KNOW THYSELF. (DID I DO THIS ALREADY?)
Know thyself. Know your capabilities. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Know your flaws. Know what motivates and hinders you. It's important to know yourself fully, and the best way to do this, is to be completely honest with oneself. We all have a defense mechanism, that causes us to be a certain way externally, but, sometimes we have the habit of turning that same mechanism within. This is a sort of lie, we tell ourselves, that causes to believe things that may not necessarily be true.
One of the things that's true about me, is routine. I need routine. Routine is what keeps me focused and stable. Now, while most people might find this boring, and see me as wasting my life....the truth is, I tend to focus on long term goals. Now, whether this be a drawing, exercise, being a better father, or making more money, if I put it into a routine, I have a higher likelihood of being more successful at what I'm attempting to accomplish. However, I also have learned that too much routine, can lead to a large amount of boredom, and my mind can drift. Therefore, regardless of what it is, I need to switch from routine to random activity. This keeps me fresh, and dedicated to the goals I set for myself. Part of setting the routine, is the planning and research put into setting it, and switching things up when necessary. I learned this mostly from when I would exercise intensely. Every so often, I would reexamine my routine, and improve it, or strip away things that were unnecessary. I would even combine certain activities, to increase efficiency. Once, I found what worked, I would make it the routine and stick with it, until further adjustment was necessary.
I guess, you could almost say that I developed this mentality from my artistic style itself. I don't enjoy randomness or confusion in my artwork, which probably explains why I'm not a big fan of abstract art. In my mind, having a place, or an explanation for everything, allows for clarity and focus. This is how I am most successful, when I take on any major task or goal. I know it may not fall in line, with what the average person considers an artistic mind. Many people believe artists, are clutter bred and born, types that rise from the ashes so to speak. Although, some operate in that particular fashion, others, like me operate better with structure. I have a certain method, with approaching artistic pieces, that is sometimes the same and sometimes sneak on me and consume me, but, having that clear mental canvas to work on helps me achieve the set goal.
So, the best thing, I could recommend is to get to know yourself and how you work, so that you can achieve things on a certain comfort level. There will be times, you are forced outside of your comfort level, and if you know what that is, then you can guide yourself back into those parameters. Now, I know I mainly spoke of routine and creative spaces, but, there's multiple factors that go into finding your rhythm, so to speak. Don't worry, if not everything is perfect, perfection is part of the process, and if you're always chasing it, then you're on the right path. Constantly tweak, and fine tune, the process until you create an environment and atmosphere, that makes you a success at what you set your mind to. But first, you must know yourself, be honest with yourself, and push yourself.