I Don’t Procrastinate and I’ll Tell You Why…Later….

Procrastination. You know, I’ve been actually putting a column about this off and I have no idea why. It’s an important topic. It’s something that writers everywhere deal with, yet, just the sound of the word makes you want to do it tomorrow. I guess it’s time to talk about it.

There are many opinions out there as to why folks procrastinate. It isn’t just writers who bask in the light of I’ll-do-it-tomorrow-land, everyone does it. There is just something about “having” to do something that triggers that little guy who sits on your shoulder saying, aw come on…do it later. I am an expert at procrastination. I blame it partly on living the life of a news reporter in both print and radio for so long. When you live your life by deadline…you tend to have trouble completing a task unless there is a sense of urgency. I often wait until the last minute on just about every project. I think it is habit at this point…who knows. Family and friends know that I will get things done…but they also know it may not be until right before they needed it completed. Personally, I think it adds a certain excitement to life. (In Trailer guy’s voice – WILL SHE GET IT IN BEFORE DEADLINE?)

So how do you combat procrastination? Here are a few things that I have discovered that may help you too:

Make a List – I am the king of list making. I could teach a Master Class on it. A list is like a contract with yourself. Make a list and your ego knows that you are watching. (But not in a stalker way)

Keep a Calendar – My calendar is a constant reminder for me that I have crap to do. I keep one on my iPad because there is an alarm that reminds me, hey stupid, you have crap to do. Calendars can be a good thing as long as you stay away from the delete button.

Focus – Procrastination is a creature from the realm of “time on my hands”. In this land, people sit around playing Facebook games and surfing the internet for obsolete subjects like how to make an airplane using paperclips and how to build a rocket using household appliances. Focus on the work at hand and procrastination has nothing to feed off of.

These are just a couple of ideas; I’m sure other writers have some too. (Please, feel free to share them with the rest of the class.) If you are dealing with procrastination…don’t fret too much, you are not alone. There are times when procrastination is a good thing, like when considering pushing the doomsday button or stepping into oncoming traffic. But, as writers, we have to control it as best we can or no one will ever read our work. It would be funny, but awful, if your tombstone read, “Here Lies the Writer, He Never Quite Got Around to Finis…….” (Tragically funny)

© The Writer’s Advice, 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.