Let us take a moment to appreciate the much-maligned act (or non-act?) of procrastination.
Writers often beat themselves up over procrastinating. Why haven’t I written that novel yet? Why can’t I get around to writing a poem, or working on that book or story?
The list of things you can/should be doing probably feels like a bottomless pit into which you throw teaspoons of work. (Once you’ve published a book, you discover another bottomless pit of book promotion, but we’ll leave that for another post.)
You’re not alone. Most of us experience procrastination guilt when it comes to our writing. And yes, aimless procrastination can hurt us, delaying or deterring our goals. But it’s not all bad.
Procrastination is a realistic response to a world that asks too much of us.
As Oliver Burkeman reminds us in one of my favorite books, Four Thousand Weeks, our time here is finite. We won’t accomplish most of the things we think we could, much less what other people expect of us. Better to acknowledge that reality than beat ourselves up.
Seen in that light, procrastination might illuminate a path to growth.
The upside of procrastination
When is procrastination worthwhile? Here are a few thoughts:
When procrastination signals prioritization
Writers sometimes report that they feel badly about not meeting their writing goals because they’re caring for an aging parent, handling a crisis with a sibling or child, recovering from an illness, or dealing with some other life crisis.
Those actions are important. If the issues are short-term, then by dealing with them you are exhibiting wise priorities, not procrastination. If the situation will linger, then you need to solve the trickier issue of figuring out how writing fits with your other obligations. That’s a planning issue.
When it’s a message from your subconscious self
What if you truly value the writing, yet you’re still letting everything else cut in front?
When this happens, it’s time to interrogate your procrastinating self.
Ask deep questions about why you aren’t working. Answer those questions in a journal, or talk with a sympathetic writing friend. When working with clients, we often uncover something deeper going on.
- An unresolved issue with the project. You might discover that you don’t know how to address something in the book, or you’re worried about how someone you know will respond to your work. You might find a solution simply by shining a light on the issue.
- Misalignment. Perhaps you set out on a project, but in your bones you know that it’s not the direction you want to head. If you can surface that resistance, you can make a wiser decision about whether or not to proceed, or how much time to give the project. (I have said “yes” to projects in the past that I later wished I’d waited to accept. They’ve led to detours that I might have avoided with judicious procrastination.)
- Fear. As one of my author clients asked, “What if I’m wrong?” It’s hard to voice that fear, but once you do, it’s easy enough to address. You can ask trusted sources to verify your approach. You can get a small group of beta readers. Ask an expert. Work with a coach. Test your ideas.
When it’s really incubation
Ideas may need time to simmer and grow. If you’re thinking about them, making notes, bringing them up to look at them in different lights, then you’re not procrastinating, you’re incubating. That’s a vital part of the writing process. (Check out The Writer’s Process for much more on that topic!)
Making peace with procrastination
What if we acknowledge procrastination as a necessary partner in the writing life — and indeed, life itself? Here are a few ways to work with procrastination as an inescapable part of your writing life:
- Prioritize. You have permission to put off things less important projects in favor of meaningful ones.
- Interrogate yourself. Is your delay telling you something deeper about the project? You might change direction or confront a specific fear or problem to get unstuck.
- Get started on a project by gathering ideas. Turn procrastination into intentional incubation, so the writing comes easily when you’re ready.
Be kind to yourself. Make room for the writing that matters most to you.
Other resources
A podcast: Want to dive more into dealing with procrastination and productivity? Check out this recent conversation on the Write Anyway podcast: Stop Being Mean to Yourself about Productivity.
Two books: To consider procrastination in the scope of your life, read Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks. For digging into incubation in writing, read The Writer’s Process.
An online course: Take my short class on Intentional Incubation.
