Today’s word is PROCRASTINATION
Dictionary.com defines procrastination as the act or habit of procrastinating, or putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention
I really, really hate when a definition uses the word, don’t you? Still the meaning is very clear — putting off something.
Is procrastination deliberate or subconscious?
Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art calls procrastination a form of resistance. He believes creative types face lots of resistance and offers inspiration to overcome that resistance. If you don’t own a copy of Pressfield’s book you should, it’s gotten me over more than one bumpy writing slowdown. Btw, I don’t get any kickback.
I’m not sure what to call procrastination, but I know it’s a disease shared by too many writers, myself included. And, procrastination is a clever enemy.
Half the time, Mr. P (aka procrastination) disguises himself as very worthy endeavors like
A writer’s meeting to get a writer fix
A computer game to “clear your head”
A movie for “research”
Social media is one of Mr. P’s favorite tactics. Who among us doesn’t find Twitter or FB or web surfing sucking precious time from our day?
My favorite delay is a power nap to refresh my brain’s hard drive. Naps may work, but am I really just giving in to procrastination’s subtle ways when fifteen minutes slides into an hour or two?
Writing is hard work. A solitary work. Those two facts alone stall too many of us and allow Mr. P’s power to succeed.
“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” ~Wayne Dyer
So how do we cure the culprit that steals our words from the page?
Ali Luke in her blog How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Writing suggests four steps.
Great hints are offered on How to Stop Procrastinating
For me, and maybe other writers, I shoo Mr. P away by putting my butt in the chair and W-R-I-T-I-N-G every day whether I feel like it or not, whether what I write is worthy of a Hemingway or not. It works for me. What works for you?
As part of One Word Wednesday, I want to play a game I used when teaching spelling—writing a sentence with the word. Leave your sentence in a comment. No grading involved just for fun.
Dictionary.com suggests: She was smart, but her constant procrastination led her to be late with almost every assignment.
How would you use PROCRASTINATION in a sentence?
