Only Got 15 Minutes?
No Problem, That’s All You Need
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Hello Friends,
Happy Friday
Being more organised this week and sitting down with an iced coffee to write this letter to you on Thursday.
At the weekend I was pondering why I left writing last week until a point where I absolutely did not have the time or energy. I’m actually quite good at working under pressure — in fact, I struggle without a little bit of it. And that’s when the penny dropped: the issue last week was that I didn’t have a lot on. Then, in a moment of synchronicity, I saw it perfectly summed up by Jennie Godfrey in her post at the weekend:
“Bernardine Evaristo... talked about having to keep her diary full of other projects, which she writes around, because if there is too much blank space she is more likely to procrastinate.”
We all need some blank space — to just be — for sure. But too much of it is a creativity and productivity killer. The problem is that along with the blank space, self-doubt seems to creep in with it. You find yourself ruminating on the perfect thing to write about. You tell yourself you’ll think about it tomorrow, or the next day. You promise yourself you’ll just attempt a shitty first draft, but only after you’ve hung the washing out / cleaned the sink / scrolled social media for just a few minutes. All of this equals procrastination.
The answer is always action. Making a dent in the task you’re avoiding, no matter how small. Action leads to answers and forward momentum, whereas letting ideas percolate indefinitely leads to indecision and confusion.
I’m all for doing nothing sometimes — I take a break from letter writing in August1 for this very reason. But I have made a promise to myself to write this letter every other week of the year, and when I leave it too late, it’s stressful — and that doesn’t feel good.
So what is the remedy for avoiding the procrastination trap during blank spaces?
Here are a few things I’m planning:
Scheduling a block of time: I planned a Thursday morning trip to a local cafe just to write this letter.
Setting a timer for 15 minutes and starting: No scrolling, no distractions, only the job at hand.
Choosing to be disciplined with myself and thinking of future me: Reminding myself how shitty the regret of not doing the thing feels.
If you’re battling a bad case of procrastination this week, do yourself a favour — grab that timer, set it for 15 minutes, and just start!
Until next week.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.
Becca x
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Thank-you, Becca & Kay x
I also take a break in December, although that break is more for maintaining my sanity in the festive period — it’s the very opposite of doing nothing, unfortunately.😐
Thanks Becca. I’m a big procrastinator but I’m going to try your advice. Timer’s at the ready. Take care. Sheree