The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Maybe I'll Stop Procrastinating...Tomorrow

          Yesterday I went to a St. Louis Writers' Guild workshop entitled "Procrastination," given by Tricia Sanders. Since I am the Princess of Procrastination, I thought I might as well attend.  After all, there was a chance I could discover new ways to put off til tomorrow what I should be doing today.


photo by Srh Vee

         Fortunately, I found the opposite. Tricia shared some practical advice on how to keep our writing on track, such as:

  • Write for short intervals--20 or 30 minutes--and set a timer.  (You can go to http://www.cooltimer.com/, I'm told, to get one on your desktop.)  When the timer goes off, you have a set break--5 or 10 minutes--to get something to drink, go to the bathroom, etc. and then of course, back to writing...

  • Set up "office hours," hours where you are working and should not be disturbed. (Why do we insist on answering the phone when it rings and we're in the middle of something?  After all, the phone is for our convenience, not everyone else's.  You can always check the answering machine/voice mail, to ensure it's not an emergency.)

  • Reward yourself when you achieve a small goal. "When I finish reworking the opening lines of this story, I get to phone a friend/take a walk/do a bit of knitting/play with the dog."  (Do not get in the habit of rewarding yourself with chocolate concoctions.  I've tried this, and now they are going to have to open up the side of my house with a wrecking ball because I can't fit through the doorway. Think about it...)

  • Write down your year's worth of writing goals and email them to a writing buddy. Have your friend do the same.  At the six-month mark, send them (via the postal carrier) to your friend.  He/she has six months left to achieve them. 

photo by Don Moyer
      
 What advice do you have for procrastinators?

       And welcome to my three newest followers...Thank you Ellie for stopping by. I hope you continue to read things of interest.
        Welcome Madeleine Maddocks.  You can check out her blog.  (She creates soft sculptures...I'd love to see some of them!)
        And thanks also to Dominic de Mattos.  You can read his blog by going to his blog called Writes of Passage.

9 comments:

  1. Ellen DeGeneres said: "Procrastinate now, don't put it off." Somehow that sums it up! I suffer from procrastination also. I sit down to write and remember the laundry/dishwasher/bills to pay. Pretty much "fill in the blank." I wish I knew why. I'd like to stop. Now. Not later. Well, later, too...but mostly now. :)

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  2. Hey Sioux, I'll let you know tomorrow what advice I have for procrastinators... yeah, tomorrow.

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  3. I was going to attend that workshop, but I put it off. Hee hee...couldn't resist. Seriously, thank you for passing along the great advice that I needed!

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  4. I was going to take notes and post about that meeting too, but well, I procrastinated. Actually, I really do perform better under pressure.

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  5. I'll comment on this post in a bit. Honest! LOL

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  6. Great suggestions. I'm going to try them starting tomorrow!

    Pat
    www.critteralley.blogspot.com

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  7. Hey Sioux! Tricia really did give us some good tips, didn't she? I actually began doing some editing and writing today....all because of that workshop!..Plus I got other things accomplished as well....Now, the only thing I need to do, is KEEP DOING IT!!

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  8. Sioux...speaking of time...I just noticed it's after midnight here and your time under my comment says 10:15pm. You must have it set on Pacific time...or Mountain..(?)

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  9. Sioux,

    Thanks for coming to the workshop. Glad you enjoyed it.

    Tricia

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