10 more ideas for beating procrastination
A few months ago, we took a look at some ideas for beating procrastination. Given how easy it is to succumb to what we might otherwise call Easily Distracted Writers Syndrome, here are a few more ideas to add to the list.
1) Try some positive thinking. For example, “I need to write this scene. It will take me half an hour to do it if I concentrate and then I can go and watch telly/drink beer/engage the cat in staring contest. Therefore I will focus.” Then put your positive thinking into action.
2) Make a chart detailing how you spend your time each day. Include things like time spent sleeping, time at work, time travelling, time writing and so on. The process of making the chart is both a form of procrastination (from your writing) and productivity (because it is designed to help your writing), so you can feel guilty and good all at the same time. Once you’ve made the chart, work out where your procrastination fits in and then eliminate it (possibly easier said than done but hey, we have to start somewhere).
3) Write anywhere and everywhere. Well. Not really anywhere and everywhere. Don’t write at your desk when you’re meant to be doing Important Work Things involving spreadsheets, or in meetings where your attention is required. But learning to write in a range of situations can help us boost productivity, so see if you could fit in five minutes while you’re waiting for the pasta to boil etc. Don’t wait for the ‘perfect writing scenario’. That’s a form of procrastination in itself.
4) Enlist the help of a friend. Get them to stand over you while you write and tell you off when you start to procrastinate. Promise them beer or other treat in return for their time.
5) Close the curtains. Looking out the window can be great for inspiration, but it can also inspire us to procrastinate endlessly. Removing visual distractions can help to force us to focus on the task at hand.
6) Do something else related to your writing. We might not be making any progress on our soon-to-bestselling (hopefully) novel, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make progress on something else, thereby being productive and not resorting to procrastination (at least not really). Research independent publishing, for instance, or learn more about whatever it is you’re writing about. Work on your social media platform. Write a blog post. Then get back to that novel.
7) If you’re someone who just gets into the process of writing but then gets distracted by other things (messages on Twitter, how your Amazon sales are doing etc), build those things into your writing time. For instance, give yourself five minutes before you start to write to check what you need to check, and reward yourself with Twitter/Amazon breaks once an hour or so. That way, you’ll keep your writing discipline while still allowing your mind time to think about other things.
8) Break it down. If one of your reasons for procrastinating is that the scene you need to write is a bit of a whopper or just generally scary, split it into sections and just focus on them one at a time. Hopefully it won’t be so daunting that way, and you’ll be able to make steady progress.
9) Have a deadline. Whether it’s a competition deadline, a National Novel Writing Month deadline or something self-imposed, setting yourself a date for when you want to have finished your project can help you to force away the temptation to procrastinate.
10) Work on your writing discipline. If you’ve got the writing habit, with any luck, procrastination will start to fade into the background. It’s something we all have to deal with sometimes, but writing habitually can help us to banish it faster than we otherwise would.
What are your tips for beating procrastination?
