Today, I wanted to elaborate on what stems from that fear, or rather, what spurs it on (for me at least)--procrastination.
I'm a planner by nature most of the time--I like things to follow a certain order--but if I'm faced with something that scares me, I will do almost anything to avoid doing it right away (for instance--rearranging my whole room or alphabetizing my cans in the kitchen cupboard...uh, yes, I did that). Once I get into it though, you can't stop me. I don't like doing things last minute, but every now and again, I will stall for as long as I can.
But what causes this?
Why do some of us hit the procrastination button when we are faced with certain situations, while others immediately pass "Go" and never pause, even to collect $200? It may just boil down to force of habit.
Some of us are born ready to take the world by storm, while some of us are biding our time, slowly crawling out of our shells and both are okay! (Just as an fyi, we are going to go into further detail on this particular point in tomorrow's post)
Back to the topic at hand however - take heart. For those of us running in the opposite direction--we are going to change!
So what's our new re-jigged mantra going to be? Courtesy of Mr. Jefferson (yes, it's not an exact eye opener - but it works and we forget sometimes!):
"Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?"
Because we are all going places people, and we have to get there, regardless of when!
Okay, show of hands--who here is a procrastinator with me? You get a high five. And if you're not, you get a high five too (but please share your techniques with us)!
13 comments:
Hey, saw your comment on Amanda's blog and stopped by. I have a secret to tell you...
Writing scares me too!
It's the completion part that's the worst for me, the finishing of the novel. I sometimes think that's why I want to be successful at it, to conquer that fear. Anyways, I'm following you now, looking forward to reading what else you have to say! Oh, and good luck! :)
Hi, my name is Chris and I'm a habitual procrastinator. I love to write and there's no better feeling than when I make the process a part of my day. I feel horrible when I lose focus.
It's great to read blogs such as this to let me know I'm not alone. Additionally, you gotta admit, this is way better than alphabetizing the cupboard.
I try to focus on just doing the very next thing - that way I don't freeze or panic :) It keeps the procrastination down!
I can be a procrastinator.. but I'm working on it. I stick to the timer method - you can get a lot done in 1hr if you know you get the next hr to do as you like :)
Mesmerix - Welcome! I hear you--finishing is the hardest part for me too. And don't worry - we ARE going to conquer it :)
Chris - Hiiii Chris. Welcome to Procrastinators Anoynmous ;). You're definitely not alone and don't feel horrible about losing focus - it happens to the best of us. You should however, try the alphabetizing :D.
Jemi - That's a good plan. Staying on top of things keeps us moving forward. Thanks for sharing!
Nicole - thanks for sharing! You're right - it's a good idea to schedule things like that. Kind of like a little reward for your hard work.
I try my best not to procrasinate. But in the summer I get really bad. I think I have all this time and before I know it school is ready to start!
Sometimes I want to kill the person who quoted that! Because most of the time, for me, it's true!
Oh, I'm a procrastinator all right. But eventually I just have to force myself to start writing, and after a few minutes I get into it and enjoy it, and I wonder why I ever procrastinated in the first place.
Renae - I know what you mean. Time can really get away from us without us knowing it :)
Lydia - I hate it too - because it tends to become my "perfect excuse".
Amanda - You're right. That's the key thing to do - just force yourself to start, because that's always the hard part!
Oh yes, I need to join Procrastinator's Anonymous too. It's frustrating sometimes. And it *is* related to fear in some ways. I really want to conquer this one, because I think it's a key to writerly happiness!
Also, I'm totally interested in the post for tomorrow! Thanks for the though-provoking post!
Writing scares me too, but every day when I sit down and write I feel like I've accomplished something great. That's what motivates me to keep going.
Molly - You are more than welcome to become a member :) We will conquer this fear together! And I'm sorry - that post is now on Friday!
Stephanie - I love that feeling. It's like no other. It scares you and excites you all at the same time!
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