Focus is defined as the center of interest or activity. As a creative person, it is so easy to run with every idea we have in our head especially when you are just starting out. We must learn and find new ways to continuously stay focused.

“It’s actually hard for creative people to know themselves because the creative self is more complex than the non-creative self,” Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., Scientific Director of the Imagination Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, told The Huffington Post. “The things that stand out the most are the paradoxes of the creative self … Imaginative people have messier minds.”

There you have it… The minds of a Creative are messy! It is hard to sometimes know who we are and what we are called to do because pinning down an exact title or avenue to go is often the hardest part.

Lack of focus in our lives can lead us to indecisiveness or feeling overwhelmed.

Too afraid to make a decision or making a rash decision out of panic can lead to catastrophic failures in the creative business world. Therefore as Creative Business Owners, we must learn how to focus our energy in one area at a time.

Early on in my creative business, I had to learn that I couldn’t do everything all at once. I had to apply the energy I had to the most important things that would grow my young business. These tips allowed my mind to focus and gave me freedom in the fact that I was now working smarter, not harder.

Simple Ways to Stay Focused:

1. Make a List. Sounds too easy but for us creatives, but having a checklist helps our minds stay focused on the most important task at hand.
2. Plan Your Day the Night Before. Carving out time each evening to plan your next day will allow your mind to rest at night and awake with a plan before your feet hit the floor.
3. Embrace the Process. As creatives, we want it all done all at once. We live for the day we get to see the final product. But part of the beauty in creating is the process and when we learn to embrace that, we can find satisfaction in the “right now” of where we are.
4. Find Accountability in a Mentor. When new ideas come, have someone in your corner to run ideas by and seek their advice. Often times you will find that the idea is great but maybe the timing needs to wait. Write these ideas down and collect them for the future.
5. Eliminate distractions and time-wasters. As creators, it is important to build a space that allows your mind to work while staying focused. Create a peaceful space that inspires you and reflects your personality.

Think about it…

A young seed that is placed in the dirt needs only a few things to germinate and bloom into a beautiful plant. With good soil, water and sun, you will soon see a spout form. Eventually, this sprout becomes more durable, sturdy and has the ability to reproduce other beautiful plants.

But what if you lose focus and begin to rake around the seed? Or you dig too closely while trying to plant something else? You will accidentally dig up the seed that is trying hard to root itself. You will eliminate the very thing that is destined to produce.

Like a seed, your business has the opportunity to grow and become something very beautiful. But if you lose focus on what the seed really needs, you will never see it sprout. Focus is crucial, especially in those first few months.

Staying focused is the key to building a successful business and brand for yourself. You will find that when you can stay focused, you will build a business that becomes a true representation of YOU.

For more ideas on how to Build your Creative Business, click here.