Turn Procrastination to Inspiration
By: Tess Wheeler
Tags: Humor, Work, Life Lessons, Productivity, Creativity

I think at some time or other, most of us are guilty of procrastination — literally, putting something off until tomorrow. For instance, I’m writing this article so that I don’t have to start the short story I should be working on. And earlier today I listened to a podcast that was ‘research’ for the same short story. Why? Because writing the story will be difficult. I may struggle, and I’ll feel frustrated. I’m human, and part of being human is at times trying to avoid things that demand effort and dedication, because…well…because it’s easier.

Some of the most sobering words I’ve read on the dangers of prolonged procrastination come from the wonderful Annie Dillard,

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

(The Writing Life, 1989)

Usually, we are able to come up with numerous other things that we would rather be doing, or that we feel duty-bound to do; we simply can’t put that task off any longer. (“I have to clean my kitchen/mow the lawn/tidy out the garden shed before I can possibly have a clear conscience to sit down and write…”)

From a quick poll of friends, here are some of the ways we avoid working:

We walk away from our desk

We go out and shop or meet friends

We laze in the bath, scrolling through the internet

We lie in bed too long in the mornings

We have an early night because we’re oh so tired

We plan and cook elaborate meals

We draw endless maps and city plans for our unwritten novel because we simply must get the detail right first

We put on our earphones

We stare into space

We slump on the sofa and mindlessly watch TV for six hours

We go to the gym

Do any of these avoidance techniques sound familiar to you?

Interestingly, you can turn all of these exercises in procrastination to your advantage.

See how, with just a simple tweak of mindset, these avoidance techniques become the very things that will fire your imagination, give you inspiration, and help you rediscover your muse:

Take a break from your desk, clear your mind

Go for a walk and let nature, or your urban environment, inspire you

Soak in the bath and let your mind wander. Have a notebook and pen by your side to write down ideas before you forget them.

Go to sleep, see what your dreams bring — don’t forget that notebook.

Bake a cake — one kind of creativity feeds off another

Paint or draw, for the same reason

Listen to your favourite ­music and let it create pictures in your mind

Meditate or do some yoga

Watch a show and analyse it from a writer’s perspective

Exercise! Get the adrenaline pumping, release those endorphins, fill your body with serotonin

And then…and now I’m being firm with you…go sit down, tie your leg to the leg of the desk, AND DO SOME WORK!

So next time you find yourself engaging in work displacement activity, don’t beat yourself up, just turn it around. Instead of allowing it to stall you, use it to inspire you.

Happily, procrastination cuts both ways; once you are working and ‘in the zone’, you can equally use your writing as the perfect excuse to put off doing the housework/paperwork/the gardening. Do try to remember to feed your pets and children though.

Right, I’m off to start that short story…oh hang on, I just have to renew my house insurance first…aaargh!

How do you procrastinate? What do you fill your time with when you know you ought to be working?

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