25 Oct Forced Creativity
Some days it’s like the universe is against you. No matter how hard you try, everything seems to be broken or just not working. That was my Monday last week, the Monday I would like to soon forget!
My family hosted a graduation party for our oldest the night before, so I confess my Monday started off a little slow. As a natural introvert, inviting more than 100 people to a come-and-go event in my home is not my idea of relaxation. But we had a great time, and we were so thankful for the people who took the time to stop by and bless our daughter.
Back to the Monday from hell: I skipped the morning workout (mistake number one) and made my way to the office. I had a full list of tasks I wanted to get accomplished. An assigned research task for the book I am writing, network review assignments, prospect for clients, call with a potential vendor, update some compensation packages, and write my weekly blog.
Awesome, ready to start my day with the weekly blog. I like to write first thing in the morning when my mind is fresh. All I need to do is open a Word Doc and get started. Error message, Word won’t open. Something to do with the latest IOS update on my Mac. What? Then my laptop gets locked up. Just me sitting and staring at what I call the spinning wheel of death. Reboot the computer, then reboot the computer again and then finally give up and reinstall Microsoft Word. Estimated time for download is 33 minutes. Fun.
Wait, what is that loud sound outside my office door? Oh, the install for the new back-up generator is happening today. Great. Creative writing is not going to happen this morning.
Word is working after the download, so that’s good news. So now I’ll work on the compensation package update. I just need to print the examples for a meeting with my VP of Accounting and HR and my VP of Biz Dev. Printer is not working. Are you kidding me!? Six attempts later and the documents are finally printed. Meeting was well received, and the day is looking better.
I decide to get off campus to write my weekly blog. Find a quiet place, where people are not drilling holes into the side of the building to run electrical for the new generator. I will just work from home! Driving home, my vehicle reminds me that I am four miles till empty. Okay, I got this, I will find a gas station. Place the debit card in and it does not work. Seriously!? Try again and the card takes, and I find the slowest gas pump in Texas. But I have a full tank of gas and I am good to go.
I make it to my quiet house to find the robotic vacuum running. All good, I plan to sit out back to enjoy the sunshine and nice weather. Oh, that’s right, both of my neighbors have preschool age kids who are also outside enjoying the nice weather. And someone has been mowing their yard for what feels like hours now.
What shall I write about? Maybe I will just write about my crazy day.
Back inside, the vacuum has stopped and I finally find a quiet place with my dog next to me. What shall I write about? Maybe I will just write about my crazy day.
We have all had days like the one I just described. The truth is, you can’t force creativity and sometimes that means you must call an audible on your day or do what I did and find a different place to work.
How is your day going? I am only halfway through mine!
Scott Miller is the CEO of Centerpost Media, host of the Create. Build. Manage. Show (seen on BizTV, heard on BizTalkRadio, and available wherever you listen to podcasts,) and a member of the Forbes Agency Council, Entrepreneur Leadership Network, and Dallas Business Journal Leadership Trust. You can find Scott on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter via “@scottmillerceo” or on LinkedIn via “@scottmillermedia.” Centerpost Media is a content marketing agency with a vision to help every business they encounter with their media needs by providing outstanding quality, service and value. Centerpost Media is the parent company to BizTV, BizTalkRadio, BizTalkPodcasts and Bizvod.