December 2. Writing
What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? (author: Leo Babauta)
Bloody hell, where do I start? Sometimes I feel my entire day is set up to keep me away from my writing — there are so many shiny things that catch my eye! Doing the Digital Detox definitely helped refine my focus while I’m online and I’m trying to reduce time spent on the interwebs so I can sink more deeply into the writing. But here’s my dilemma: my biz exists online and it’s important for me to be where my biz is; the secret is not getting sucked into the rabbit warren of links to links to links — that’s where I’m haemorrhaging time and energy. I tell myself it’s “research” and that I’m filling my inspiration cup, but that is, frankly, a load of crap. All I’m doing is the time honoured Dance of Procrastination and it’s gotta stop.
Tomorrow.
So until my book exists out there in the real world (this thought makes me want to do jumping jacks around the room) and I’m off doing my global book tour* I will be here, on this sofa, looking a bit perplexed as I type into my laptop. With the internet disabled.
For #Reverb10
* slight exaggeration.
* * * * *
I always feel much more comfortable doing this on Twitter than I do here on the blog, but here goes… Registration for the January session of Unravelling is opening this Saturday! Woot!
GREAT #reverb10 post for this day and topic. The Dance of Procrastination is so seductive.
Susannah, a comment that is a question too…sort of…
True: Links for work are important=true
True: Quality of links for work are important=true
True: Quality links come from quality writing=true
The writing quality brings more powerful connections?
Can it be that if you focus on the writing, the rest will come, and be better too?
Turn off the computer, go to the cafe and write, see if new things come if you leave the house maybe?
No cheating, no wifi, no I Phone.
Do you ever try that?
I wrote something similar for this prompt.
Oh I feel you there! I’m not a big writer like you, though I like to flex my skills a bit on my blog, but I find that this same type of procrastination keeps me from DOING nearly every day. Lately I find myself coming home from work and sitting right back in front of a computer to do…nothing. To sit and stare and read and gawk and do absolutely nothing. Prepare is my word for 2011…which involves a lot of doing and leaves no room for procrastination. Good luck with your procrastination show-down, I know I’m going to need it!
Oohhhh – the dance of procrastination – I know that one well! And while I acknowledge that my google reader can become a time warp, I do feel that the blogs I’m subscribed to (48 total, yours included) are what feed my creative soul. I’d rather give up laundry, tv, my day job…
I also find myself active all day from work, then trying to do something at my computer, but nothing comes. Just mindless staring or clicking. Unproductive all over – I’ll take this post as a nudge to change that the best I can (even if not perfect!)
HI Julie, i actually find cafes really noisy and distracting when i try to write there. The library is better :)
I think everyone suffers from procrastination, especially in this age where there are so many things that can help us procrastinate, like Twitter and Facebook.
I should probably try a digital detox as well. :P
Well done! I hear you loud and clear. It is so hard when the computer, internet is where I work but also where I lose myself. I chose to write about a slightly more embarrassing distraction (and avoidable) because the computer will always be a battle.
If procrastination is a dance, I just might be Fred Astaire.
and i’m definitely Ginger :)