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Zoning is also productive |
I was supposed to be writing, but I just could not make the
words flow from my pen. I know what they say. You’re supposed to sit down and
write even if you know you’re going to toss every word into the shredder, and
usually I can do just that. Usually, but not always. Sometimes, I look for any
excuse I can find not to pick up my pen. I really need to catch up on Castle. I
should check the lint in the dryer. I need to see if the mail has come. And I
do. Every ten minutes. Even after he came just in case he forgot something and
came back. Or my nose hair needs braiding. Any excuse will do. I’ve already refilled
the squirrel feeder five times.
I have always been a great procrastinator, believing I work
best under pressure. It’s a fallacy. We work faster under pressure, not
necessarily better. Our brains scramble to come up with anything and because it
finally did we think it is pure creative genius. However, while it may be good,
it’s not great. Time makes things better - time to revise, adjust, rethink;
time to look at all possibilities and carefully choose the best one. We
sacrifice the opportunity to assure the best by waiting until the night before
a deadline and then just spitting it out.
Still, even though I knew all of this to be true, I still
procrastinate. In my younger years this meant zoning in front of the television
with reruns of Gilligan’s Island and The Monkees, going out to waste time with
friends, or avoiding the chores my parents wanted me to do. Now I just avoid
the chores the girls want me to do. However, if I procrastinate that way now, I’m
not only behind, I’m very behind. The idea then is to turn my habit of
procrastination into something that still makes me productive. If you want to
make your dream a reality, you must always be moving forward, even if it seems
as if you’re standing in place for the moment.
The way to accomplish this concept of productive procrastination
is by performing what Teri likes to call the Maintenance Tasks. When the words
are not flowing and I just can’t seem to get my attention to focus on any of my
projects, I still have plenty that needs to be done. My idea notebook needs to
be dumped into the more detailed notebooks for fleshing out. My bank account
needs balancing, emails need answered and sorted, and my endless assortment of
files need sorted and organized. I can also work on world building or character
backgrounds, which require some creative unction, but less editing. I update my
calendar and catch up on my networking. If I pick up a book during my work
hours, I make it one on my craft or some research I’m doing for a story or
essay idea. These things need to be done, but when I’m in the flow of
scribbling, I don’t want to stop and do them. Saving these tasks for when I can’t
bring myself to write keeps me productive and sees that everything is
accomplished.
Over the past few weeks, I have used my bouts of
procrastination to weed through ancient manuscripts and snippets of ideas to
see what was worth salvaging and what needed to face the shredder. That task
gave birth to fresh ideas as well as rekindled some old ones. Productivity!
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Sometimes, you just have to relax |
Using the time this way also helps alleviate the guilt of
not putting words to paper, because in the end it’s all part of writing.
Researching markets, creating a story outline, or visiting a museum are all
part of the process if one is going to make the dream a profitable reality. Don’t
waste your creative moments with the Maintenance Tasks and don’t waste your
procrastination when you can still be productive. As long as you’re moving
forward in some way, you’re succeeding, even if at times it doesn’t feel like
it.
That was one thing I had to come to grips with as I went to
writing fulltime. If I wasn’t writing so many words a day, I didn’t feel like I
was working. I had to convince myself that it was all part of the business,
albeit not the fun part. Once I did that and made proper use of my
procrastination, I could look at each day and see productivity. That made me
feel better about my days and if I took a day off it was with a clear
conscience because I had actually worked the rest of the week. It’s all about
making proper use of your time. What tricks have you learned?
* * * * *
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For Further Reading ~ Where'd That Body Come From?
Thanks for visiting The Mess!
This is the conundrum of all writers I think. I'm guilty of it myself, as well as letting the story percolate in my head instead of writing it down.
ReplyDeleteYou're on the right path Robbie. You've written two...which is more than most do, and you've written them well. Part of procrastination I'd venture to say.
Great insight...
Taylor
Thank you, Taylor. I would have replied sooner, but..well you know...procrastination...lol
DeleteI hope you're having a great day.