S1E06: TACKLING PROCRASTINATION WITH TIME MANAGEMENT
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Hey there, Wordmaker!
With our Quarterly Check-in coming up, I thought this might be a good time to talk about time management. As an author, I'm frequently asked by my fellow wordmakers how I manage the myriad of tasks required to run an author’s business successfully. It's a valid question, considering the diverse roles we play — from being the creative force behind our stories to taking on the responsibilities of editing, marketing, and even managing the financial aspects of our work — these roles demand time, energy, and a certain level of expertise. Over the years, I've developed a system that not only helps me tackle these duties effectively but also ensures that I stay aligned with my creative vision and personal well-being. Full disclosure, I’m not great at implementing all of these tips 100% of the time, but even if I only give it 80% effort, I still have better results than if I only complained about needing to get it done!
Before we dig in, I also want to acknowledge that the prospect of having to do all of this work all the time is overwhelming. Being an author is kinda like being a one-man band, except it’s never Ochee Wally or One Mic — it’s always both. And this is true for if you’re self or traditionally published. You’ll find that a lot of these responsibilities fall into your lap when you’re traditionally published as well. Getting your book published and in the hands of readers is exciting, but it can be overwhelming without proper time management. - Introduce the focus of the article: how effective time management can be a key tool in overcoming these challenges.
Understanding Procrastination in Writing
We've all been there, sitting down to write and suddenly finding that cleaning the entire house seems like an urgent task. Procrastination in writing is when you delay or put off writing tasks, and it can really throw a wrench into your productivity and creative flow.
The impact of procrastination on writing can lead to missed deadlines, increased stress, and that nagging guilt that comes from knowing you should be writing but you ain’t. Plus, it can stifle the momentum you need to complete projects and hinder your overall progress as a writer.
So, why do writers procrastinate?
There are a few common culprits.
Fear of failure is a big one. The idea that what you write might not be good enough can be paralyzing, leading you to put off writing to avoid that potential failure. Perfectionism plays into this too. If you're aiming for every word to be flawless, you might find it hard to start at all, because let’s face it, first drafts are rarely perfect.
Lack of motivation can also lead to procrastination. Maybe you’re not feeling inspired, or the project you’re working on doesn’t excite you. Whatever the reason, a lack of enthusiasm can make it easy to find any excuse not to write.
Now, let’s talk about the relationship between procrastination and writer’s block because they often show up to the party together. While they’re not the same thing, they can feed into each other. Procrastination can lead to writer’s block because the more you put off writing, the harder it can be to get into the flow of it. And writer’s block might cause procrastination as you might avoid writing to escape the frustration of feeling stuck.
Understanding procrastination in writing is the first step to overcoming it. Recognizing the reasons behind your procrastination can help you address those issues and find strategies to get back on track. Whether it’s breaking tasks into smaller steps, setting realistic goals, or finding ways to reignite your passion for the project, there are ways to beat procrastination and get those words flowing again.
Psychological Approaches to Tackle Procrastination
Tackling procrastination is more than just a time management issue. It's often about overcoming psychological barriers that prevent us from being effective with our time. These barriers can be deep-seated, like fear of failure, perfectionism, or even a lack of self-confidence, which leads us to put off tasks because they feel too daunting or we doubt our abilities.
Several psychological techniques can help us break through these barriers. Mindfulness, for example, helps by bringing our attention to the present moment, making us more aware of our procrastination habits and the emotions driving them. When we’re mindful, we can observe our thoughts and feelings without judgment, recognize when we’re starting to procrastinate, and gently steer ourselves back to the task at hand.
Positive self-talk is another powerful tool. It involves flipping the script on negative, self-defeating thoughts that often lead to procrastination. Instead of thinking, "I’m never going to get this right," we can tell ourselves, "I’ll make progress bit by bit." This shift in mindset can reduce the anxiety and overwhelm that often lead to procrastination.
Cognitive behavioral strategies are also effective. They involve identifying and challenging the irrational or harmful thoughts that lead to procrastination and replacing them with more constructive, realistic thoughts. For instance, if the thought of writing a whole novel seems overwhelming, break it down into chapters or sections, and focus on one small piece at a time. This makes the task feel more manageable and less intimidating.
Self-compassion and patience play crucial roles in this process. Being kind to ourselves, acknowledging that it’s okay to be imperfect, and allowing ourselves the time we need to complete tasks can reduce the pressure and negativity that fuel procrastination. When we treat ourselves with compassion, we’re more likely to take small, steady steps towards our goals without the paralyzing fear of not being good enough.
Understanding the underlying emotional and cognitive barriers and employing techniques like mindfulness, positive self-talk, cognitive behavioral strategies, and self-compassion can help you tackle procrastination. These methods help create a healthier mindset, making it easier to manage time effectively and engage in the writing process with confidence and patience.
