For creative business owners who are constantly playing multiple roles, it can feel like playing Batman in Bruce Wayne’s clothing. You’re a guest at a banquet party one moment, ducking behind a curtain to play Alfred for a bit, then need to secretly switch into Batman mode as soon as trouble strikes.
But shifting gears isn’t always so easy. To go from posh Bruce Wayne to ass-whooping Batman at a moment’s notice, you need a utility pack.
There are six key things I always keep in mind that keep me at the top of my game, from basic gadgets to robust equipment. Keep reading to learn my favorite tips on how to motivate yourself and get the creative superpowers flowing.
Power Up Your Energy Supply
Food is the source from which living beings get energy for survival, so it matters whether you are putting “super” foods into your body or if you are loading up on nutritional kryptonite. The wrong diet can lead to feelings of sluggishness and brain fog.
On the other hand, the right diet can provide you with energy and help your brain run like the Batmobile with a NOS boost.
So how do you make sure you are consuming powerful brain foods? There are certain nutrients that have the ability to enhance cognitive processes, including omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids, saturated fat, specific vitamins, and more. Plus, I’m a huge fan of mushroom-derived adaptogens like reishi and lion’s mane (check out my favorite brand here)
By adding these powerhouse nutrients to your diet, you may start seeing positive cognitive effects and find it easier to motivate yourself.
Here are a few nutrient-packed snack ideas:
- Morning coffee + a tspn of ‘Mind Over Matter’ from Apothekary (caffeine + adaptogens)
- Greek yogurt + berries (saturated fat, flavonoids, vitamins)
- Nuts + seeds (Vitamin E, saturated fat)
- Whole grain toast + avocado (Vitamins D & E, saturated fat)
To know which vitamins and nutrients an individual is specifically deficient in and for individualized meal plans, talk to your doctor or work with a dietician.
Recharge Your Money Maker
Another way to charge those creative powers and generate loads of creative energy is getting the proper amount of sleep. Experts recommend that the average adult get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
However, many people don’t get that much shut-eye. Almost half of Americans report feeling sleepy during the day 2-4 days a week and almost half say that feeling sleepy affects their ability to focus.
One of the easiest ways to ensure you are getting enough sleep is by creating a routine; go to bed and wake up around the same time each day.
Circadian rhythms (cycles that work 24-hours to regulate the timing of essential body functions like sleep and are influenced by factors like light) are different for each person so it is important to figure out what schedule works best for you and your lifestyle.
Play around with different schedules or take an inventory like the sleep chronotypes quiz to find an ideal schedule that works for you.
Getting a good night’s sleep isn’t as straight-forward as lying in bed at night and waking up in the morning. There are many factors that influence the quality of sleep, including blue light and alcohol consumption.
According to a Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine study on blue light use before bedtime, nine in 10 Americans report using a technological device one hour before bed. The groups that report using technology before bed were found to have the largest amounts of sleep problems.
Another study published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that alcohol use can not only cause sleep disruptions in healthy people, but can also build a tolerance that may lead to excessive hypnotic use.
Prepare for your best sleep by creating an evening wind down routine with a regular bedtime schedule that tells the brain it’s time to go to sleep, put all technology devices away, nix the pre-bedtime alcoholic beverages, and enjoy relaxing wind-down activities like meditation, soothing candles, and a good book.
Train Like a Hero
Superheroes don’t become the heroes they are without training. Even Batman trained extensively in various martial art techniques to become the butt-kicking, crime-stopping badass he is.
Moving the body each day results in a minefield of benefits including disease prevention, increased mood, hormone regulation, and more. Simply walking each day boosts memory and can even lower the risk and progression of Alzheimer’s. Exercise also improves creativity and cognition by way of neurotransmitters and hormones. So get moving!
If you have a hard time getting yourself moving and need some help learning how to motivate yourself, try working with a personal trainer or attending a gym like Orangetheory Fitness. When I work with a coach, I don’t even have to think. My coach tells me to go into a push pace on the treadmill and I do it. #noexcuses
In my business, I have money goals, client goals, team goals, and growth goals. During my workout, I have one goal: do my best. After my workout, the endorphins flood my brain and I’m able to focus my attention like Mr. Freeze’s ice gun.
Even if you don’t have the time for a full workout or budget for a personal trainer, there are tools and apps that can help you motivate yourself to move. My current favorite is FitOn.
