Everyone does. Though it may not feel like it, creativity doesn't take more time. Quite the opposite: creativity is what frees up your time. Creativity allows you to find better solutions—solutions that are easier to implement, take less effort and energy, and therefore, use less time. It is your creative capacity that enables you to synthesize an assortment of seemingly unrelated and mind-cluttering thoughts into one succinct idea or insight. And it is the passion and enthusiasm of our creativity that—when ignited—gives you the energy to get more done in the same amount of time.

Why then does it feel like creativity takes more time? Because it requires attention. In occupations where we think for a living, focusing our attention requires mind time—a commodity that is just as precious as the clock time that drives our days.

It's important to make the distinction between mind time and clock time if you want to have more creativity in your life. It is by freeing up mind time that you will reclaim time and space for the creative enrichment of your life. The wonderful paradox is that you'll be using your creativity to figure out how to do this.

One way to make more time and space for creativity is to go through the attic of your mind and toss out what you no longer need.

Ask yourself:  What are the three areas in my life that are taking up most of my mind time right now? In what ways could I free up some mind time from each of these areas? Are there any patterns of concerns or worries across these three areas? In what ways could I reduce or eliminate these anxieties? What one baby step could I take in each area to clear some of the thoughts that are cluttering my mind?