WEBSTER defines procrastination as ‘delaying or putting things off’. Yep, that pretty much sums it up. Guilty as charged.
Doesn’t a day at the beach trump almost anything?
If I’m dreading the thought of sitting down and writing a certain scene, or starting the rewrites of a current WIP, then I’ll ALWAYS discover something else to occupy my time. Designing a book cover, researching a particularly interesting topic for an upcoming scene, or reading a favorite author’s latest release. All of them enjoyable, but totally counterproductive to my own project.
How do I overcome the dastardly procrastination bug when it bites? Break the to-do list into smaller more manageable pieces. Instead of flopping down, gluing butt to chair, and attempting to write the entire troublesome scene at one sitting, I’ll plot the scene one day, write a rough draft the next, come back on day three and fill in the missing pieces, and edit and rewrite on day four. And voila, it’s done. I may revisit it again two or three times, but the hardest part is finished.
Procrastination fouls up our personal lives, too. How many of us have THAT closet we’ve been meaning to clean out for ages? Have you peeked into the family junk drawer lately? You do realize the stuff multiplies when you’re not looking. When was the last time you cleaned the garage? Your linen closet? The DVD drawer? I know!
Let’s make a pact to tackle those dreaded jobs this summer. When it’s raining outside and a day at the beach is impossible, or the sun is so hot you’d rather have root canal work done than venture outside, choose something that’s been on the to-do list for months now. If possible, get the kids involved, too. Just get started!
When it’s complete, sit down and enjoy a tumbler of iced tea or a glass of wine—flavored water or a diet soda for the kids—and bask in your accomplishment. Then tackle another job. By summer’s end, your to-do list will be a crumpled piece of paper in the garbage can under the kitchen sink. Oh, yeah, clean under there, too.
Have a great summer and make it a productive one! But please excuse me now. I have a scene to write!
