The Value of Structure

This will be a short post for the day, but one that’s meant to keep me on track for 30 days. Today I’ll be writing about the concept of structure, and what I’ve noticed so far as it’s applied to my own life.

It’s taken me years to realize the importance of routine and structure in my life. Without it, I operate with a sense of aimlessness, and I rarely consistently take action towards my goals. Structure feels unappealing at first — what if it locks me into a fixed lifestyle, won’t that kill my creativity?

That was one worried I had before I started scheduling in fixed lengths of time for my outside of work interests, like writing. Beforehand, I would wait for motivation to strike in order to write or create anything. My results? Well, I’d say next to zero in terms of published output.

My point is motivation is a fickle thing, and relying on it to get anything done will keep you stuck in place. And in its place, creating a structure for yourself or a fixed time to sit down and create will do you wonders. Mainly because it removes any sense of expectation and takes away the mystical components of creativity. And it’s that mystical, how does it work part of creativity that keeps a lot of stuck, I think.

Consistent action seems to be a reliable way to create a body of work and hone your talents. And the best way to create consistent action is to schedule in time for creative work rather than waiting for motivation to start. Just start small, and adjust as needed. A mistake that I made with creating routines and structure for myself was assuming that I’d be totally locked into it, and that I would be stifling myself.

Instead, think of it as flexible accountability. You need a fixed timeframe to work, and it’s better than just waiting around for motivation or inspiration to spur you to action.