. Setting clear goals and identifying milestones is crucial when starting a big project. Celebrate these milestones when you reach them.
  2. Break your project into smaller, more manageable tasks so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Think of it like building a car; you may only see the huge car you need to make all by yourself. But you only need to look and work on the one bolt somewhere deep in the engine. Focus on the damn bolt!
  3. Creating a professional project plan and setting deadlines can also help you stay on track. With a clear plan in place, you’ll know exactly what needs to be done and when. This can also help create a sense of urgency to motivate you to meet your deadlines.
  4. Remember to be okay with imperfection and avoid overwhelming yourself. Don’t strive for perfection (except your perfectionism is the good one), as this can lead to discouragement and stagnation. Accept that there may be mistakes along the way and just focus on making progress.
  5. Most importantly: start! Starting a big project can be the most challenging part, but once you see progress and your project takes shape, you’ll be more motivated to continue. So, take that first step and keep moving forward toward your goal!

Now stop surfing (and reading) and start working on your big creative projects!

Why Your Work System Needs to Adapt!

Work System Illustration

Since this blog post about is a bit longer, here are three points you’ll learn from this post:

  • How to overhaul a broken work system from the ground up.
  • What my old creative process looked like and how it is now.
  • Why my work system had to change.

Imagine you are in a moving car and suddenly you have to get out. Why, you ask? The reason is that the car you are in cannot change its destination and you have realized that you need to go to another place. After you get out of the moving car, you expect to be able to continue your way at the same speed as before. But this is not the case, because no one can get out of a car and continue at the same pace. No, you fall at high speed on the bare ground (not fatal in this scenario), get up again after a short confusion (as you do after making mistakes), and look for a new way to get to your new destination.

This analogy applies to our own work system, as I had to experience it myself a few months ago.

For a long time, I took little time to work out most of my illustrations. 3 to 8 hours, sometimes more, rarely less. Over the past year, that has now changed. I’ve been focusing on longer stories now which I’ve always wanted to do. Most of the time I put them aside for these smaller illustrations I could produce almost daily. The problem now was that longer stories take … well … a long time. Doesn’t sound so bad at first, you might think. But that led to a change in my creative process, which meant I had to change my whole work system. To go back to the car analogy: For me, that change meant getting out of a car that was going pretty fast. And I didn’t even notice it.

A work process like an addiction

My brain learned an addiction. And it was those 3 to 8 hours of me doing an illustration. As an example, here’s how the process for my Monster Monday used to be:

I started sketching in the morning, developing ideas. A short time later, the addiction sets in: I have a good idea! The first highlight of the day. Once I have an idea, the first sketch is not far away. Then another sketch, with the light table. And then maybe another, until the drawing is ready for ink. Everything is traced with ink and most of the work is done, another highlight in my creative process. At this point, I’m in an extreme flow. Scanning, correcting the lines, and coloring the illustration is very easy after that. Because I’m in the zone and I like to get things done.

And ta-da: the illustration is done! I like it, I love it and my body is full of dopamine. Give me more!

The sense of accomplishment at each completed step in my old creative process motivated me to keep going. So was the urge to finish the whole illustration. However, when I decided to work on longer stories with correspondingly longer deadlines, this source of motivation was no longer present. The fire that had fueled me in the past was extinguished because the longer time frame for completing each step no longer provided the same sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. This change in my process resulted in a loss of motivation, and I no longer had food for the fire that fueled me.

So I had to change my entire work system. Find a new vehicle to take me to my new destination. I was mentally stressed and lost the fun in my creative work. Extreme pressure on myself led to weeks where I could barely work.

I had to find a way to make the work fun (and addicting) again. How I could be more comfortable with this new process of drawing. To do this, I had to adapt my work system.

Difference between a work system and the creative process.

The work system is a system in which you perform your creative work with the help of information, technology, and other resources. This includes work techniques (e.g., time stopping, To-Do’s, or time blocking).

The creative process is how you do your creative work. With critical thinking, you solve problems in creative ways. Simple as that. Your work system helps you do this work effectively. The vehicle of your creative process.

A step-by-step guide to an overhaul of your work system

As long as you can work, it is helpful to tinker with your work system from time to time. Regular reflection helps keep your system fresh and flexible. Where can something still be adjusted? Where are there difficulties in the work?

Big changes that involve a whole new approach or process however may require a major overhaul of your system. As was the case for me. And here’s the step-by-step guide for that:

  1. Realize that your system needs to be adjusted due to a change (In my case, this realization took months).
  2. Examine analytically how you worked. Check your creative process. What motivated you in the old process? What steps were the highlights?
  3. How does it differ from your current creative process? Can things from the old process be incorporated? Can you transform some of it?
  4. What can be a new motivator in the new work system? What can also be fun? Do your research and try to incorporate work techniques that you may not have needed before that.
  5. All these questions will give you insights about a new work system.
  6. Write down the new system you have made so it stays in your mind and you can make adjustments to it.
  7. Use the new system and think about how you can adapt it every day.
  8. Do a weekly review. What went well last week and what didn’t? Where can adjustments still be made?

With the help of this list, you can find out what your new vehicle will look like, which will take you to a different place than usual.

