It is something that most writers have experienced at one time or another: procrastination. It is the concurring opinion of every writer that procrastination is the worst thing that can happen, especially if you have a deadline in the near future!
So, how do you overcome the dreaded “P” word? As the Nike slogan says, “Just Do It”! Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that and the problem, really, is that we often doubt are own abilities as writers which is probably the main reason why we are procrastinators to begin with. We want the perfect circumstances, the perfect writing conditions and the perfect thought processes to occur before we can begin.
This does not happen so we put our project off and it gets delayed even further, causing us to feel even worse about it. And so it continues…
If we delve deeper into this feeling, we often find that procrastination occurs due to 1 of 3 reasons. 1) We currently find our project somehow boring. 2) We feel incapable of completing the project, or 3) We are not enjoying the project.
If you have been procrastinating and this sounds like you, don’t worry because there is a solution to the problem! Boredom with a writing project can be fixed by attempting to rekindle the excitement by finding something else to work on that excites you more. If you are unable to move to another project, why not take a break and do something that you really enjoy to refocus your mind and then go back to your writing. This might be enough to take you out of your terrible “procrastination funk”.
Sometimes all that is needed is to change your project slightly so that it is more enjoyable for you and that you look forward to working on it. Try it: you never know!