Are You Procrastinating?
How to start
She found these helpful…. and she’s a goddess so…
Sometimes I think about having already written it and to feels so good that it gets me to start.
Sometimes I put some supposedly energizing - brain stimulating - it’s literally called neuro gum (not a sponsor or affiliate link;) in my mouth, But I think it’s the chewing that really does it.
Sometimes I redefine what I’m writing.
Some things just don’t want to be written. Literally it’s like I’m standing at the door and none of my keys are working. And those things - the locked houses - are just getting in the way of the thing that is begging to be put into words.
When I’m redefining I look at if it’s too big a thing. Like today I was intending to finish a piece about how to ‘do the news’ and I just couldn’t - although maybe after I warm up with this I will be able to? Sometimes it’s too small a thing. Sometimes it’s an old thing I waited too long to write. Or a brand new thing that’s not quite cooked.
Sometimes I remind myself to write it badly.
Sometimes I remember I’m actually curious about it. And then if I’m not curious I give myself a different assignment.
Sometimes I shop for a while, usually on eBay or ThredUp, because I can search for something petty specific, then get lots of options and my brain starts to sort and categorize similarities and differences which seems to help my word brain ramp up. And then I occasionally buy a blouse to keep the zooms peppy.
If I hadn’t already done wordle and connections I might do that to get going but, nope.
Anyway hope that helps. And yeah, I’m going toward on that news piece now.
Infinitely Yours,
Beth
Oh PS - two program notes… paid subscriptions are now (only) $5.00/month. I understand that no matter what the number you may have a freeze on spending. But if TIC inspires you, helps you, excites you, connects with you - it helps substack know there’s interest and they do their thing with my thing, Also, yeah I do drink a lot of coffee:)
PPS We have an UnCabaret this Friday night! Super great line up if you happen to need a laugh and are in Los Angeles we’ll be at El Cid raising he vibration and having our monthly be in! Tickets here.
This is such a public service. I have used your checklist twice now when I was having trouble getting started writing, working my way through until one of them eventually worked both times and I finished the pieces I needed to get done. Thank you, YOU goddess!