productivity Tag - Blog from Markilus

An Unusual Guide to Problem-Solving Strategies

After a personal event upset my routine, I struggled to work on my graphic novel. I couldn’t focus, didn’t feel like working, and felt stuck. I needed a new strategy for solving this problem! An idea came up: I could try using deadlines again so that I would meet the dates I had set for my milestones. But not the easy kind of deadlines! The ones that would make me feel some real pressure.

So, with my partner’s help, we came up with a plan. Since I’m not great with social stuff and I hate making phone calls, we decided that if I didn’t finish 36 drawings for my graphic novel in a week, my partner would pick someone from my contacts for me to call immediately. You would not believe how stressed out I was just from the thought! But it worked. I met my goals for three weeks straight and never had to make a dreaded phone call. So logically, I would suggest this solution to you. But there is a little problem.

Because for many people, deadlines don’t work. I learned this when I was doing my master’s thesis in design. People have different problems and need different strategies for solutions. Some of the people I talked to for my thesis hated deadlines and could never work under pressure.

Other People’s Problem-Solving Strategies Can Be Dangerous

You may want to do what I did with deadlines and my accountability partner, and it may or may not work. Or maybe you already tried it and are even more disappointed because you were hoping for a solution to your problems. But that is exactly it. You have to try and experiment with different solutions and systems and find out what strategies work for you.

Never take someone else’s approach to a system or solution for granted. Yes, it worked for them, but that is no guarantee that it will work for you. So always keep that in mind, especially when someone tries to sell you something that is the solution to all your problems: What works for someone else won’t necessarily work for you. Everyone is different, everyone needs different things.

How To Figure Out Your Own Strategies For Your Problems

To avoid just copying others without any guarantee that it will help you, I made a simple guide to help you navigate through this.

Research your problem and look for solutions and strategies.
Try them out and tweak them to your liking.
Remember: What works for someone else may not work for you, and that’s okay.
Something kind of works? Focus on it and make it work for you.
When you have found a strategy that works well enough: Use it!
Don’t worry about making things perfect. There will rarely be a perfect system or solution.
Your work system still needs to adapt! Check-in from time to time to make sure your system is still working for you.
It’s okay to try and implement new things, but don’t tinker too much with what’s already working.

Conclusion

In dealing with problems of productivity, I discovered that copying other people’s strategies may not work for everyone. It’s important to find what works best for you. Stay flexible, know yourself, and stick with what helps you!

To learn more about problem-solving in general, the Wikipedia page on this topic has some good information and strategies!

In case you are wondering, I made this problem-solving animation above using Cavalry.

Updated Creative Work Problems Posts

Creative Work Problems failure — *One of my Creative Work Problems Comics.*

I have updated all of my Creative Work Problems Comics Posts on this blog!

I uploaded them for a while to Instagram and my blog as solo posts. When I did them, I mostly just posted the comic itself, and rarely some more information about it. Well, now I’ve updated them all and added additional help and knowledge for almost every topic. I’ve also updated the name of the post so that it’s no longer named after the comic. Each topic is now more easily identifiable by the title of the post. You can now search the hell out of this site if you are looking for a topic you need help with.

I have listed below every post I have made with these comics in it. So if you’re interested in more information about a topic you see at the bottom of the list, don’t hesitate to go there.

Creative Work Problems old projects — *One of the last comics I did of this series.*

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:

Setting clear goals and identifying milestones is crucial when starting a big project. Celebrate these milestones when you reach them.
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!
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.
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.
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!

Play the Role of Your Future Self

Sometimes we wish that we are already in our ideal future. That we have already achieved our dreams. We dream about how this day would be in a distant time. How we would finally do what we have longed for. How we could be. Our better selves. We revel in this moment until we fall back into the here and now. After this, our brief future dream embeds itself back into the background of our minds.

This daydream of our desired being can help us. By making it real before we work on what will bring that future closer. Before you start your creative work, imagine what it would be like. To be that person. No, you will BE that person as soon as you start working. This person is what you always wanted to be: Disciplined, hardworking, less perfect, or even someone who knows how important breaks are. It is your choice what you will be in your future.

All you have to do is this: Start a ritual you do before you start working if you don’t already. For example, I have an hourglass that I turn over as soon as I start working. Imagine that you are that future person as soon as you finish this ritual. While doing this, imagine what this person does differently than the present you. What makes them better? You will be like your future self and work the way you always wanted until you are done with your work and return to the present.

