I had an e-learning job that I got to early in the morning. Really early.
Why?
Because no one else was there. I’d turn on the lights, turn on my computer, and take a moment. I’d listen to the buzz of electronic equipment in an empty office. I’d take a few breaths.
Center first. Then tackle courses.
If this sounds like the preface to a book called Zen and the Art of E-Learning Maintenance, then it should! This post isn’t meant to give advice on writing better scripts or test questions that appeal to a user’s mindset. It’s meant to get you to think about YOUR mindset before you try to create for others. We spend a lot of time trying to get into the user’s mind in e-learning; but where is OUR mind when we write?
If you write for pleasure, there’s no reason you can’t have that same feeling of mindful joy when you write for work–even when writing about the FCPA or HIPAA. Okay, maybe not HIPAA. But here are three quick tips to be a more mindful and fulfilled e-learning writer.
1. Get centered. Before you start the day, clear your mind so you can focus on your work. Breathe. Listen to the buzz of the office. Works for me.
2. Say this mantra: creating is creating. You went into this e-learning business to create and convey ideas. No matter how “boring” the topic, it is still about using words and design to bring ideas to life. Focus on that.
3. Take in your work. Yes, we have deadlines and work pressures. But every once in a while, do the “ABC.” ACKNOWLEDGE your work; BREATHE; and CONSIDER what you’ve written. Enjoy it for a moment. Yeah, it could be a training about using the new company phone system, but it’s still good work.
You will get frustrated. You will forget to breathe. You will butt heads with a SME. But as long as you can get back to your creative center, I know your courses, and your life, will improve.
Where has mindfulness and focus been a help in your creative life?