What books are helpful when I'm in a rut, creativity and productivity-wise?

Question

I often feel like I'm "in a rut" - going through the motions at work, generally lazy once I get home, etc. There are various projects/activities that I know I want to do (examples include recording music, various art projects, new things I want to learn, software I want to write), but once I get home after work I don't really have the motivation to do anything about it.

Are there any books you'd recommend that can help with this feeling and will get me really excited to work on this stuff (or wake up in the morning, assuming I can get some stuff done before work) once I get home?

Answer 1

There are too many books or source of information that can be mentioned for your issue. I recommend something easy to start with, zenhabits.net - really good stuff to read and think about.

Answer 2

start reading whatever you get..., it will help you stimulate thoughts that you want to work over subconsciously...

reading books like Sherlock Homes, The Bourne Identity, had help me be observant..., Mario Puzzo books had help me understand how the world works, and respect myself "Everything is personal"
as he points out...

Harry potter can jump start you to reading....

Jonathan living stone seagull, can help you recognize there's more to life than meets the eye...

Surely you must be joking Feynman, can make sense of passion and craziness

and I am sure list would go on and on... But you have to find what help you contribute most to the world... and work it out...

good luck

Answer 3

Okay, not what you've asked for, but have you considered that things other than books might be helpful or needed?

Nutrition, diet, and exercise may have something to do with it. I've been using gentle herbal supplements (Rhodiola) that help tremendously with anxiety, motivation, and energy, and I try to eat well and organic.

If I get into a bunch of refined sugar or flour (and I love pastries), then my energy and attitude plummets.

Cut out all refined sugar and artificial flavours, colours, etc. and see if you notice any improvement. Switch to green tea from soda pop. Eat carrots or fruit instead of sugary snacks. What do you have to loose, except all the money you spend on soda and snacks?

Check out the movie Hungry for Change, which is available for free viewing for just the next seven days.

Answer 4

If the issue is that the projects just seem so overwhelming and you do not know where to start, which project to select, or how to manage the creative work, then -- in what might be regarded as a shameless act of self-promotion (yup, but also as an answer to the question) -- I would recommend a book called "Organizing Creativity" that I have just finished writing.

It is available as PDF on my blog (download is free, it's pretty much donationware): http://www.organizingcreativity.com/book-as-pdf/

The premise is that creativity, deliberately creating something that is new and useful, is more than just one idea and it takes organization to realize creative projects.

Thus, the book deals with creativity, organization, ways to organize creativity by mastering the topic, generating ideas, capturing ideas, collecting ideas, realizing and archiving creative projects, and also tools, general tips, and resources.

It was a private project of mine for the last 5 years. Hope it answers the question.

(How was that "New Yorker" joke with the customer in the bookshop, asking for a book on a specific topic, and the bookseller answers: "I don't have it, but I can have it written." ;-) )

Answer 5

The magic of thinking big always gets me motivated.