Try it out and play this future role of you. You will perform better and get better. With this method, the chances of fulfilling your dream are getting closer. And suddenly your ideal future is here without you even realizing it.

Sources

Herman, T. (2019). The Alter Ego Effect: The Power of Secret Identities to Transform Your Life. Harper Business.

VeeBeeA on Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/sbvgms/i_remembered_something_i_used_to_do_in_college/

How To Deal With Procrastination

Procrastination is a form of self-regulatory failure that a lot of artists and designers have. But you can improve this issue and get more productive with your creative work! This blog post gives you insight into a meta-analysis (a statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies) with the answer to why you put off work and how you can deal with it. I give you an assignment on what you can do, to improve your problems with procrastination.

You tend to favor tasks that are more pleasant in the short term. Consequently, you are more likely to procrastinate long term work.
The more unpleasant a task is (or if you dislike it), the more likely you are to avoid doing it. You will procrastinate when it is too effortful or anxiety-producing.
Procrastination decreases as the task is near completion or as a deadline approaches.
Jobs you characterize by lower liberty, task significance, and feedback will likely increase procrastination.
With frustration, resentment, and boredom comes procrastination.
Fear of failure doesn’t help too. You are more likely to put off difficult and boring tasks when they expect to be evaluated.
Low self-confidence is a cause of procrastination. You are more likely to give up on your efforts when encountering an obstacle.
Depression can cause low energy levels which result in procrastination.
Procrastinators tend to dislike structure or routine and typically will start with the more pleasurable tasks, while non-procrastinators prefer to sequence those last.
If you tend to choose short-term benefits over long-term gains, you are more likely to put off your tasks.
Availability of distractions is one of the top reasons contributing to procrastination.
The more times a task requires a choice that you have to make, the more likely it is that you will procrastinate.

One way of decreasing procrastination for a given task is to increase your expectancy of success. Develop self-efficacy!
Tasks should be constructed to be challenging but still achievable. Break big tasks into tiny little tasks and try to do them one by one. Make them fun! Reflect on how a task could be more joyful for you. Maybe the fun part comes after the annoying task is done, try to focus on that.
Surround yourself with cues that confirm your goals and banish any sign that reminds you of temptation.
Stop distractions! For the time you are working, put your phone away. Use apps that will prevent you from procrastination. For my web browser, I use “StayFocusd”. I also use “DF Tube” for a distraction-free use of YouTube. Figure out what is the most distracting part of your day and stop it while you are creative.
Try to make your tasks less of a choice. Use Habits. Work at the same time of the day. Start with a crafted routine and do it every time before you do your tasks.
Make a list of long term benefits if you end the task successfully. Pin it somewhere where you see it every day. I have a corkboard in front of me at my place where I do creative work.
Why is this task you are putting of right now significant in the whole picture? Try to remember why you do it.
Use external pressure. Like a friend or just your social media followers.
Internal pressure works too if you give yourself a deadline. But not everyone can achieve their deadlines.
Try to get feedback for your work.
If you have a lot of different tasks, do the most annoying task first. The fun part of the day will be at the end. It can function as a reward too!
Frustration with your tasks or the fear of failure can have a huge impact. Mindfulness can help with that. I made a little comic about that but I will dive deeper into this topic with more posts later this year.

My Experience With Procrastination

When I draw a picture I have times where I want to procrastinate. It appears often at the same time in my process. Some days are tough and it is difficult to overcome this problem. Other days it is easier.

I like to draw and sketch ideas for the picture I want to make. It is the most fun part because I like doodling around. When I decided what I want to draw I start sketching it roughly. But every time I struggle when I need to clean the picture up with a better line drawing. When this happens I try to remember the benefits if I do not procrastinate on this task. Sometimes it is a self-made deadline I give myself (I draw every Monday one monster, so it needs to be done on a Monday). With Instagram, I give myself a bit of pressure. I think to myself, that all my followers want to see the monster (even if this is not true). One of the most fun parts for me is, when I can ink the drawing or when I can color it. This pushes me, to clean up my pencil sketch. And after a few minutes, when I started the cleanup, I come into a flow and finish the task with ease. This resistance is there, always. You just need to go through it every time and learn what works for you.

Source: Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychol Bull 133: 65-94. Psychological bulletin, 133, 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65