Life is long enough for people who know what to do with their time. More importantly, people who are good at managing time are significantly more at ease with their relationship with time. One of the biggest ways to manage time is to put an end to procrastination. Procrastination is the devil in your relationship with time. It is an accessory for people who lack focus and commitment. For a writer, procrastination could be deadly. Often writers justify and excuse their procrastination as writer’s block.
Here are a few tips to fight your procrastination.
- Stick your goals to Sticky notes
Create a to-do list. Oftentimes when you haven’t planned your day or do not have a list of things to do, you tend to live in an abstract state of mind. Hovering from one task to another without any clarity or focus leads to giving up on the task altogether. When you have a to-do list all written in pen over a sticky note, you can visualize the sequence of work you need to do. It helps you plan out your day in advance and saves time.
- Slice up your whole project
Divide your massive book project into smaller chunks. Maybe start with writing down the names of characters. Then start with the next job to describe one of the characters. When you have smaller goals your mind is tuned to finish those and get them over with.
- Reward yourself
Once you achieve even the smallest of your goals, let’s say naming your characters, reward yourself. Listen to your favorite music, read a chapter from a book you love, watch a 15 minute episode, or just chill. When you know there is a reward waiting for you after you get the work done, you are motivated to get on with it.
- Prioritize
If you are productive early in the morning when you have your first cup of coffee, then keep that time for the most important or creative work. For example, designing the protagonist of your story. When you prioritize your to-do list, you are aware of your goals and have a vision that gives you a clarity of time bound tasks and corresponding achievements.
- Set time for social medias
Our constant urge to be on social media, check our emails often cause us to delay what we are supposed to do. And eventually we procrastinate. Set screen time for social media accounts. When you are sitting down to work, keep your phone aside and be free of any distraction.
One of the most famous efficiency tools in writing or any project for that matter is the Pomodor technique. It simply means dividing your whole project into chunks. Work on individual chunks for a set time, say for 20 minutes. Take a break for another set amount of time, and resume your next set of to-do. Work on it for another 20 minutes. And repeat the cycle. This is further accented by having a really nice ‘work playlist’. Music enhances your brain cells and keeps you energized.
Working against procrastination not only increases output but also motivates you to take more action. You have more space to spread out your work over the span of the whole day. It brings you clarity and better resolution.
Fight procrastination like a boss! Do not let it rule your dreams!