What helped me

What changes have I made? I’m still working on it and changing it a bit each week, but what has helped so far are the following changes:

  • I have stopped tracking time while at work, which I used to do for over two years. I’m currently having trouble working through “my hours” (without client work) and the number at the end of the week stresses me out too much. Therefore keeping track of time is counterproductive right now.
  • I now use Todoist (not sponsored (sadly)), which miraculously keeps me very motivated. Normally, I always wrote down my to-do lists on paper. With this app, I can intuitively enter my tasks with a date and then …. simply forget about them. This is incredibly helpful and calms me down. You can’t “forget” tasks till they are due if you are writing them on paper.
  • In addition, I write down the most important thing I want to get done during each day of the week. With time tracking, I knew I wanted X working hours every day, and I knew at the end of the week if I had accomplished that. With this change, I can measure if I did the most important task every day.
  • I’m trying to bring more gamification to my creative work. I no longer have my daily highlights to fuel my fire. Gamification brings me the motivation I need as I slowly approach the highlights. They’re still there, just much further apart.
  • I started with time-blocking. Every morning I write on a piece of paper what blocks of work I do throughout the day. I’ve found that it gets me into the flow incredibly quickly and makes me less distracted.
  • Weekly reviews on Monday morning. This is one of the best things I’ve started doing in the last few months. It’s crazy how much I forget, what is good for me. The weekly review reminds me to repeat good things and to do bad things less. It also gives me a kind of benchmark for how the week went. It motivates me and pushes me forward.
  • I try to do at least 4 hours of deep work every day. I usually listen to podcasts or live streams while I draw. But I’ve noticed that I get distracted very quickly these days. So I’ve changed that, and the background noise can come back in after I’ve done 4 hours of undisturbed deep work. I even consider this a reward.

Conclusion

Every work system is different. Maybe you just need to adjust it a little, or maybe, like me, you want to get out of a moving vehicle to get to a different destination. If that’s the case, I hope I was able to help you notice it and got you some ideas on how to approach it.

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The Habit Challenge

The Habit Challenge Title

Screw annual resolutions! I have a better solution for you, which I have been doing for several years now. You destroy bad habits with it or form good habits that stay. Whether it’s creative habits or you just want to get up earlier. I’ll give you a foolproof guide on how to do it.

Change your Habits with a Challenge

I present to you “The Habit Challenge”! This is a challenge where you try to change your habits every month. Why only one month? Because that is often enough. You always hear about the 66-day rule to form a habit but fuck that. If it doesn’t work after a month, keep going for another month. And another month. Until it just works.

Do only one challenge and change only one habit! Anything else will overwhelm you, and you’ll give up anyway. You have 12 months in a year. Even if you take 2 months for each habit, you will have changed 6 in one year.

Make a physical note or use an app for your progress. Stick a homemade calendar on the wall where you cross off what you have done each day. On the piece of paper, write the challenge itself. Maybe also some information and tips.

The Habit Challenge Calendar
This is how my challenge calendar always looks like. See below how I mark the boxes.

Now and then, you’ll see that the challenge doesn’t work. Maybe one that fails badly. Shit happens. Change it or make a new challenge. If it is important to you, keep doing it to beat the habit into you.

“Oh no, the month has already started, I can’t do the challenge now.” Stop right there! Hear this: You can start right now! It will be just a 2-week challenge to practice. Or you do your challenges from mid-month to mid-month. No one is forcing you to go by the traditional calendar. Make your own damn calendar!

The Habit Challenge – A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1:

Firstly, write down what habits you want or want to banish from your life. Maybe how to change your perfectionism.

Plan the challenge, what exactly you want to do, and when precisely. Make it tangible! A challenge of mine a few years ago was to get up at 6 am, read for half an hour, and be ready to start working early. If you know you can’t do something, you can just start with the 5-minute rule: Do it for only 5 minutes. You can always add more time later.

Step 2:

Then take a piece of paper and draw 31 squares on it. Write the title of the challenge and what you want to do (as said, define it clearly). Put some tips and info’s on it if you feel like it. And anything else too! Let your creativity run wild.

Step 3:

Now do the challenge!

The Habit Challenge Marks
I use these marks on my boxes to get a clear vision of how my month went.

Step 4:

After a month (or whenever you want), sum up and analyze the whole thing.

Here is a list of questions you can ask yourself:

Did it not work? What exactly didn’t work? What patterns do you see in this failure? Can you do something else? Do I just have to keep going? Can someone help me?

Did it work? How did you do it? Can you do something the same way for your next challenge? What did you do better than the last time?

Analyze your failure and your success in detail. Sometimes one part of your habit worked better than another. Figure it out! Only through such a breakdown can you approach the next month better. It took me a few tries to form my perfect morning routine. To know what works and what doesn’t, I had to check and do my challenge again and again.

And you can do it too, now get started!

Do One Thing

Do One Thing illustration

One way to focus on one thing is to make a to-do list. It is a good way to get things off your mind. It calms me down because I don’t have to keep reminding myself to do X or Y. I use Todoist for that. I can set a todo for each day of the week and not have to remember everything I need to do for the week. Then I just do what is on my to-do list for that day and no more. If you have never done this before, give it a try!