Use Your Sense-itivity To Be More Productive

“Nothing can cure the soul but the senses,
just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.”
– Oscar Wilde, Irish poet and dramatist.

In Issue #163

Editor’s Note: My Outlook in-box revolted this week. It’s numerous, gentle requests to empty it went unheeded – and like so many of us do in life, it broke down and said, “Enough! I can’t take one more email until you deal with everything already in here!” Half a day and several hundred emails later, the in-box is working again. In the process, I  caught up with some friends, was reminded of some dangling threads, winced at a number of things left undone, and in a few cases unearthed some gems. Today’s essay is one of them. Copywriter Mary Guinane McNamara sent me this essay months ago – about how to make your office life more productive by paying attention to the five senses. There’s some good stuff in here. Enjoy!

Main Essay: Use Your Sense-itivity To Be More Productive
by Mary Guinane McNamara

Writers, artists and creative folks in general have long been labeled “sensitive.” After going full time as a copywriter in 2001, I learned it was oh, too true…but, not as I had expected. Oh, sure, I cry at the drop of a hat and tend toward the dramatic in many ways, but that’s not the sensitive part of the writer’s world I’ve become acutely aware of over the last few years.

From listening to other writers, it seems many of us are very “sense-itive.” The wrong sound at the wrong time sends us into a tizzy and we lose the perfect phrase. Looking away from our computer, for even a second, completely disrupts the work flow and stopping for lunch can bring all creativity to a grinding halt! You get the picture. 

Refusing to give up the benefits of working from home, I decided to become proactive about controlling my sense-itive environment. Here are a few tricks and tips to help keep your senses about you and the work flowing:

Hearing
You may not be able to garner complete control of the sounds around you, but you can use sound to trigger certain feelings. Save one music CD for crunch time only. If you only have 2 hours to work and 4 hours of work to get done, that’s when it goes in… and only then. During our first summer without a full time babysitter, I needed 5-7 a.m. to become prime productivity time. My favorite jazz artist and I made many a deadline together and occasionally met from midnight to the wee hours of the morning with similarly positive results.

After keeping a mental record of my personal distractions, I also designated certain writing tasks where lyrics are not allowed. If I’m going to be searching for the perfect words for a final proof, I can’t be singing along to anything.

And for the mundane tasks, like full days of data entry due to procrastination, I find fun things to sing along with. To handle the trauma of tax time, I once even allowed Oprah to keep me company for an hour after a long day of numbers.

Taste
Using food as a reward can set up some bad patterns, but it doesn’t hurt to simply let it set the pace. For instance, many of us look forward to (or desperately need?) a caffeine boost in the early hours. But pairing your morning java with a leisurely stroll through your e-mail inbox can drag out a non-income producing activity longer than necessary.

I started my new year’s diet and made the first of three daily bottles of water a companion to perusing the morning e-mail and a prerequisite to my java fix. I get my morning frappuccino when I start my real task list for the day. Funny, how that’s gotten me out of the inbox faster than ever…

I have a drink at my desk at all times. Ninety percent of the time, it’s water. But if I’m feeling too uptight, I switch to something with a mellow attitude, like hot chocolate. Or if I need a boost, a cold glass of iced tea is the signal to kick it in gear on a hot afternoon. Because these other drinks have their own personas, water tends to be my “business as usual” drink of choice. I get the hydration I’m supposed to and my work environment is consistent.

Touch
There’s a reason corporate bosses assign ergonomically correct chairs along with a cubicle…recliners are not conducive to productivity. Duh.

In my previous home office, my desk was approximately 58 ¾ inches (but who’d actually measure?) from my couch and my recliner inches beyond. To beat the temptation to spend my time in the wrong part of the office, I designated them with their own “work space identities.”

When I have piles of research to muddle through, the space of the couch is handy as long as the research is the only one sprawled out.

My recliner is strictly off limits unless I’m editing. I never sit in it any other time during work hours. When it’s time to do final edits, that’s the only place I do them. With different lighting and a completely different feel for my back, it’s almost like a second office. Others describe it as putting on your editor’s hat…guess I wear a chair. Whatever your options, creating a space that feels different can help you get a fresh-eyed look at your work.

Hate to admit it, but I even have certain clothes that are more “productive” than others. And every so often I do work in my pajamas, just because I can. Talk about a simple way to recapture the joy of your job!

Sight
Embrace your freedom and get a change of scene from your PC. An afternoon in the park with just a pen and paper can stir creative juices. And, rather than plastering your work area with masterful quotes from many others, choose one quote that inspires you to excel. No matter what aspect of writing I’m finding troublesome, reading one Richard Bach quote instantly returns me to my goal: “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

Smell
Rotate candle scents designating one for research time, one for draft writing or even by client if you do lots of repeat projects. Don’t forget to light a few cider and cinnamon scented ones when you’re trying to crank out holiday packages with August deadlines!

Finally, put a fragrant meal in the crock pot as you wind up a long term project. While you add the final touches to your best work, you can enjoy the sweet smell of success.

 Mary Guinane McNamara is a freelance copywriter specializing in direct response copy.  She has helped clients from coast to coast reach their marketing goals and was a contributor to Peter Bowerman’s “Well-Fed Writer” books.  Check her out at www.twacopywriting.com.

Resource Referral: Kick It Up A Notch

As you might already know, AWAI just announced their first-ever writer’s retreat – and if you are right on that edge of becoming a full-fledged copywriter yourself, I recommend you do whatever it takes to be there.

Maybe you’ve got your first client and your first live assignment. Perfect!

Or maybe you are just about to start marketing your services and you need that final bit of assurance that you’re ready. Also, perfect.

Even if you’ve been working for a little while, but you want to breakthrough to that A-list of writers working for the big names in the industry – you’ll want to make your way to Virginia this May 28-31.

You know if you read Copy Protégé regularly, we never, ever do a hard sell here. We make suggestions. We tell you what worked for us. We trust that with enough suggestions, you’ll find what works for you.

But this is different. I honestly believe this is a unique opportunity, at just the right time for a select few people. I know it from the letters we get, from the people we work with in our mentoring program, and from our own experience. And if you are one of those people, I don’t want you to miss out.

This writer’s retreat won’t be for everyone – and it’s a good thing, because unlike bootcamp, this is going to be a small group – a very personal, very intimate event with plenty of personal attention from four of the top copywriters in the industry.

If you are right on the edge of making it, I can tell you from personal experience. This will be the thing that gets you over to the other side. This will be the final push. 

Special Offer: Complimentary Mentoring Session

And just to make sure you take me seriously, I’m going to make you a special offer.

If you take my word for it, and decide to go to this retreat based on just my say-so…you’ll get a free half hour one-on-one coaching session with Monica or Krista – your choice.  You can redeem this offer before you go to prepare, or after you get back to follow-up. Whichever you prefer.

Now, if you’re already on the roster to go, that’s great. You’ve made the right decision. But if you aren’t – and you decide to trust me enough to give it a whirl, than I want to go the extra mile for you. I want to make sure you get the push you need to make it over the hump…to success.

So go check out the writer’s retreat here – (and be sure to use this link when you register, or call them and let them know you are taking me up on my offer). I think that once you see who is going to be teaching, the incredible natural beauty of your surroundings, and the level of attention you’ll be receiving…you’ll know if it’s the right thing for you at the right time.