Comments on: 7 Foolproof Tricks to Outsmart Writing Procrastination

By: KathleenBaldwin

KathleenBaldwin — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 00:58:59 +0000

Excellent article, Kris! I wish I'd read this one sooner. I really appreciated the how to avoid avoidance behavior. LOL. My graphics work will often take me away from the writing. Thanks to you I will start using it as a reward task.

By: dholcomb1

dholcomb1 — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 03:14:54 +0000

great advice

By: Kris Maze

Kris Maze — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 00:50:42 +0000

In reply to deleyna.

Cool, Deleyna!
It gets tough to manage multiple tasks, family, and our writing careers.
I'm glad you found some nuggets of knowledge.

Kris
A.K.A. Krissy Knoxx. 🙂

By: Kris Maze

Kris Maze — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 00:45:41 +0000

In reply to Lynette M Burrows.

Hi Lynette,
How did the nightly list work for you? I started limiting mine to 6 and was kind of amazing how it de-stressed me.

Staying up late, or my worse occasional habit, getting up in the middle of the night and working. It seems like a good deal to work, since it usually makes me tired, but it can turn my sleep on end for days.

Elephant craziness ensures, for sure. 🙂

Kris

By: Kris Maze

Kris Maze — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 00:39:18 +0000

In reply to Dale Ivan Smith.

Hi Dale,
I'm glad the tips were helpful, especially the elephant and rider analogy. It is the synergy of the two that keep us moving forward in all aspects, not just our creative lives. I found it interesting, too, that trying to control the elephant just drains our energy.

Thanks for comments!
From a fellow hare,
Kris

By: Kris Maze

Kris Maze — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 00:35:04 +0000

In reply to Jenny Hansen. We've got to stay healthy, right? I look forward to more 'cooking sessions when we get our writing group on a call!

By: deleyna

deleyna — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 23:15:59 +0000

Woohoo! Love that Krissy Knoxx is making her debut! I love this post, Kris. I especially love that you lean on some older techniques. They've proven themselves. Many modern techniques build on these... and I haven't seen much good added. I do a variation of planning the next day's tasks each night. It helps so much. Sadly, I still prioritize other things over writing (website building, for example!!!) but I'm doing better at managing both.

By: Lynette M Burrows

Lynette M Burrows — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 21:41:29 +0000

I've definitely had issues with procrastination this past year. I've tried many "tricks" to get back on track. I regularly use the make a list the night before. The most effective procrastination buster I've found is focusing on my health which includes getting enough sleep. I shoot myself in my own foot when reaching the end of a manuscript or project by working late into the night. But when I'm tired this "rider" loses all control over my "elephant."

By: Dale Ivan Smith

Dale Ivan Smith — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 20:21:38 +0000

Procrastination has most definitely been a problem for me in the past. Deadlines helped, but it was too easy to get too ambitious and pile on more. In retrospect, I was trying to go full on hare when I'm more the tortoise. All your tips are helpful, I especially like building in wiggle time, false deadlines, and training your elephant.

Incidentally, I recently realized how much I overly supervised my own creative process--trying to control the elephant rather train it to work with me. I managed to publish a number of novels and stories, but the supervision became worse and worse until it reached a crisis point. Now, I'm in the process of reconnecting with the elephant.

Thanks for a very helpful post!

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 20:16:06 +0000

The last two really resonate for me - break the project into bite-sized pieces and prioritize your health. I desperately need to implement both those things for success and I'm not inherently good at either one!