Productive Procrastination
“Oh, but writing is easy for you.” I often get this response to my encouraging clients and colleagues to start blogging or publish an article. And, writing is easy, if you consider staring at an empty screen until blood rolls off your forehead - um - easy.
Recently, I was working on something “simple” for Habitat. Nothing big - they asked me to write a letter to encourage participation in the upcoming Albuquerque Women Build 2006. Hey, no prob! I’ll kick that out in about 15 minutes. So, I sit. I stare at the blank screen. I sit some more. Lots more staring. I got nothin’. I wander off for a spell of productive procrastination. (And, people wonder why my spice rack is so neat!) Finally, I came back and just started throwing stuff into the computer and it began to come together.
My point: If you’re stuck, don’t know where to start (rather it’s writing a blog entry, short letter or a complex business plan), indulge yourself in some productive procrastination. Then come back and just dive in somewhere. Get your fingers to typing whatever and that’ll get your synapses to moving. And, remember the first draft or two (maybe even three) of any kind of writing is usually - well - crap.
And, today, Monday - I’ve got a long list of “to-do’s staring me in the face sooo, I’m going for a walk now. (Funny thing. The important stuff always gets done.)
Related Post: I do some of my best work while walking.
Happy Monday!
Tags: blogging, writing, procrastination
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August 28th, 2006 at 10:54 am
Yeah, I get an awful lot of articles started by playing Free Cell.
August 28th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
I start most of my hard writing days by commenting on other people’s blogs.
August 29th, 2006 at 5:50 am
I totally recognize myself in this. I’m the Director of Marketing for my company and I spend a lot of time wandering around the office, playing with the office dog and just generally appearing to goof off. What people don’t get is I’m actually getting ready to write, and I write better when I spend what appears to be aimless and unproductive time.