Here's how to keep all these balls a’jugglin’ without losing your sanity…
Set Clear Goals
I know we’re creatives, and setting goals feels oppressive sometimes. We don’t want to think about whether the story we want to write fits into our overall goals for our writing career or consider how we might find readers for our books when getting read is what makes this creative venture worthwhile! We just wanna do stuff! Writing stuff! However, having clear, measurable goals gives your work structure and direction.
1. Why Set Goals?
I know what you're thinking. We're writers! We're artists! We don't want to be confined by goals and plans. We just want to write and let our stories unfold organically. While this free-spirited approach has its merits, it can also lead to a lack of direction, reduced productivity, and even burnout.
Setting clear, measurable goals can provide structure and direction for your writing career. It gives you a roadmap, guiding you toward your destination step by step. Goals can help you stay focused, motivate you to keep going when the going gets tough and give you a sense of accomplishment as you tick off each milestone on your journey.
2. Make Your Goals SMART
You've probably heard of the SMART goal framework. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This framework can be incredibly helpful in setting effective goals for your writing career.
Breaking down large tasks into smaller, manageable ones is the way I tend to manage my never-ending to-do list. A goal such as "Write a book" might seem daunting, but "Write 500 words a day" is more achievable.
It's specific (you know exactly what you need to do), measurable (you can track your progress), achievable (it's a realistic target), relevant (it contributes to your overall goal of writing a book), and time-bound (you have a clear deadline).
Plus, each time you complete a task, you'll get a boost of motivation, making it easier to tackle the next one.
3. Staying Flexible
While setting goals is important, it's equally crucial to stay flexible. Sometimes, despite our best-laid plans, things don't go as expected. Maybe you hit a creative block, or life throws you a curveball. When this happens, it's okay to adjust your goals. Remember, your goals are there to serve you, not the other way around.
Prioritize Tasks
Not all tasks are created equal. Some will have a greater impact on your success than others. I’m frequently distracted by creative tasks like cover design or Identify these high-impact tasks and prioritize them. Techniques like the Eisenhower Box can help you categorize tasks into urgent/non-urgent and important/not important.
Understanding the Importance of Prioritization
Not every task on your to-do list carries the same weight. Some tasks will contribute more significantly to your overall goal than others. These high-impact tasks should take precedence over less critical ones. However, identifying and prioritizing these tasks can often be challenging. That's where proven techniques like the Eisenhower Box come into play.
The Eisenhower Box: A Tool for Task Prioritization
The Wordmaker Mindset adapts the Eisenhower Method to specifically cater to the unique needs of authors, focusing on the balance between creative work, business responsibilities, and personal well-being. Here's how the method is restructured under the Wordmaker Mindset
1. Immediately Creative and Critical (Write Now): These are tasks that are both urgent and important for your writing goals. They demand immediate attention due to their time-sensitivity and significant impact on your writing career. Examples include meeting publisher deadlines, responding to time-sensitive editorial feedback, or addressing urgent issues that impact your creative process.
2. Essential but Creatively Flexible (Plan and Develop): These tasks are crucial for your long-term writing success but aren't immediately pressing. They require thoughtful planning and can be scheduled into your routine without urgency. This category includes developing new story ideas, researching for upcoming projects, enhancing your writing skills, and planning marketing strategies for future book releases.
3. Urgent but Administratively Routine (Delegate or Streamline): These are tasks that need to be addressed promptly but might not directly contribute to your creative writing goals. Such tasks are prime candidates for delegation or streamlining through automation and efficient systems. Examples can include managing routine correspondence, social media management, bookkeeping, and other administrative tasks.
4. Neither Creatively Nor Administratively Significant (Minimize or Eliminate): These tasks offer little to no benefit to your writing career or personal well-being and should be minimized or eliminated. They typically involve activities that can distract or detract from your writing and personal time, such as aimless internet browsing, excessive social media use without purpose, or attending non-essential meetings or events.
By applying the Eisenhower Method through the lens of the Wordmaker Mindset, I can efficiently prioritize their tasks, focusing on what is most beneficial for their writing, personal growth, and well-being. This approach encourages a balanced and strategic handling of both the creative and business aspects of a writing career.
Let’s put this to work:
A book release month can be a busy time for an author, filled with a variety of tasks. Applying the reworked Eisenhower Method to a book release month, let's organize the multitude of tasks that come up for authors:
1. Immediately Creative and Critical (Write Now):
These are the tasks that are crucial for the immediate success of your book launch.
- Final proofreading and formatting: Ensuring your book is polished and ready for the market.
