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Procrastination, the habit of delaying or avoiding tasks, is one of the most significant obstacles that holds people back from accomplishing their professional and personal goals. Everyone has experienced it at some point in their lives and most people experience it on a daily basis. However, getting into the habit of procrastinating can be detrimental to your writing career. It can also take a toll on your health.
Studies have shown that people who procrastinate regularly on priority tasks have weaker immune systems, are more susceptible to flus and colds, and are also more likely to have problems sleeping. When it comes to writing, procrastination can cause you to be stuck with a blank page for a long time which can cause you to get frustrated with yourself which can cause you to take a break and the cycle continues.
I feel your pain. It’s easy to come up with hundreds of things you need to do before you start writing. Wash dishes. Vacuum. Check e-mail and social media. Get comfortable in your chair. Decide to change chairs. Go chair-shopping.
You can work yourself into a tizzy just thinking about the tasks you need to do. The bigger you make them in your mind, the more difficult it becomes to get started. If you haven’t been able to even write the first sentence yet or figure out the topic, I would suggest the 2-minute rule which was introduced by David Allen in his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.
Rather than worrying about starting your project all day or making a long to-do list that you ignore, take just TWO minutes to get started. Write your topic. Or the beginning of your outline. Or the first two sentences.
Now that you have started, you can spend another 2 minutes you have available for taking the next step. Soon, you’ll be working in the flow for twenty minutes and then perhaps two hours.
There are more helpful tips to help you overcome procrastination and reach your goals.
Change your mind.
The expectation that you have to do something perfectly can hold you back. Realize that you are not expected to complete the task perfectly. You just need to get started.
Define your goal.
Set up your writing space so that you’re ready to write when you have your two available minutes and don’t end up spending your time updating your computer or cleaning the desk.
Take at least 2 minutes to focus on your writing.
Create a plan or outline for the project. Break it up into smaller pieces to make it more manageable. If you need a helpful process, check out the Snowflake Method
Stay accountable. Ask someone you to trust to hold you accountable for finishing the task(s).
Brainstorm ways to make it more enjoyable.
Schedule. In order to avoid thinking about it all day, schedule a certain time during the day that you will do the task and stick to it.
Reward yourself. Give yourself a small reward for finishing the task.
Keep a journal of how you were able to beat procrastination and refer to that journal for help on future goals.
