Today’s throwback is a mash-up of two posts from thirteen years ago, and testimony to the adage that old habits die hard. I've spent more time than I’d care to admit during the last month procrastinating instead of writing. Sometimes, it was justified – life intervened. Sometimes, however it was something else on the list below, a list which seems to have changed very little in the past thirteen years.
I planned to write this blog this morning, but I seem to have...procrastinated. Actually, I got caught up in the events of the day, including finishing up several other writing projects, which meant this one got put on the back burner.
After yesterday's post, I got to thinking about why I procrastinate when I'm supposed to be writing. Here's what I came up with:
1. I don't feel like writing.
2. There are 10,000 other things I need to do.
3. There's something else I want to do.
4. I don't know what to write next.
5. I'm afraid what I wrote yesterday isn't really that good, and if I sit down and look at it, I could prove myself right.
#5 is a really sneaky one. It sometimes masquerades as the four excuses that precede it, and to their credit, numbers 1-4 make really good covers.
Unfortunately, the only way to do away with #5 is to confront it head on and show it who's boss. Worst case scenario? What I wrote yesterday really isn't good, and I have to rewrite. It's not as though that's something I can't do. Best case scenario? It's good. Really good. And it reminds me why I bother to do this writing thing that can be so torturous it causes me to procrastinate.
1. I don't feel like writing.
2. There are 10,000 other things I need to do.
3. There's something else I want to do.
4. I don't know what to write next.
5. I'm afraid what I wrote yesterday isn't really that good, and if I sit down and look at it, I could prove myself right.
#5 is a really sneaky one. It sometimes masquerades as the four excuses that precede it, and to their credit, numbers 1-4 make really good covers.
Unfortunately, the only way to do away with #5 is to confront it head on and show it who's boss. Worst case scenario? What I wrote yesterday really isn't good, and I have to rewrite. It's not as though that's something I can't do. Best case scenario? It's good. Really good. And it reminds me why I bother to do this writing thing that can be so torturous it causes me to procrastinate.
The truth is, spending time on something besides what we're "supposed" to be doing relieves stress and frees our minds to wander, both of which often lead us to the very solutions we're struggling to find. We aren't robots. We can't focus on the task at hand 24/7, especially when that task is a creative one.
Starting slowly, by doing other things before I write, helps me to think. Sometimes, stepping away from the computer, even if just to toss in a load of laundry, unlocks my brain and releases the tension I feel when I sit at the computer not knowing what to write next. It also gives me space and a chance to move my body beyond swinging my leg and squirming in my seat.
So, I refuse to relinquish my procrastination. Instead, I'm going to strive for balance. Too much procrastination? Not a good thing. But I can say with certainty that too much focus and not enough fun make me a very cranky writer.
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