Few books have influenced my creativity and productivity more than Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit. There is so much to glean from this book that you may weary of me referencing it. However, I have accomplished more than I thought possible in the last year after implementing many of her suggestions.
The second chapter talks about Rituals of Preparation. Twyla talks about her ritual of getting up at 5:30 a.m. every morning, getting dressed, and taking a taxi to her gym. She talks about the point of commitment after which having hit it, she cannot turn back. For her, its the taxi. For me, its the shower. But whatever it is, just getting yourself there in the morning means that you are committed and you are at least going to have a chance at being successful and productive!
Getting up early, I can get 1-2 hours of uninterrupted work done. That may not seem like much, but adding 1-2 hours/5 days a week/52 weeks a year really makes a huge difference in productivity!
It reminds me of something Walter Mays, my wonderful composition teacher suggested to me. He said every day every composer should do [at least] one thing that furthers their career. It may be composing just a few measures, calling someone to tell them about your piece, scheduling a performance of your piece, editing a manuscript, reviewing a contract, etc. But, commit to doing at least 1 thing every day to further your career and you will go further than you may have thought possible.
Do just one thing, and do just one thing consistently for amazing results.
And get the book…you won’t regret it!
