How To Get Into Flow State: 7 Tips For Writing Flow

Key Takeaways

hey guys what's up it's Alex and in this video I'm gonna let you in on a little behind-the-scenes action on my secret copywriting process roll it Ted [Music] okay so a question I get from a lot of creatives especially copywriters is how do you get into flow because let's get real finding flow is absolutely critical if you're a copywriter no flow no dough if you catch my drift and don't even get me started on writer's block there have been countless times where I have sat down at my laptop to crank out some creative masterpiece and nada if this has happened to you give me a thumbs up below because you are not alone and I'm gonna do my best to help you get your flow back truth is one of the hardest skills to master as a writer is being able to tap into flow state or what many refer to as being in the zone on demand in positive psychology flow state is the mental state of operation in which a person performing activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus full involvement and enjoyment in the process of the activity thanks Wikipedia and there's a really great book called slow by author and psychology prof. Mihai cheeks sent me hi I had to Google how to say that that I recommend you get your hands on that dives deeper into this whole subject of flow state I love being in flow there's no doubt that when I'm in copywriting flow every word I write is fun it allows me to stay creative without overthinking or over analyzing what I'm doing this is why I always write copy in more than one sitting great copywriting requires both the left and the right side of the brain so first I get into creative flow using the right side of my brain and I let myself think in Inked without any rules or critique just pure brain dumbs of mad genius then I'll revisit what I wrote another day with my copy editor left side of the brain activated and layer on all those marketing tactics and components of a compelling offer all of which I cover right here on my youtube channel so be sure to hit subscribe so you don't miss a single video from me and click that little Bell icon so you can be notified when my next copywriting tutorial goes live alright let's get into the good stuff shall we here are my set steps for getting in the zone step 1 identify your most creative time of day we all work in different rhythms and cycles you may get a creative surge once everybody else has gone to bed and you have no distractions or maybe you're like me and you wake up every morning feeling fresh and full of creativity that can be quickly squashed at the mere glance at your inbox so whether you're a night owl early bird or mid day Blue Jays spend some time thinking about when you're feeling the most creative and what dampens your creative mojo maybe it's distractions at home inbox overload pending evening plans or looming deadlines identify the hours you're most likely to be in creative flow and then proceed to step 2 once you figure out when your most creative protect that time fiercely most people myself included can't just snap their fingers and be in a flow state sometimes it'll take me an hour of creative thought and brainstorming before I even write my first sentence so often I'll block off an entire day for writing or the first half of every day of an entire week if I'm writing a major sales piece and this time needs to be 1,000% dedicated to nourishing your creative flow which means cutting out all distractions turn off Skype and slack sign out of your inbox sign on your social media accounts and put your phone on Do Not Disturb this might mean setting some expectations with your team family and clients I know for myself if I wake up with the intention to write and then check my inbox I am totally derailed and I'm essentially forfeit in my creative time for the day because my brain has officially gone into task mode so the day before I'll often let my team know that I'll be offline and unavailable the next day until at least 1 p.m. ok now that you've set some creative boundaries you can move on to step number 3 set incremental goals as I mentioned in step 1 I rarely write a sales page in one sitting in fact that's a daunting goal that would freak anyone out and majorly hinder flow so when I sit down to write my goals are always incremental based on the nature of the task and the creative energy required so usually my goals will flow something like this goal number one line the sales page to research and brainstorm the hook three write the hook which is usually the lead into your sales message and takes the longest to write four finalize the details of your offer five write the first draft of your sales page six copy editing seven finalize the headlines eight proofread and nine complete the final draft if you'd like to learn more about this process and my entire copywriting workflow click the bell icon below to be notified when that video is released okay now on to step number four look for creative inspiration elsewhere I don't know about you but for me inspiration will seem to strike in the strangest of places especially in the shower something about the kinetic energy of flowing water really gets my creative juices flowing so if you're experiencing any sort of writer's block don't force it or get frustrated I encourage you to do something different read a book listen to a podcast get out of nature have a shower or switch up locations I know for me sometimes when I'm working from my home office I'll find a million other things to do then sit down and write so heading to a nearby coffee shop or a co-working space can really help stir things up in that brain of mine while removing the potential of getting distracted by busy work at home and actually help me activate flow state and I'm curious to hear from you where do you find creative inspiration and where is the strangest place that inspiration has struck for you comment below and let me know and now step number five my favorite set up your creative container for me writing has become a ritual that I really enjoy if I'm at my home office I'll turn on my diffuser with some beautiful and calming essential oils I'll make coffee or tea and definitely have a water right next to me I turn off all my notifications and apps and even Wi-Fi if I don't need it for research I'll clear off my computer desktop and open a word document then I'll pop on my noise-canceling headphones and play my very very favorite Spotify playlist that helps me get into the zone super quickly if I'm riding on the road or from a cafe I'll do all of that except I'll just bring some essential oil rule ones that I'll put on my temples and blow my ears okay step number six and this is the most important give yourself some leeway whatever you do don't start writing at the eleventh hour right before a deadline unless you must even though I do believe that procrastination breeds productivity that doesn't apply very well to create a work in my opinion so start early and schedule more writing blocks than you think you'll need because let's be honest there will be times that you sit down to write and no matter what you try focus and flow is a no-go so go easy on yourself and if you're experiencing some creative blocks step away if you need to now part of this flexibility also means taking full advantage of creativity when it does decide to strike even if it's inconvenient I've been known to cancel plans if I suddenly find myself and creative flow sorry not sorry girls got it right and lastly step number seven practice practice practice the more you do it the easier it'll be setting up your own creative container will really become that anchoring ritual that will eventually train your brain to note it's writing time you'll learn to listen to the cues your mind gives you and know when to lean in and when to give yourself a little bit of breathing room remember writing should be fun so don't ever let it get to the point of frustration I'll be the first to admit that this does feel a lot harder sometimes than others but repetition and compassion is the key to your success so there you have it my seven steps for getting into create to flow please like and share this video if you found it helpful and next up be sure to watch my video on the difference between copywriting and content writing and this video on how to start your copywriting business or this video on my four methods of finding more clients be sure to subscribe enjoy and I'll see you next week till then I'm Alex ciao for now countless times where I've sat down at my laptop to crank out laptop drop not my laptop