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Things have been a little busy lately. We just launched a huge campaign for a client (had to go from creative concept to on the air in 34 days), I’ve had this little thing called Blogger Social going on and then there’s Age of Conversation ’08.
Many of you have e-mailed or tweeted, wondering how I’ve been juggling it all. Truth is…like all of you, sometimes I think I can’t possibly shoehorn one more thought into the day. But somehow, we all do.
Time is the scarce commodity today. I think it goes beyond the new, leaner organizational structure. Much of the blame should be aimed at our pagers, phones, PDAs, and people "buzzing" into our day and not only taking up time but also continually breaking our ability to concentrate on the task at hand.
Even when things aren’t so crazy (when is that again?), sometimes we need to carve out some time to think, write, be creative or power through a project. Here are some thoughts for shutting down the buzz so you can concentrate:
Plane ride for one. One of the best things about flying is that no one can reach you. Peace and quiet. So turn off all electronic devices and close the "cabin" door and just work in solitude. If you explain what you’re doing in advance, no one will begrudge you a little alone time.
Play hide n’ seek. Why is it that when you are feeling absolutely under the gun, your co-worker has a weekend she just has to tell you about? If you have a colleague who’s out or a vacant conference room, these make for great hiding places. When you’re not where you belong, people assume you’re just not around.
Get out. It’s difficult to be strategic or creative when you are sitting in the same place, looking at the same wall, day after day. When you have big picture planning to do, grab your team and get out of the office. Find a coffee shop, park, or other haunt that you can just escape the daily grind and let your mind run free.
As marketers, we’re forced to be creative on demand. Sometimes you have to give yourself a little edge to get the job done.
How do you give yourself an edge? What’s your favorite time bending trick?