Stop Procrastinating and Make Great Progress on Your Book
/
Whenever procrastination bares its terrible fangs, you know your subconscious is trying to tell you something. Possibly something you don’t want to hear because you’re scared.
Well, fear not! Together we’re going to lower the stakes on creativity because none of this is as bad as your subconscious believes it is.
Here’s the step by step:…
1. Take Notes on Your Fear
Let your subconscious have it’s say. After all, it’s estimated that your subconscious mind makes up 97% of your total cognitive processing power. There’s no ignoring it. Therefore, you want to integrate that subconscious wisdom on a regular basis. Don’t just listen, embrace that subconscious intelligence. You can’t fight resistance with resistance.
In order to get the messages your subconscious is trying to send, just ask in a straightforward way: Why am I procrastinating? What am I afraid of? You don’t need to sit down at a bay window overlooking a lake and journal for 5 hours, you’ll just procrastinate that. Instead write down a few sentences on a regular basis as you move forward over weeks, and that will be enough to integrate conflicting thoughts.
2. Embrace the Wavelike Nature of Creativity.
Just because you’re not always working, doesn’t mean you’re procrastinating. Creativity requires rest. Don’t push yourself too hard, that’s also fear-based. If you go through a day of extreme inspiration where you couldn’t stop writing if you tried, don’t resist it if it’s followed by a day of silence. This is natural and healthy to fill the well. Another wave of creativity is building.
At the same time, making more progress can also trigger more fear. This also contributes to the wavelike nature of creativity and it happens to me all the time. I leap ahead, and then I freak myself out, then I leap ahead again, and I freak myself out again. If you find yourself repeating this pattern, slow down to speed up. Take some time to calm those fears and keep practicing step one.
3. Know Your Creative Triggers
Charles Duhigg’s book “The Power of Habit,” talks about habit cues. I call them triggers. They’re the easiest way to revolutionize your whole life, especially creatively. This could be music, a particular café, or a hot beverage that signals to your brain, “I’m safe, comfortable and it’s time to put pen to paper.”
You can always pick up a worksheet from my free resources and courses to get yourself in the flow. I always sit down with structure worksheets, especially around New Years when I want to spur new ideas. Or perhaps you like to review what you’ve written the day before, or grab a journal entry or article you’ve done. The best writing comes when the writing practice is habitual. You don’t have to be in a euphoric state of genius all the time.
4. Track Your Progress
Building momentum sets off the brain’s natural reward system. However, in order to harness this power, you must consciously recognize that you are indeed moving ahead. When it comes to writing a manuscript, progress can seem murky at times. We’re constantly second-guessing ourselves. In order to lift myself out of creative quagmires, I’ve worked out a tracking system I love, and many of my clients have found it useful as well.
First, I print the table of contents. This is a liquid document, it’s always changing as the manuscript evolves, but I do the best I can in the beginning. Then, as I write the chapters on the TOC, I track their status with a system of letters I scribble in the margins:
Z = Zero: Nothing but the idea.
N = Notes: I’ve collected some phrases, sentences or paragraphs.
D = Draft: Notes are fleshed out and put in order.
M = Middle: The middle stages of the draft as I polish. It can hang out here for a while.
A = Almost: I added this one for my own gratification because the middle stage takes so long.
F = Finished. I’ve done my dirt and it’s time to send it to the real editor.
I think it just goes to show you, that every chapter and every book has multiple stages. Nobody sits down and just pounds it out. It takes brainstorming, drafting, and long walks thinking about your next move.
Recently, I started telling myself, “Trust the snowballs, not the avalanches.” We can waste so much time waiting for that avalanche of inspiration, and yet it's those small actions that grow into something big. Trust the snowball effect. Your book gets finished why you love coming back to it, writing down ideas, and sculpting with words, an hour at a time. When you give yourself permission to do the small things, the big things take care of themselves.