Book SummaryManage Your Day-to-Day, by 99U and Jocelyn K. Glei

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Manage Your Day-to-Day

Manage Your Day-to-Day is a collection of essays edited and curated by Jocelyn K. Glei, creative consultant and director of 99U, a resource platform and conference series that empowers creative professionals. Compiling advice from creative professionals and creativity experts, Glei shows that consistent, disciplined work habits are the true foundation of creativity. The essays offer strategies to optimize your productivity, focus, and creativity in today's fast-paced world, as well as practical tools to enhance your daily routine, overcome distractions, and unlock your creative potential.

Glei is an American writer and creative consultant. In addition to managing 99U’s online content and the annual 99U Conference, an event that brings together visionaries and thought leaders...

Manage Your Day-to-Day Summary How to Develop a Routine That Supports Creativity

Many of the contributors suggest that the first step to becoming more creative is prioritizing creative work. The best way to do this is to build a routine around your creative projects. Without an intentional routine, they argue, it’s unlikely you’ll ever make significant progress on your biggest and best ideas.

Step 1: Identify When You Are Primed for Creative Work

Poet and creativity coach Mark McGuinness suggests that your routine should center around your periods of highest focus. He explains that everyone has a circadian rhythm that determines your level of mental alertness throughout the day. He recommends aligning your routine with your energy level to ensure that you work on your creative projects at the times you’re most focused.

How to Identify Your Focus Period

In When, Daniel H. Pink goes into detail about how your circadian rhythm, your natural sleep/wake cycle, impacts your focus. He explains that over the course of a day, most people experience a predictable pattern of energy: a crest (what Pink calls a...

Manage Your Day-to-Day Summary How to Improve Your Focus

It's not enough to establish a routine for your creative work; you also need to focus on your creative projects when you’re working on them. While the reality of constant connectivity can make it difficult to focus, it’s still possible. Maintaining focus and avoiding distractions is a skill you can develop with practice. With improved focus, you'll be able to engage more deeply in the creative process, increase your productivity, and more effectively generate new ideas.

(Shortform note: While you can enhance focus with practice, some doctors also suggest adopting a healthier lifestyle to further improve concentration. By combining regular exercise and a nutritious diet, you can optimize your focus and support cognitive well-being. For example, engaging in regular exercise, such as brisk walking, can stimulate brain chemicals that facilitate the formation of new connections, alleviate stress, and promote better sleep. Moreover, studies indicate that following a Mediterranean-style diet, which includes abundant fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts,...

Manage Your Day-to-Day Summary How to Hone Your Creative Mindset

As you give yourself more time to work on creative projects, you also need to practice honing a creative mindset that keeps you inspired and helps you better work through challenges and creative blocks.

Step 1: Prioritize Unstructured Creativity

Todd Henry, founder of Accidental Creative, suggests that the key to sustaining creativity is to make time for unstructured creativity (what he calls “unnecessary creation”), creative projects or activities that may not have a specific practical purpose or immediate outcome. He explains that while it may seem counterintuitive to invest valuable time in something seemingly purposeless, doing so will nourish your creativity and keep your motivation alive.

(Shortform note: In The Artist’s Way, artist and educator Julia Cameron suggests that tapping your creative potential also requires you to seek out new sources of inspiration. She suggests scheduling a weekly “Artist Date,” a designated time to take yourself on a solo excursion that stimulates your creativity. These outings could...

Shortform Exercise: Develop a Routine to Support Your Creative Work

Creativity experts suggest that the first step to becoming more creative is prioritizing creative work by building a routine around your creative projects.

Based on your preferred sleep patterns (your circadian rhythm), what time of day is your period of highest focus (morning, afternoon, evening, or nighttime)? On a normal day, how do you typically spend this time?

Shortform Exercise: Find Inspiration With Unstructured Creativity

Several contributors argue that the key to sustaining creativity is to make time for unstructured creativity, creative projects or activities that may not have a specific practical purpose or immediate outcome.

What’s one personal creative pursuit that you’ve wanted to pursue but haven’t made time for?