4 effective ways to beat laziness and procrastination
We do often hear complaining that people can’t get started writing at once and produce blog content consistently. You know bloggers who put up posts every few weeks stating “I haven’t posted in a while, but I’m going to get started really soon.” Maybe you aren’t that bad. But are you completely satisfied with your ability to routinely produce high-quality content? If you are, go read something else, this article is not for you and your time is valuable. If you are not satisfied, we'll be going to cover four ways to overcome writing laziness and blogging procrastination:
Taking serious action.
Have a routine.
Be realistic in your writing goals.
Pushing your flywheel.
If you were expecting some dazzling new concepts or productivity tricks, we are sorry to disappoint. It simply does not operate that way. People have been trying to shortcut hard work and discipline ever since Adam had to pull the first weeds out of his freshly cursed garden. It didn’t work then, and it doesn’t work today.
Nike had it right when they said “just do it”. This is the downfall of most people, no matter what the goal. They think, they plan, they prepare, they contemplate, they organize, they rework, but they never get around to “doing it”, doing it right, doing it consistently and doing it no matter how hard it is.
Why? Usually the matter is in the combination of reasons: some are afraid to fail; some people won’t do something unless they are naturally gifted at it, and it comes easily. You’ll find a common trait of many productive and successful bloggers is that they just simply “do it”. Start writing. Many people suffer from procrastination. It would seem they love the thought of doing it, but not actually doing it. They love planning for it and perhaps telling other people they are going to do it. Perhaps they lack the work ethic or are frozen by fear.
If that’s you, no worries. Today is the day you end all that. Here are some simple steps to get you writing on a blog post right now, steps anyone can do if they simply choose.
Take serious action
Why describe it as “serious action”? Many people are good at taking action, but it’s not serious or productive action. It’s action in order to feel like you’re taking action. It might be planning, organizing, research, discussing, getting opinion everything except actually doing what matters.
For example, the sales reps who prepare, train, make lists, develop detailed plans, etc. and never actually get out and sell (serious action). They’re busy. They are taking lots of action, but it’s not serious action. It’s “fools gold” that gives them an excuse or cover for that lack of real work.
Writing might be similar. Many people are perpetually preoccupied with getting ready to write but never actually do so.
There is only one way to get from point A to point B. Take a step (action). There is only one way to set an appointment on the phone and that is to pick up the phone and dial (action). There is only one way to stop being distracted by email and Internet, turn it off for a while (action).
There is only one way to write. Start writing. Take action. No secrets, no shortcuts, no tricks, it doesn’t get any easier. If you want to write a blog post, there is only one way: start writing. Take serious action.
This is intended to be a revelation for you (it’s too obvious) as much as it is intended to encourage you to do the only thing that will produce content: start writing. Take action.
Have a routine
Once you begin to have some success with the single most important step (take action), you can do some other things that will help you take consistent and effective action. One huge benefit is to have a regular routine: time, place, steps and environment.
Routines are boring, but guess what? That’s the whole point! Routines remove distractions (turn off the email, the phone and TV). Routines prepare your mind and body (you acclimate to the process and subconsciously your body and mind get ready for what they know is coming). Routines make it clear to others what you are doing during that time and don’t interrupt you.
Routines allow your mind to be mulling over your writing ideas even before you realize you’ve begun thinking about it. It’s a kind of “background preparation”. Let us explain. Have you ever gone to bed still working through a problem or solution in your head that you just can’t seem to figure out? Then you wake up in the middle of the night or in the morning and suddenly the answer is crystal clear. Your brain doesn’t shut down. It’s still working on things even when you aren’t aware of it.
Writing can make the same use background brain activity encourage by a routine. If you are in a constant cycle of idea-write-idea-write, your brain works on those ideas even when you aren’t focused on them in preparation for the routine writing session you’ve trained your mind to expect. It's just the amazing ability of the mind, but you’ll never know until you develop some consistency and discipline in your writing. Pretty soon, you’ll have more ideas that you can keep up with. Ask any successful blogger/author.
Be realistic with your writing goals
You have to set writing goals that you can actually achieve. If you are a slow reader or a new writer, set a goal of 1-2 blog posts a week of about 350 words. As you get better, increase the word count until you reach a goal of about 800 words for a well written, useful post. Once 800 words is no problem for you, then shoot for 3 blog posts a week, then 4 or 5 depending on your audience and topic.
Set writing goals you can reach with moderate effort. If you set them too high and fail or have to wear yourself out to achieve them, you’ll soon find yourself back to the “can’t seem to get started” prison.
Pushing your flywheel
People want meteoric success in whatever they do, especially online. They want it fast, and they want it big, preferably with minimal effort. In our modern world of “give it to me now, give it to me fast, I deserve it”, we are easy prey for the mentality that success in life, relationships or business should be instant and easy.
That’s not reality. Nor should you want it to be. Success that is fast and easy for all, is not a success at all. It’s just status quo. Think about it. If everyone could achieve blogging success fast with no real effort or process, then “success” would simply be redefined as something more than that.
That’s why, as a rule, “success” is by definition neither easy, nor fast. You have to change your mentality and expectations. Real success comes with time, discipline and consistent effort.
Do you know what a flywheel is? A flywheel is a large, heavy disk. It’s difficult to get turning, but if you keep pushing and pushing, it gains momentum and pretty soon it has a powerful spin that is easily maintained with just little effort. Think of rolling a snowball down a hill: hard to get going, but a force all its own once it gains speed and size.
Picture yourself every day diligently pushing on a giant flywheel that represents your writing effort.
Each day you push on that flywheel by following your routine, taking action and writing; you discipline yourself to do the activities every day that will improve your writing skills (speed and quality), and with each action, even small actions, you nudge that flywheel, gaining speed every so slightly, day after day.
Early in your efforts, you push hard, and the wheel turns slowly, but that is natura, don’t let it discourage you. With each nudge the flywheel picks up speed. As it picks up speed and gains momentum, the pushing becomes easier, and the speed continues to build. Your little pushes each day result in great amounts of speed and force over the long term due to the “flywheel effect”.
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