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5 Ways You Can Be More Prolific Today

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When you think of the word prolific, what images spring to mind?  Artists are prolific. So are novelists, journalists, photographers and musicians. Those in creative fields tend to be thought of in this way. They are constantly producing hits, writing award winning books, and generally impressing the populace with their brilliance. They seem to bleed brilliant ideas, thought provoking insights, and inexplicably great content without any effort.

What does the word prolific actually mean? According to the dictionary, prolific means “producing much foliage, fruit, or many offspring.” Its synonyms are productive, creative, inventive and fertile. It’s a word that has come to mean being overly productive, and having the ability to turn ones available resources into something of use to the rest of us. It’s a highly valued trait, and one that many of us think of as reserved for those thought of as artistic geniuses or members of the creative elite.

But I would argue any one of you can become prolific, given half a chance. In fact, becoming prolific might just be the kick in the butt you need to do some real work and become truly successful. So how do you go about becoming (more) prolific?

Here are 5 ways to be more prolific in your daily life:

1. Find the right time to work

For some, it might mean rushing home after a day at the office to work on a side project for two or three hours every other day. Other people find ways to pull a few extra minutes out of their lunch break for some extra creative time. For me, the right time to do creative, productive work is first thing in the morning. This means waking up before dawn to try to squeeze in a few hours of work before I need to head to the office. Be sure to stick to a schedule that works for you and will be possible to do for an extended period. If you can’t build up a habit to do this type of work over time, you will likely not be very prolific.

2. Use tools to jump start creativity and reward yourself

Find tools that put you into the zone for doing productive work. This may mean a certain type of food or drink, a caffeinated beverage or a healthy snack. It may mean putting on your headphones and zoning in to your favorite playlist on Spotify. You may even prefer to start your day by doing a bit of strenuous exercise before you get into your creative mode. Whatever it is, don’t be afraid of using tools to support you as you start to produce. As I write this, I’ve already been for a swim, gotten my coffee, and I’m listening to a great playlist of instrumental guitar on YouTube.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it’s sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.” – Kobe Bryant

3. Create a system to make it easy for you to create something in a repeatable way

I try to make writing my daily productive habit. For years, I tried various ways of getting myself to start a daily writing practice, but I found it difficult to stick to my plan. I wrote in journals, used Google Docs, even tried to work with an accountability partner who would help me track my writing.

Ultimately, I began using 750words.com. The platform helps incentivize me and keeps me on track by monitoring my progress daily. It also gives me a system I need to follow each day which is not too hard to complete.

4. Stay accountable to someone, something, or yourself

Make sure to publish and share what you create with the world. The hardest part about being prolific is getting over the idea that you feel incapable of producing great content. We are our own worst critics, and it is often the case when we start to produce creative content that we second guess ourselves and avoid publishing for fear that others will think our work is stupid or worthless.

To avoid this trap, look for ways to share your content with people that are both within your circle of connections and outside. Use platforms like Medium, Facebook, LinkedIn, SnapChat and Instagram to push out your content to a broader audience. If you’re still afraid to hit publish, consider the worst thing that will happen.

The worst thing that will happen is often nothing, that nobody will even notice what you produce. Don’t let fear of rejection or silence keep you from sharing your work. The more momentum you build by publishing more and more, the more likely you will be to produce content that touches others and creates a lasting impact.

“A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success.” – Bo Bennett

5. Do the hard work

Being prolific (or productive / creative / inventive / etc.) should be thought of as practicing a sport or exercising. Exercise is not meant to be easy. Sport is meant to be a challenging and enjoyable pursuit. The more work you put into practice, the more reward you will get later on down the line. Think of being prolific in that way. It is very rare for someone who has never produced a piece of artwork to produce a masterpiece on their first attempt.

So why would you expect anything more from yourself? Do the hard work every day, and you will start to see marked improvement. Not only will you start to receive more feedback from those around you as they see your progress but you will start to see improvements in your own work as you make subtle shifts which change your way of producing content.

One of the secrets to life is the fact that the more you give to those around you, the happier you tend to be. We are social creatures, and we have learned as a species over time to share stories and resources for the betterment of the group. In this way we have learned to regard highly prolific people for their ability to produce value for others in great quantities.

At the end of the day, we are all striving to be more prolific, and it is by learning to be prolific that we can find deeper levels of happiness and success. The most important thing to remember is to be consistent and develop regular habits which strengthen your ability to create and contribute to the global discourse on a regular basis. Now go create!

How are you going to be more prolific today? Comment below!

McVal is the founder of We Write For Growth, a platform for businesses to connect with talented writers and researchers and growth hackers. He is also the author of How to Make $2,000 a Month Online and Start Up your Life: Why we don’t know what we want, and how to set goals that really matter. McVal writes about motivation, decision making, and strategic thinking. He graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2011 with a degree in Spanish, and has since worked as a market researcher and business consultant in Washington D.C., New York City and London. You can reach him on Twitter @mcval or on IG @mcvaliant. 

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Life

How Learning the Skill of Hope Can Change Everything

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life

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Hope as a skill
Image Credit: Midjourney

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life.

