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Writer's pictureAlice Irving

5 Ways to get in the Genius Zone when there’s boring stuff to do

I believe the relationship with your genius is at the heart of your existence. You can still effectively run the boring day to day whilst in full creative flow without getting completely lost in it.


relaxed woman in home office

When was the last time you got fully into your flow?

You know those moments, flashes, or even whole projects when you are just COOOKING ON GAS and doing exactly what you were put on this earth to do.

Yet, how many times have you resisted letting yourself into that genius space in the first place.. for fear that you’ll never come back.

A little too much fun today and tomorrow you’ll have run away with the circus. You know.

That kind of fear can lead to a diet of too much “practical”, “sensible” and “responsible”.

To shutting down, drying up, losing track, and everything turning grey. These are all symptoms of miserly time hanging out with the muse.

Eventually, you get sick of it all.

You escape to the studio/the woods/your notebook for a long deep drink, a night of passion with your creative lover.


Then sooner or later you eventually have to confront the “real world” and slope unwillingly back to your “responsibilities”.

Boo hiss.

What if being creative could be more than just a guilty but passionate love affair?


What if the relationship with your genius, your talent, your creativity, was at the heart of your existence?


Not a part time bit-on-the-side, but the full-time, intimate partnership you’ve always dreamed of?

And what if you could have that, without everything else going to pot?

Can there really be a way to get the boring day to day taken care of whilst still being fully in your genius?

I think there is. So here’s my top 5 for staying in the Genius Zone when the boring stuff’s calling:

1. Step back and get clever:

Understand what your genius zone is. Check this free strengths finder for the lowdown on your particular talent set. Concentrate on your top 5 talents. How can you make more use of those gifts as you approach your humdrum work? Aim to take the fastest/most elegant/most exciting route.

Commit to listening to the muse’s opinion. You’ll get some stellar views on getting things done magnificently well. You might have to shake up your view of how things “should” be to start working in this way. (How refreshing!) But expect to enjoy the journey a LOT more.



2. Delegate:

It's a big one! Fundamental: You don’t have to do everything on your to do list for your to do list to get done. (Say that six times quickly after a few glasses of wine!)

Your sigh of relief might be another’s cry of delight. Read: your nightmare = their genius zone. It's ok to get help. And breathe.


3. Focus to get it done quicker.

Declutter your commitments. Divided motivation is a real time waster.

“I should do this but I don’t want to” = avoidance tactics = energy and time drain.

Get clear on your big “why” and your overall goals. Make sure you understand the little “why” of everything you do. Get rid of or review anything with a question mark over it.

You want to be left with demands on your time that you really care about, or care about the results they’ll give.

Once you’re sure you want to be doing it, give it your full attention. You’ll get to the hub of it sooner, use your mind (and body) more efficiently. You may well even come up with a genius way of doing it (or delegating it) to get it done better.


4. Meditate as you do it.

Genius activities often feel more meditative anyway. Deeper concentration = more alpha waves and better brain function.

For the less inspiring things on your plate you can still welcome this state of mind by approaching the work as a meditation practice. Use the same techniques that you use in your formal practice to come into your body and focus your awareness, being mindful of breath, state and the quality of your thoughts.

As your mind settles, you’ll find yourself more open to inspiration and you’ll probably be doing the only kind of multitasking which actually leads to a calmer state of being!

You can pin this practice to a particular type of job or time of day. It's great for manual work like housework or filling. I’ve been having some interesting conversations about applying this to computer work, too. (And would love to hear your thoughts on this).


5. Batch it.

Once the wind hits your sales and you’re really in your flow, take advantage of the momentum and keep on trucking. If you’re a binge worker, feel free to set limits, otherwise just go ahead and get that stuff done.

It takes a whole 15 minutes to catch your thread again after being interrupted or taking a break. So keep going. Write 3 blog posts instead of one. Save up your admin and do a two hour blast. Write 4 pitches in one go.

The tasks which occupy you throughout the day may or may not be in your total genius zone, but the very act of getting into a flow is a genius activity. Encourage it at every turn.

When you’re in a state of flow, your mind is relaxed and open, you use less energy and (here’s the really big fat pay off chaps!!) you are open to ideas and new ways of seeing. And THAT is where the genius happens.


Over to you.

An inspired life and living is lived every moment. Taking the time to check in and reflect on how you live day to day can create sometimes seismic shifts in the way you relate to yourself and your creativity.

Little changes can lead to some massive decisions about the entire direction of your life and work. So they are so worth giving attention to.

I can’t wait to hear your experiences in this area, and how it affects your life, your work and your business.

How do you nurture your genius on a day to day basis?

Where do you run into problems? Let me know in the comments.

If you'd like support with that, spend 90 mins mapping out where you want to get to and problem solving whatever is standing in the way with my breakthrough sessions. Details & booking here.

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