Hey there, I’m Daine Mawer a Web Developer, Blogger, WordPresser who gets to make cool shit for a living. So, I’ve been freelancing and lecturing for about 5 years now, on and off. Within that time I have gone through what seems like hundreds of blog posts describing perfect routines, workflows and tools for productivity. I’ve spent countless hours going through open-source apps to help me with every aspect of business from CRM to PM to Finance. It was only the other day that I really discovered the best way to prepare for the day, and that is.. attitude.

We like to think as creatives that our work stimulates us, and it does, don’t get me wrong, we get a major kick when clients love our work, learn something new or finish all the tasks on our to-do list; but at the same time, we spend our days absorbed in a computer screen, we answer emails all day long, we attend meetings that don’t always have any kind of return for our business and not to mention we have those days where we feel like a superhero and life is amazing because your’re career is going so well, and those days where you feel like giving up on life, design, web, whatever your specialization and the life of a ho-bo looks closer than you think.

But what truly gets you ready and keeps you going through each day of your life? Well, simply it’s your attitude and how you speak to yourself. I’ve put this to the test a few times, granted you need the mental stamina that goes with it.

Give this a try:

Monday

Think only positive things about your work and career and current situation. When you go to meetings look at your clients’ requests completely openly (no matter how ridiculous they are) and at the end of the day, think back over those positive thoughts and write them down in a journal. Sometimes you have to force yourself as human beings are naturally quite negative creatures. Just keep a tally of your positive thoughts.

Make a note of how you feel about life after work.

Tuesday

Be absolutely negative and critical about everything. Hate the work you’re doing, hate your clients, hate your employees and office environment, Hell, even hate your lunch and coffee.

Make a note of how you feel about life after work.

Wednesday

Be yourself, most of us will have a concoction of positive and negative thoughts swimming around, some more positive than negative and vice versa, but just make a note of it all.

Thursday

Take yourself out for coffee at your favorite spot — go over all your thoughts. I guarantee you that on Monday, you did more work, better work, your future looked better, you felt lighter and you became excited about life again.

Attitude — The Only Thing You Need. Great #motivational post from @dainemawer #productivity Click To Tweet

Friday

Give Monday’s thinking a go again just to make sure I’m not talking crap in this post.

So how do I manage this? Whats my routine that gets me ready for the stress of freelancing and silly changes from clients that think they know a lot more than me?

1. Wake Up Early

I’ve found that waking up at a good time dramatically increases your productivity. 6AM is a good time for me in summer and spring, as hippie as it may sound (and I’m far from a hippie), the sun and the early lights are great for your energy and emotional levels. You feel stronger and more ready to take on the day.

2. Exercise

Exercise is probably going to be your deciding difference between whether you are in a positive mood or negative mood for the rest of the day. Don’t go and lift weights in the morning. Go for a run, do cardio. It makes you breathe more, oxygenates your blood which goes to your brain and allows you to think clearer. Do it as soon as you wake up.

3. Sleep

Your brain can’t function on any acceptable level without sleeping well and well enough. 7–8 hours a night is a good standard. It’s like a reset for your creativity as well. It’s crucial, about as crucial as exercise. You’ll also find that you’ll be able to manage the stress and anxieties of your day a lot better.

4. Let Off Steam

If you’re a hard worker like me, it’s very important to keep balance between the working days and weekends. Laughing with friends, or going out for a few drinks and dinner do wonders for your attitude. Working all the time, late at night, and on weekends too just ruins you. As much as you think it will allow you to get more work done, and further your career, it wont. You’ll only succeed in alienating yourself, bogging down your creativity, and in fact you’ll just become a lot more miserable. Remember: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!

5. Outlook

Realize that whatever your day is like, it wont be like it is now, tomorrow or the next day — most things in life are only temporary. If you can see that point of view, you’ll know tomorrow will be better, or worse or just okay. It’s life and we can’t really control anything that happens.

This article is a repost of this one with the permission of the blogger.

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