Procrastination is one of the few words that strike terror into the heart and mind of anyone creative.
That feeling of wanting to create more than anything but at the same time somehow you keep finding other more important things to do.
Like cutting the lawn, washing those 3 items of laundry that were forming a huge pile in your bedroom or rearranging your CD or book collection into chronological order.
If you find you do these kind of activities regularly rather than just sit down and create, then you’re in the grip of some serious procrastination habits.
You’re not in control of your creativity anymore.
Procrastination is holding your creativity hostage, dictating WHEN you create and HOW MUCH you create.
And making sure this is as close to “hardly ever” and “hardly anything” as possible…
So what can you do about it?
First of all, accept that you don’t mean to procrastinate. But you do do it.
Sometimes, in fact maybe MOST of the time, you don’t even realise you’re doing it.
For example, you sit down at your desk or work space with the best intentions to create freely for an hour.
“Right, I’ll just make a cup of tea then I’ll start.” You make the tea.
“Oh actually, I quite fancy a piece of cake with that.” So you go and cut a slice of cake.
“Hmm, I need to visit the loo now. Then I’ll get straight into creating.” Off you go to the loo.
“This sink is filthy. I can’t stand it being like that. And the floor needs a clean too. I’d better do it now or it’ll just play on my mind until it’s done.” Out come the pink rubber gloves…
And so it goes on…
An hour later, which you’d hoped to have spent creating, you’ve actually created nothing at all.
That blank canvas, screen or page is still there waiting.
So, accept that you DO procrastinate. Without judgement. And that it’s not a sin, we all do it.
The example above is something I’ve actually found myself doing more than once. Well, except for the pink rubber gloves. Mine are yellow.
Once you’ve accepted that you do procrastinate and started to identify some of the ways you procrastinate, you’re in a far stronger position to take the next step to reduce how often you procrastinate.
Your creativity doesn’t need to be held hostage by procrastination.
There are ways to overcome it. And they begin with admitting you do it, and noticing when and how.