It’s frustrating when you have goals that are hard to meet, especially when it requires your persistence and creativity. It takes motivation, persistence and inspiration. So, how does one get into the creative process? Being someone who has struggled with it for years, here are some tips to help you get your creative mind going!

1. Change Your Setting

I find myself sometimes forcing myself to get a task done, although it is taking what feels like forever, and I’m getting sick of being in the same place. Perhaps the energy is there, but not the motivation or “right space." So, what is the most productive thing to do in this scenario? Change your scenery. Being in a familiar and repetitive place can actually slow you down. Don’t restrain from venturing out; go to another room, coffee shop or park. Being in a different space can help you feel relieved, refreshed and perhaps even more motivated and creative.

2. Take Breaks

This is tough for some. I know, you want to hurry up and finish your task or you’re running on a deadline, so why would you even think twice about taking a break? Honestly, breaks can really help you work more effectively and efficiently. If you find yourself stuck or being unproductive, take a 10-15 minute break. No, don’t just sit near your work and check your social media. Go outside, listen to music, talk to a friend or eat an energizing snack. This will take you away from your work setting and get you recharged and ready to get back to work.

3. Talk To Others

If you are really feeling stuck on a project or idea, set up a meeting over lunch or coffee with friends. Vent to them what your ideas are and try to pinpoint where you are getting stuck. Sometimes talking it out can actually trigger you to come up with the answers. However, if that doesn’t happen, your friends can lend some ideas for you too. Make sure to not just mentally work on something, but make it verbal and visual too. Think about it, talk it out and write it down.

4. Alone Time Is Important, Too

Sometimes you need to get away from it all when trying to regain creativity. It can get distracting when there are many people needing you all at once, or all your friends decide they want to hang out with you, or maybe there is just too much going on in your life and you need to take a step back from it for a while. Whatever the case, being alone for a while is important in the creative process. In this state, your creativity becomes purely yours, and if you really focus on using your brainpower to think of more and more, it can lead to epiphanies and breakthroughs.

5. Visual Goal Setting

Write it down. Draw it out. Type into a Word document. Create a PowerPoint. Take pictures and print them out. Making your tasks visual really helps the creative process. It leaves room in your brain to think of other things while the visual is right in front of you—you don’t have to keep visualizing that one thing over and over again; instead, it’s readily available to just look at and think about. Visuals can also inspire you every day. It is a reminder of what you are working towards. Having something in this form can also make it easy to share with others, which is what creativity should also encompass. Sharing can lead to inspiring others and getting feedback that many inspire you, too.

6. Sleep

This step is so important. Sleep helps with a lot of things. Brain function, mood, focus… It is key to creativity. Sleeping can help you maintain focus the next day, but it can also be used to ingrain knowledge in your memory. It can also be what you do on your break from working, or as a means to “get away from it all.”