Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Recently I stumbled across Mason Currey‘s book about successful people and their habits: Daily Rituals: How Artists Work“. (And specifically in Daniel Pink‘s also very well-worth reading book “When” about the question of when to do things best).
In his little booklet, Currey compiles the creative routines and work habits of outstanding personalities (and also less famous) writers, musicians, artists, actors, dancers and inventors. What did their everyday life look like? How is or was it possible that they created the work they did?
This is fun to read because it satisfies that voyeuristic curiosity that I share. Above all, it is very enlightening and instructive.
What impressed me is that for all the differences that naturally exist, all the artists have one thing in common: They all work on their projects regularly, daily, that is, continuously and also in a disciplined or at least very consistent way.
Successful people follow relatively strict routines and daily sequences – no matter what. Every day. Yes, routine even seems more important than the actual (daily) result.
That makes sense. Because only in this way does a work gradually build up and expand. Only in this way CAN we and our work become better step by step.
A simple insight. But one that is worth keeping in mind again and again: Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Work on your projects with concentration for a fixed period of time every day.
What comes to my mind
- Mason Currey: www.masoncurrey.com
- The German copy: Currey, Mason: Musenküsse: Die täglichen Rituale berühmter Künstler. Zürich, 2014.
- Daniel Pink: www.danpink.com
Fade out: The Jeremy Days
Ja, Daniel Pinks Buch “When” empfehle ich gerne mit. Habe ich länger nicht in der Hand gehabt, werde ich jetzt mal wieder tun. Bin gespannt auf die nächste Empfehlung.
Freut mich! “When” zählt leider und unfairerweise zu Daniel Pinks unterbewerteteren Büchern. Das ist insofern kein Wunder, weil ja auch vor allem “Drive” und “To sell is human” so überragend sind.