You can also go for a walk every morning at a set time, follow a free yoga video during your lunch hour, or recruit your spouse for a pre-dinner jog. Whatever it takes, get moving. Your body and your mind will thank you.
Sharpen Your Super Skills
Bruce Wayne didn’t just wake up one day and know exactly how to hang a mugger by his ankles for GCPD to scoop up. He didn’t just roll out of bed and suddenly bust out in some sick karate moves. He trained – night and day, body and mind – to master his craft. And you need to, too.
Many benefits come from professional learning. A study published by Pew Research found that 87% of participants felt more capable and well-rounded when seeking out educational experiences, and 69% opened up new perspectives in their lives.
One of the most powerful ways I keep myself sharp and ready to whip out my copywriter toolkit is to always keep a corner of my brain in copywriter-mode.
I listen to The Copywriter Club podcasts on my way to the grocery store. I scroll through my favorite content marketing newsletters on my phone in the morning while making my hubby’s lunch. And I block off a 60-minute period every Monday morning to chip away at the countless online courses I’ve enrolled in over the years.
It’s like keeping a Batman muscle shirt on under your tuxedo. You may not be fully decked out in your crime-fighting garb, but it’ll do in a pinch. It helps your brain stay in that professional mindset consistently so it’s easier to jump all in when you need to.
Start by creating a list of your all-time favorite resources:
- One thing you can listen to (a podcast, audio book, YouTube channel)
- One thing you can read anywhere (a Kindle book, email newsletter, mailer)
- One thing you need to do at a desk with pen-and-paper (an online course you’ve been putting off completing, a planner you need to fill in, accounting worksheets your CPA has been bugging you about)
Then add them into your routine so they pop up naturally in your day. When you think about honing your professional skills even in your off time – like when you’re in line at the grocery store or waiting for your gas to finish pumping – it becomes easier to transition from average citizen to enlightened superhero whenever the need arises.
Develop a Justice-Serving Routine
Developing a routine not only helps you make sure that you are nailing all of the above tips, but it can help you create structure. Structure helps protect your creative time and ensures that the things that are less important don’t derail your goals.
There are some things that just completely pull me out of Batman-mode. Like emails. And Facebook. And LinkedIn messages. And texts. And calls. Pretty much communicating with anyone who knows me as my everyday self.
And it makes sense, right?
It’s hard to slip into a phone booth and put on the superhero costume when you have clients asking for proposals, friends commenting on your cute dog’s picture, and colleagues wanting to schedule coffee dates.
Creating a routine can also help you make sure that you are building in creative time each day by making it a habit. When you are used to writing at a certain time each day, you are much more likely to do it and avoid the decision fatigue that comes with deciding when to be creative!
How To Motivate Yourself & Channel Your Mental Powers
Not all superheroes have super strength or crazy transportation abilities like flying. A lot of powers are mental, like telepathy and mind reading. But channeling these powers requires great focus.
To channel your inner mental super powers, focus on one task at a time. A study published in the Psychonomic Bulletin & Review on multitasking showed that out of all participants, only 2.5% were able to successfully multitask without any decrements to performance.
Start by choosing the one thing you want to focus on. Be deliberate and decisive about it. You can write it down, use a time-tracking tool (my favorite is Timeular), schedule dedicated focus time in your calendar, or use the pomodoro technique.
Another way to train your brain to focus on one thing at a time is meditation. There are many forms of meditation, but the simplest involves sitting still and focusing on your breath – the sound, the feel, the smell of the air going into and out of your lungs.
Start with 5 minutes a day. Then bump it up to 10, then 15, as you grow in this skill. Apps like Headspace provide guided meditations to help you build the habit. Mindfulness can support creativity, helping you build your creative superpowers further.
Lastly, build associations to set the mood for creativity. Do you ever hear a song that just takes you back to a specific moment in your life? Or maybe the smell of roasted garlic makes you immediately think of your childhood kitchen. That’s called an association and it’s a powerful trick your brain does naturally that you can use to get into your superhero zone.
The best way to do this is to find a specific type of music, soundtrack, or instrumental artist that you like and only listen to that music when you need to be creative.
Don’t have a favorite? Try listening to binaural beats on YouTube or Focus@Will.
Scents can also build associations. So experiment and figure out what sets your mood for creativity and tells your brain it is time to focus.
Add these tools to your utility belt and your hotline will be ringing off the hook with requests to save the city from bad copy.
If you would like to learn more about mastering the arts of copywriting, content creation, and how to motivate yourself, join the waitlist for our upcoming copy courses.
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