What do you do when you discover yourself procrastinating?
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Jan. 20
I admit it. I procrastinated yesterday. Instead of doing work I needed to do, I spent the day telling myself I needed to do things but actually doing other things instead. What makes me do that? I think the root of the problem is that our internal creative artists are children and children can drag their feet and throw tantrums when they feel like they are being pushed. They don't care about adult agendas like imaginary deadlines or productivity. Do you have days like that? I think the answer is to stop and ask yourself what is going on? Why can't you settle into work? Do you need to back off of your word count for a day? Do you need to take ten minutes and put on your favorite music and dance? Maybe stop and put together a puzzle or get out crayons and color a picture. Perhaps the most important thing is to listen to your inner artist and figure out what you really need to do to give yourself the energy to continue on with the dream.
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Having a good to-do list helps a lot. Then I not only have tasks broken down, but I work to mark things off the list. If I'm procrastinating on my writing, sometimes skipping around to scenes I want to write will help. I then come back to the other scene when I'm more into it. I know not everyone can skip around, though.
ReplyDeleteI give myself a lot of mental lectures. The old "butt in the chair, soldier. Fingers on the keyboard." But the problem with is that I'm not very strict, so sometimes (okay, most times) even the lectures don't work and I just keep procrastinating until I finally get bored with procrastinating too!!
ReplyDeleteCaryn, I know lots of writers who are successful by skipping around when writing. I'm glad that works for you.
ReplyDeleteLinda, lol-I lecture myself, too. But the child artist doesn't listen. I like the fact that you allow yourself to get so bored you write. Great!