- Coordinating with printers/distributors: Making sure the book is available for distribution on the launch date.
- Sending out review copies: Essential for garnering reviews that align with your launch.
- Announcing the release date: Updating your website and social media so readers know when the book is available.
2. Essential but Creatively Flexible (Plan and Develop): These tasks are vital for the long-term success of your book but aren’t urgent.
- Planning post-launch marketing activities: Such as book readings, signings, or interviews.
- Starting the next book: Especially if you’re working on a series, begin outlining the next part.
- Requesting reviews from advance copy recipients: This is important for marketing but can be done after the initial launch.
3. Urgent but Administratively Routine (Delegate or Streamline):
- Immediate, but less critical tasks for the book launch.
- Responding to non-critical emails or messages: Essential for maintaining communication but not urgent.
- Updating your author bio or tweaking your website: Important, but not as directly impactful on the launch.
4. Neither Creatively Nor Administratively Significant (Minimize or Eliminate):
- Low-priority tasks that can be minimized or eliminated during the book release.
- Avoiding unrelated social media discussions: While social media is crucial for promotion, not every interaction is beneficial.
- Limiting time spent on irrelevant articles or videos: Such activities can distract from more important tasks.
By applying this method, you can efficiently allocate your time and efforts to tasks that significantly impact your book release, thereby ensuring a successful and less stressful launch. This approach isn’t just for book launches; it can be a daily, weekly, or quarterly practice to manage your tasks. Prioritize the 'Immediately Creative and Critical' tasks, allocate time for 'Essential but Creatively Flexible' tasks, delegate 'Urgent but Administratively Routine' tasks when possible, and limit time spent on tasks that are 'Neither Creatively Nor Administratively Significant.'
Batch Similar Tasks
Batching is a another time management technique that involves grouping similar tasks together and tackling them all at once and it’s my favorite way to get shit done. The idea behind batching is that performing similar tasks in one go reduces the time and mental energy wasted in shifting gears between different types of tasks.
Why Batching Works
Our brains ain’t wired for multitasking. I know we like to think they are, but the fact is, each time we switch tasks, our brain needs to adjust to the new task, which can lead to a significant drop in productivity and an increase in mistakes. This phenomenon, known as "context switching," can be especially detrimental for self-published authors juggling a variety of duties.
Batching helps minimize context switching by keeping our brains focused on one type of task at a time. This allows us to enter a 'flow state,' where we're fully immersed in the task at hand, leading to increased productivity and efficiency.
How to Implement Batching
1: Identify Batchable Tasks
The first step in implementing batching is to identify which tasks can be grouped together. For a self-published author, this might look like:
Writing (creating new content, blog posts, drafting chapters)
Editing (proofreading, revising drafts)
Marketing (planning campaigns, updating social media, writing newsletters)
Administrative tasks (responding to emails, scheduling appointments)
2: Group Similar Tasks Together
Once you've identified your batchable tasks, group them together based on their nature. For instance, you might group all writing-related tasks together since they require creative thinking, while administrative tasks that require less creative energy can be grouped separately.
3: Dedicate Specific Time Blocks
After grouping your tasks, allocate specific time blocks for each batch. For example, you might dedicate your most productive morning hours to writing, while reserving afternoons for marketing and administrative tasks.
4: Stick to Your Schedule
Consistency is key when it comes to batching. Aim to stick to your batching schedule as closely as possible. However, remember to remain flexible and adjust your schedule as needed based on your workload and energy levels.
Give batching a try and see how it can transform your workflow.
Establish a Routine
A consistent routine can enhance productivity. Establishing a writing routine is like setting the foundation for a house. It’s what gives structure and stability to your writing life, ensuring that amidst the chaos of daily responsibilities, there’s always time set aside for your craft. So, why is a consistent writing schedule so important? Well, it helps to create a habit of making writing a regular part of your life. This can boost your productivity, improve your skills over time, and help you meet your writing goals.
Now, developing a personalized writing routine ain’t a one-size-fits-all deal. It’s not as simple as saying write every day. That’s difficult even for the average full time author. It’s about finding what works best for you, fitting into your unique lifestyle and preferences. Are you a morning person who writes best with the first light of day, or does your creativity peak when the rest of the world is asleep? Do you thrive on strict schedules, or do you prefer a more flexible approach? Understanding your rhythms and preferences is key to creating a routine that feels natural and sustainable.
Here’s how to start: Experiment with writing at different times of the day and in different settings to find your sweet spot. Once you’ve figured out when and where you write best, try to make that a consistent part of your day. It doesn’t have to be a huge chunk of time— even 15 to 30 minutes daily can make a big difference.
