First Aid for Procrastination

Five Steps to Overcome Inaction, Foot-Dragging, 
Delay or Writer's Block

When procrastination nags at you, you need some way to convince yourself to get moving right now. Try these five steps when you’re delaying on a consequential project:

1. Articulate what exactly you are doing or not doing, in place of the label "procrastination."

Example: I just can’t get started. Or: I keep quitting halfway.

The all-purpose label "procrastination" isn’t as illuminating as a more specific description of your problem.

Get the medicine for writer's block that gets you writing quickly, easily,  consistently and well, and that you'll enjoy "taking" again and again.

2. Ask yourself, "What could I possibly be afraid of here?"

Perhaps: Fear of talking with strangers; Fear of ridicule; Not knowing what you’ll do once you finish.

Unacknowledged fears are the #1 cause of continually postponed projects. Just naming the fear often enables you to ignore or overcome it.

3. Ask yourself, "Do I really, wholeheartedly want to get this thing done?"

Choices: Yes; No; or Maybe.

Ambivalence is the second major cause of procrastination. If you resent having to do something, or aren’t sure it’s the best course of action, recognizing hesitations allows you to make a deliberate choice of whether or not to go ahead.

4. Brainstorm ways to get the task done that would be fun for you.

For instance: Invite friends over for a most-hated-task party; do your exercise walking at a favorite place; turn music on and dance while cleaning up.

Who said your task has to be unpleasant? With a little imagination, you can re-engineer it so you’ll have more enjoyment getting it done.

5. Take some step immediately toward completion every time you find yourself thinking about the task you have the problem with.

Do something small right now! Make a phone call; collect your tax records; find the supplies you need.

By taking advantage of the energy of the moment, you make progress.

If it's a writing project you've put off or just can't complete, you need Become a More Productive Writer, a four-CD audio program and manual.  "It's excellent!" says best-selling novelist Sue Grafton.

Based on years of creativity research and with its techniques tested at dozens of workshops, Become a More Productive Writer demonstrates how to shed self-defeating judgments and get moving on any long-delayed project today.  Whether you've put off work on your firm's annual report or the Great American Novel, this practical program gives you the gentle kick in the pants you need.  Order the CD set now for $147.00 plus shipping.

Get eye-opening insights like these:

• Why prolific writing doesn't require fast writing, so you can be a productive tortoise, if you're not cut out to be a speedy rabbit  

• Why sheer discipline doesn't produce good writing, the kind you're proud to share and whose results gratify everyone involved

• Southern author Flannery O'Connor's secret for the next best thing to creativity on command

• How small chunks of time - even waiting for the microwave oven to ping - can move you forward on your writing

• Like to run?  Sleep?  Cook?  Play music?  When and how not working contributes to productive writing

• Why putdowns of yourself that have become habitual, such as "I can't write if I don't have a deadline," need to be turned on their heads

• How to use past creative successes (everyone has them!) to build an idiosyncratic writing process

• Why a dialogue with your unconscious mind helps, with techniques for accessing what you know but don't know that you know

• What to do to organize ideas quickly and well - including a process that enables you to create a table of contents for your unwritten book in just 20 minutes

• And much more, including vivid and helpful guided visualizations 

Now here's the rundown of what's included in this one-of-a-kind program:

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Audio 2:  Exploding Writer's Block. Offers five quick-writing techniques, visualizations and advice on bypassing writing obstacles.

Audio 3:  Procrastination: Creative Solutions. Through writing, visualizing and self-awareness exercises, defeat procrastination without struggle or pain. 

Audio 4:  How to Be Your Own Best Editor. Understand why writing experts say 90% of writing success comes from rewriting. Explains specific factors to look for during self-editing, while not letting critical voices stop you from completing your manuscript.

Manual:  No More Writer's Block!  A written summary of how to devise a customized-for-you creative process by understanding five elements of discipline and five elements of inspiration, along with a description of five exercises that enable you to create raw material for your writing quickly and effortlessly.  

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