End Writing Procrastination Now

Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of overcoming writing procrastination by prioritizing writing tasks, delegating non-essential activities, and adopting strategies to maintain focus and accountability.

Abstract

Procrastination is a common and formidable challenge for writers, often more daunting than writer's block. It manifests as an endless list of trivial activities and excuses that prevent writers from confronting their writing tasks. The article suggests that to combat procrastination, writing must be recognized as a priority, and writers should delegate mundane tasks, simplify their environment, and set clear, manageable goals. By breaking tasks into smaller chunks, committing to specific blocks of writing time, and being accountable to others, writers can overcome the urge to procrastinate. The article also advises writers to envision the satisfaction of completing their work and to not be too self-critical, acknowledging that the struggle with time management and stress is a universal experience.

Opinions

Procrastination is seen as a self-imposed set of roadblocks that writers use to justify their avoidance of writing.
The article posits that writing is a solitary journey, but the rest of one's life can be managed through delegation to focus on writing priorities.
It is suggested that some activities used to procrastinate are insignificant in the grand scheme of things and should be minimized or eliminated.
The author believes that making writing goals a top priority and distinguishing them from less important tasks is crucial for success.
The article emphasizes the importance of a distraction-free environment and the breaking down of writing tasks into smaller, more achievable goals.
Accountability to others is highlighted as a powerful motivator for sticking to writing commitments.
Envisioning the completion of a writing task is recommended as a motivational tool to inspire focused work without interruption.
The author advises self-compassion, recognizing that everyone faces similar challenges with time and stress management.

End Writing Procrastination Now

Procrastination is the writer’s most ardent and aggressive nemesis (Even worse than writer’s block)

Writer’s see it all the time. We know the subject. We have a great idea. We may even hold strong to the hope that this latest article/novel/script will finally be the one to send our career skyrocketing to the moon! And we will create that masterpiece, just as soon as:

We finish our other projects

We come back from that long-awaited vacation

We finish our research

We clean out the garage

We feed the dog

The list potentially goes on and on. Procrastination is the sum total of absolutely ANYTHING and EVERYTHING we can conjure up to fill in the spaces between where we are now and that point where we confront the demons that haunt our writing. It’s easy to put off until tomorrow that which we want to avoid doing today. After all, we can easily deceive ourselves into thinking our minds will be free and clear of distractions when/if we can set aside all of those small, nagging side issues. Everyone has a mental agenda. Sometimes that agenda makes its way to a physical To-Do list; others times it remains festering in the brain. All too often many of the writing goals on that agenda end up dying a slow, dismal death as time and other obligations take priority. Some people are organized and determined to succeed. Others are equally determined but lack the organizational skills necessary to reach their goals in a timely fashion. This is often manifested as procrastination for writers, since any excuse to avoid actual writing will do. Procrastination is little more than a self-imposed list of roadblocks. Often, we put a lot of justification behind these excuses in an effort to ease our guilt. Procrastination is destructive for everyone but it can be particularly detrimental to a writer. What a writer ultimately creates doesn’t even exist until the words make their way from the writer’s brain onto the page or screen. Many writers procrastinate because they feel overwhelmed by the tasks at hand. Five hundred words! 5,000 words! A completed article! Ten pages! Two chapters! A full novel!

Who wouldn’t feel overwhelmed by the constant demand to produce? Where does it end? For a writer, there is no end. As long as the brain continues to function, there will always be more words to generate. Unless, of course, you can manage to fill your hours and days with just about every conceivable activity on the planet. Every conceivable activity — Yeah, that’s Procrastination

KNOWING THE ENEMY IS HALF THE BATTLE So, now that we’ve named the enemy for what it is, what can we do about it? It’s easy to say “just roll up your sleeves and do it.” It’s easy, that is, until you remember you need to go grocery shopping, pick up your friend at the airport or make up that Zumba class you skipped last week. (Notice how many of the activities you use to procrastinate and avoid writing are pretty insignificant in the overall scheme of things?) Writing must be a priority if there is ever to be any hope of longevity and success. Once you can convince yourself that writing truly is a priority in your life, you will be better able to push aside some of mindless time wasters that plague your productivity. Still, you might be saying right about now — “I need to eat” — “I can’t leave my friend stranded” — “exercise is important to my overall well-being.” “I must do those things.” Yes, those things must get done. But not necessarily by you. STOP SHOULDERING THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD While writing itself is largely a solitary journey, there are ways to delegate some of the grunt work in the rest of your life. Don’t expect to be both the general and the private in your own personal army. Many grocery stores now offer delivery services. With a few clicks on the app, you can enjoy a pantry full of healthy, satisfying foods in a fraction of the time it would take for you to shop yourself. The relatively small cost for this service is a small price to pay to reclaim hours of productive time. Enlist the help of friends or family to make that airport pick-up. You’ll owe them, but that’s okay. That’s what friends and family do for each other. The Zumba class? Okay, I’ll give you that one. Exercise is a great stress reliever and can be helpful in freeing your mind from excess clutter. BUT WHAT ABOUT THAT AGENDA? Of course, you still have an agenda that includes both writing activities and procrastination activities. Not every item on that agenda is of equal importance. Learn to tell the difference. Some items have no intrinsic value whatsoever. Learn to identify and eliminate those items. You can only spread yourself so thin. Proper discernment of your goals is key to ending procrastination. Make sure the activities relating to your writing goals occupy at least three of the top five slots on your list of things you must do. Really, let’s try a little tough love here, you either want it or you don’t. You don’t have forever to get those brilliant thoughts of yours into print. Simplify your environment. Distractions make it easy to lose focus. If you need a quiet place to accomplish your goals, turn off background music, shut off your phone and close the door to the outside world. Focus your brain to deal with the task at hand. Break every task down into the smallest, most manageable chunks possible. Five small goals can seem less intimidating than the one larger goal that encompasses all the parts. (One page instead of one chapter — 500 words instead of 5,000 — one pitch to a website you want to guest post on instead of 10 pitches to every website you can find in a sweeping search) Let others know of your intended goals, (and their role in helping you achieve them). Being accountable to the expectations of others can be a great motivator. Establish a reasonable block of time to devote solely to one specific part of your writing project. Once you begin, stick with your project until you’re done. Don’t allow yourself to be interrupted by anything short of a true emergency. TWO FINAL, VITALLY IMPORTANT, POINTS Envision yourself at the completion of the task. If you can taste the thrill of victory before it’s an actual reality you will be more motivated to get started and avoid distraction. Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone has too much to do and too little time. Nearly everyone feels the same level of stress as you do when faced with the monumental list of tasks to accomplish. You’re in good company.