Balancing writing with other life responsibilities can be tricky but think of your writing time as an appointment you can’t miss. Communicate with your family or roommates about your writing schedule to minimize interruptions. Also, remember that flexibility is important. Life happens, and there will be days when sticking to your routine isn’t possible. That’s okay. The key is to get back on track as soon as you can.
Establishing a writing routine is about finding a balance that works for you, allowing you to nurture your writing without neglecting other areas of your life. It’s about making writing a priority and integrating it into your daily life in a way that feels fulfilling and not burdensome. With a bit of planning and a lot of commitment, you can build a writing routine that supports your goals and fits your lifestyle.
Limit Distractions
In the digital age, distractions are always a click away. Create a distraction-free workspace and set boundaries with your time. Use apps that block distracting websites during your dedicated work time. And I get it. This is a hard habit to break. The creators of these apps basically admit to putting crack in it to keep us engaged. However, minimizing your time on social media will definitely help you become more productive.
Practice Self-Care
Remember, you're not a machine. Don't neglect your physical and mental health. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and adequate sleep can boost your energy levels and improve your focus and concentration.
And I’m gonna be 100% honest here. I ain’t good at this. I’m getting better at it, but I’m not good at the day-to-day of making sure I’m taking care of myself, mostly because I’m still figuring out what types of self-care I need as I dig myself out of burnout.
Self-care is an essential aspect of maintaining physical, emotional, and mental health. However, in recent years, the concept of self-care has been commodified by capitalism, turning it into a marketable product rather than a practice. Despite this, there are several self-care practices that aren't rooted in consumerism. Here are some examples I’ve been doing to
Meditation and Mindfulness: Regular meditation or mindfulness practice can help reduce stress, improve concentration, and promote a general sense of well-being. It doesn't require any special equipment or subscriptions, just a quiet space and time. I’m super into this particular aspect of self-care. Most of my rituals, habits, and routines center around mindfulness.
Physical Activity: Regular exercise is a great way to take care of your physical health and can also boost your mood. This doesn't have to mean expensive gym memberships or fitness equipment. Walking, cycling, or doing bodyweight exercises at home are all free and effective ways to stay active.
Healthy Eating: Preparing nutritious meals at home can be a form of self-care. It's often cheaper than eating out and allows you to have control over what you're putting in your body.
Sleep: Prioritizing good sleep hygiene is a fundamental aspect of self-care that doesn't cost anything. I’m a horrible sleeper. I rarely sleep through the night and will often go though bouts of insomnia where I’m getting two to four hours a night. Outside of sleep aids, which I have no desire to use, there’s not much I can do about this. However, I work from home and I work for myself so I’ve allowed some flexibility in my schedule for when these bouts of insomnia occur. I take naps, I sleep in on a Tuesday. I take the day off and veg on the couch while napping intermittently until I feel rested.
Spending Time in Nature: Spending time outdoors can reduce stress, improve mood, and increase feelings of well-being. Whether it's a walk in the park, gardening, or hiking in the woods, connecting with nature is a powerful form of self-care. This is something I need to incorporate more.
Journaling: Writing in a journal can help manage anxiety, reduce stress, and cope with depression. All you need is a notebook and a pen.
Building and Maintaining Relationships: Social interaction is a vital part of self-care. Building and maintaining relationships with loved ones, whether through a simple phone call, video chat, or meet-up, can greatly enhance emotional well-being.
Learning and Creativity: Engaging in creative activities or learning new skills can provide a sense of accomplishment and purpose, contributing to self-esteem and happiness.
Remember, self-care is a personal journey, and what works for one person may not work for another. The key is to find practices that you enjoy and that contribute positively to your well-being without adding financial stress. I’ve been implementing them gradually over time and will continue to do so until I feel like myself is well cared for.
With these tips, you'll be well on your way to managing your author business efficiently and effectively. Remember, the goal isn't just to get more done, but to create a balance that allows for creativity, productivity, and a sense of accomplishment.
Effective time management isn't just about cramming tasks into every available slot; it's about strategically aligning our actions with our creative and professional aspirations. By understanding procrastination and its psychological underpinnings, we can tailor our approach to be more mindful, positive, and focused, transforming potential obstacles into stepping stones for success. Each step, from recognizing the triggers of procrastination to implementing a structured yet flexible routine, contributes to a harmonious balance, enabling us to craft our stories and manage our authorial responsibilities with renewed vigor and clarity.
In the end, 'Making Words' isn't just about stringing sentences together; it's about weaving a tapestry of disciplined habits, psychological insights, and unwavering passion for storytelling. So, as we continue on this path, let's embrace the rhythm of our writing lives, finding joy in the discipline that shapes our creative endeavors and leads us toward fulfilling our dreams.
xo, Tasha
