53 Proactive Vitality Management and Creative Work Performance INTRODUCTION Imagine a scientist who wants to write the introduction to an article about some interesting new findings. The scientist, however, feels unable to focus and lacks the (positive) energy to get creative juices flowing to come up with a decent paragraph to start her article with. In this situation, an individual wants to perform creatively at work, but is somehow lacking the physical and mental energy needed to achieve this in that very moment. Research suggests that physical and mental energy may be essential for creativity (e.g., De Dreu, Nijstad, Baas, Wolsink, & Roskes, 2012; Fredrickson, 2001; Kark & Carmeli, 2009). The question that constitutes the basis of the present study is: To what extent can individuals promote their own levels of creative work performance? Or, more specifically, can people proactively mobilize the physical and mental energy needed to perform creatively at work? Although some people may display more creativity than others (e.g., due to certain personality traits), most scholars assume that everyone has some creative potential (cf. Amabile, 1997). In this paper, we argue that people may promote their own level of creativity through proactive vitality management, defined as individual, goaloriented behavior aimed at managing physical and mental energy to promote optimal functioning at work (Op den Kamp, Tims, Bakker, & Demerouti, 2018). The researcher mentioned above may use proactive vitality management throughout the day (i.e., both during and outside of working hours) to help her achieve work goals and be creative. To illustrate, she may start the workday with a nutritious breakfast or incorporate ten minutes of exercise or meditation into her morning routine to prepare for the workday ahead. During her train commute to work, she may read relevant scientific or practitioner journal articles to promote a driven and inspired mindset. While working, she could purposefully put on some relaxing music or turn off her phone and e-mail for some hours to be better able to think and concentrate. Or, she may decide to go for a walk or a fresh cup of coffee (cf. micro-breaks; Fritz, Lam, & Spreitzer, 2011) to clear her mind and empower herself physically and mentally for the task at hand (e.g., writing the paper’s introduction). These are only some examples of strategies that individuals may purposefully employ to manage their vitality. As such, strategies may vary between persons and also within persons (i.e., from moment to moment), corresponding to individual and momentary needs and preferences. 3
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