Productivity isn't only about our jobs and our to-do lists. The same concepts that help us produce work in the office can also help us tackle personal creative projects.

Just ask Grant Faulkner, the Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month, a.k.a. NaNoWriMo. Every November, hundreds of thousands of writers commit to creating a 50,000-word story in just 30 days.

In his role with NaNoWriMo, Grant has heard all of the excuses we have for not acting on our creative impulses, from lack of time to the notion that we simply aren't creative. He demolishes these myths and offers a way forward in a new book called “Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights & Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo.”

In this episode of Taking Note, Grant discusses the challenge of NaNoWriMo, the ways we sabotage our own creative impulses, and how to conquer our inner obstacles to unleash our creative potential.