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BLOG | December 3 2018

Structure Enabling Creativity/Growth

I feel that process and structure are terms that often have negative connotations to them. In the past two and a half years, I have learnt a lot personally and professionally about creating good habits through process and structure to, in turn, allow for creativity and growth. I used to believe that processes were not […]

I feel that process and structure are terms that often have negative connotations to them. In the past two and a half years, I have learnt a lot personally and professionally about creating good habits through process and structure to, in turn, allow for creativity and growth. I used to believe that processes were not something you needed when looking to be creative and that you also couldn’t be creative when implementing structure.

I have worked in various roles within marketing and what I observed previously when at my busiest, was that processes and structure “went out the window” when deadlines were fast approaching for companies. Marketing should be a creative industry but often one of two things are the case (from my experience)

ONE: Teams, companies & individuals are too strict on particular solutions because “that’s what worked before” and as a result creativity lacks.

OR

TWO: There is no structure and this means working harder until it fits in the order of the day.

Creativity doesn't need limits
Creativity doesn’t need limits

In Trigger Movement, we have created a system internally (shout-out to Michael, our Head of Digital Operations) for project management but also project development. It allows us to be efficient at administration (costing, proposals, setup etc.) and day-to-day tasks which then frees more time up to focus on the creative elements of our projects and roles.

It’s from this that I have learned the value of giving myself some easy structures to stick to in my personal life. I discovered that if I implement small structures and habits into to my daily life that make me more efficient, it would allow me to focus more time on the things I care about most. For example, giving myself set training times and days for running or the gym so that I don’t put training on the long finger was important. In order to do this, I must prepare my bag the night before as (I’ll be the first to admit) I am sometimes lazy when it comes to getting out of bed. This, in turn, means I am more active and therefore my mood is often a lot better. I grew up playing sport so when my career took over I let sport get pushed to the long finger and I wasn’t as happy as a result.

I’m not saying you need to structure everything but you may be able to organise yourself either personally or professionally in order to make changes that can improve your life significantly. To do this you may need to put some time into creating the new structure, especially in the professional setup but when implemented will greatly help.

Also, I do want to put a disclaimer on this piece. This is clearly not a new idea (see “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg as an example) but is something I have learned first hand! I hope this helps you.

Ryan Hopkins – Trigger Movement 

Ryan Hopkins

Trigger Movement 

www.triggermovement.com