Wishful thinking, on the other hand, is like having dreams in the sky without a ladder to climb, having a destination without a map, or trying to operate a jet-engine airplane without instructions. It sounds nice but is impossible to realize. You don’t have what you need to make it happen!

What Real Hope Is

Real hope is actionable, practical, and realistic. Better yet, it’s feasible and can be learned.

One popular approach is Hope Theory. This concept is used by colleges to study how hope impacts students’ academic performance. Researchers found that students with high levels of hope achieve better grades and are more likely to graduate compared to those with less hope.

Hope can be broken down into two components:

  1. Pathways – The “how to” of hope. This is where people think of and establish plans for achieving their goals.
  2. Agency – The “I can” of hope. This is the belief that the person can accomplish their goals.

Does Hope Really Work?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, hope as a noun is defined as: “desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.”

As humans, we are wired to crave fulfillment. We have the ability to envision it and, through hope, make it a reality.

My Experience with Hope

For 13 years, I was a hopeless human. During my time working at a luxury hotel as a front desk agent earning $11.42 per hour, I felt the sting of hopelessness the most.

The regret of feeling my time was being stolen from me lingered every time I clocked in. Eventually, I decided to do something about it.

I gave myself permission to hope for something better. I began establishing pathways to success and regained agency by learning from self-help books and seeking mentorship.

Because I took action toward something I desired, I now feel more hope and joy than I ever felt hopelessness. Hope changed me.

Hope Actually Improves Your Life

Wishful thinking doesn’t work, and false hope is equally ineffective. Real hope, however, is directly tied to success in all areas of life.

Studies show that hopeful people tend to:

  • Demonstrate better problem-solving skills
  • Cultivate healthier relationships
  • Maintain stronger motivation to achieve goals
  • Exhibit better work ethic
  • Have a positive outlook on life

These benefits can impact work life, family life, habit-building, mental health, physical health, and spiritual practice. Imagine how much better your life could be by applying real hope to all these areas.

How to Develop the Skill to Hope

As acclaimed French writer Jean Giono wrote in The Man Who Planted Trees:
“There are also times in life when a person has to rush off in pursuit of hopefulness.”

If you are at one of those times, here are ways to develop the skill to hope:

1. Dream Again

To cultivate hope, you need to believe in its possibility. Start by:

  • Reflecting on what you’re passionate about, your values, and what you want to achieve.
  • Writing your dreams down, sharing them with someone encouraging, or saying them out loud.
  • Creating a vision board to make your dreams feel more tangible.

Dreams are the foundation of hope—they give you something meaningful to aspire toward.

2. Create an Environment of Hope

  • Set Goals: Write down your goals and create a plan to achieve them.
  • Visualize Success: Use inspirational quotes, photos, or tools like dumbbells or canvases to remind yourself of your goals.
  • Build a Resource Library: Collect books, eBooks, or audiobooks about hope and success to inspire you.

An environment that fosters hope will keep you motivated, resilient, and focused.

3. Face the Challenges

Don’t avoid challenges—overcoming them builds confidence. Participating in challenging activities, like strategic games, can enhance your problem-solving skills and reinforce hope.

4. Commit to Wisdom

Seek wisdom from those who have achieved what you aspire to. Whether through books, blogs, or social media platforms, learn from their journeys. Wisdom provides the foundation for real, actionable hope.

5. Take Note of Small Wins

Reflecting on past victories can fuel your hope for the future. Ask yourself:

  • What challenges have I already overcome?
  • How did I feel when I succeeded?

By remembering those feelings of happiness, relief, or satisfaction, your brain will naturally adopt a more hopeful mindset.

Conclusion

Hope is more than wishful thinking—it’s a powerful skill that can transform your life. By dreaming again, creating a hopeful environment, facing challenges, seeking wisdom, and celebrating small wins, you can develop the real hope necessary for success in all aspects of life.

Let hope guide you toward a brighter, more fulfilling future.

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Life

The 5 Stages of a Quarter-Life Crisis & What You Can Do

A quarter-life crisis isn’t a sign you’ve lost your way; it’s a sign you’re fighting for a life that’s truly yours.

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what is a quarter life crisis
Image Credit: Midjourney

The quarter-life crisis is a well-defined set of stages—Trapped, Checking Out, Separation, Exploration, Rebuilding—one goes through in breaking free from feelings of meaninglessness, lack of fulfillment, and misalignment with purpose. I detail the stages and interweave my story below. (more…)

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Life

Here’s The Thing About Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning

Stop hoarding and start sharing your knowledge and wealth for the benefit of humankind

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sharing your knowledge
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Few people have the habit of hoarding their wealth without spending.  However, it limits their motivation as they tend to get into their comfort zones.  When people start spending money, then there will be depletion in their coffers. (more…)

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Life

3 Steps That’ll Help You Take Back Control of Your Life Immediately

The key to finding “enough” is recognizing that the root of the problem is a question of self-esteem and deservedness

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How to build self worth
Image Credit: Midjourney

“It’s never enough.” (more…)

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