How I Get Stuff Done
The unofficial guide from a non-licensed therapist
Like you, I am no stranger to procrastination. Unlike you, I probably welcome procrastination in all of its glory. I’d rather spend my time daydreaming or imagining possible scenarios for the 15 books/stories I’m currently trying to write. Perhaps I should whittle it down to two, but in the meantime, I have my own tricks on how I get stuff done when push comes to shove. (This is inspired by Mason Currey’s post earlier this week on self-discipline).
Without further ado, here are my top four tips. Full disclosure: I am not a licensed therapist and therefore, do not charge anything for this advice. I am also not responsible for you taking advice that doesn’t work. Thanks for your understanding.
Turn off all the lights
My husband always complains that our house is too dark. But trust me when I tell you that some of us (me) work better in the dark. Perhaps it’s my imagination running wild, but there is a method to this madness. I simply work better when the shades are drawn and the lights are off, probably because it helps me visualize myself as that crazy, old writer who hunches over her keyboard by herself in a small, decrepit room with nothing but a cup of (old) coffee, a blueberry muffin and her own imagination late in the evening. The one who’s completely in the flow. That person gets stuff done because she’s focused.
Think about laundry
I hate doing laundry, which is why I married someone who doesn’t mind doing it. And so, every time I think about the loads of laundry waiting upstairs for me, I’d think, “Yep, I definitely want to write now.” The point is: think about doing something you hate and your brain will convince you that it’s much more effective to do something you actually like, or at least, don’t mind doing. Trust me on this one.
Read related stuff
Whenever I arrive at a conundrum—as in, I don’t know what to write about, so that’s why I’m not doing it—I steer my attention away from my project for a moment and instead, read related things. For example, if I want to write about the Vietnam War and I have no idea how to describe something, I’d go read an article about the Vietnam War. Or watch a video. Anything to get my creative juices going. I need substance, and what better way to feel inspired than to read (or watch, or listen) to what other people have done on the same topic?
This tip, I should say, is not limited to just writing itself. If you feel like you are completely uninspired to do that knitting project or paint your house project or planting hydrangeas in your garden or whatever, then please go search for evidence of people doing these exact things and you will feel immediately inspired.
Use little pockets of in-between time
Author Polina Pompliano is certainly not the first person to embrace those little moments in between being a parent and a human who has work to do. “In life, there’s no “balance,” but rather, a shifting of priorities,” she wrote. She documented her process for writing a book on a tight deadline while also working on her newsletter and having a baby at home.
“While I was writing the book,” she said, “I would use her short naps throughout the day to work on The Profile newsletter and then when she went to sleep at night for writing the book (because that was usually a longer stretch). But as I approached my deadline, I was using every single nap to finish the book.” This is how the woman got stuff done.
I must admit—I also embrace the ‘in-between’ time. If I have a few minutes before my kid gets off school, I’ll tap out a few notes or thoughts on my phone. Email something to myself. Look up some information. If I’m waiting for them to finish their music lesson, I might read a book on my Kindle. When they were little, my husband and I would get up early (as in, 5:00 a.m.) just to read, talk or do whatever we wanted. We still do that, but we’ve shifted our wake-up times now to 5:30…sometimes closer to 6:00 a.m.
I hope this has been helpful for you. If so, please feel free to share and/or comment! If not, create a profile and name it ‘Anonymous’ and tell me without being too mean. I love hearing from readers. If you, by any chance aren’t subscribed to my newsletter, please do.
Now, get to work!