The Procrastination Train Stops Here!

In late June, we wrote a blog that offered some tips on how to stop procrastinating and start writing.

If you by chance are procrastinating at this very moment, although we’re happy that you’ve chosen our blog to read, at Dorrance Publishing, our main goal is to help turn your publishing dreams into a reality – and that requires you to write!

So, without stalling any further, here are some additional anti-procrastination ideas to get you back on the writing track!

Recognize – If you are in denial that you are a procrastinator, it’s time to recognize your ways and make a change! Procrastination comes in all shapes and sizes, whether it’s an app on your phone, cleaning your room or essentially doing anything but writing. To stop this, you must first recognize and admit that you are a procrastinator. Once you do, you can consciously acknowledge when you are slipping back into your procrastinator tendencies.

Stop while you’re ahead ­– Once you’ve recognized that you are a procrastinator, the next step is to identify your triggers. What exactly is it that pulls you away from your work? If your trigger is your phone, put it on silent and out of sight. Perhaps it’s your TV? Back away from the reality show. Whatever it may be, consider finding a new writing space that’s free of your triggers. In the end, the best way to stop procrastinating is to remove whatever prompts you so that you can push forward and continue to write. That leads us to our third tip:

Productive backdrop – Location, location, location. If you’ve finally made the decision to stop procrastinating, it’s important that you find a space that’s free of your triggers and where you can get some writing done. Find a place that’s comfortable, and has all the amenities that you’d need to be productive, such as outlets to plug in your computer and working Internet for research (just stay off social media, it’s a procrastination trap). Now, there is a fine line when finding the perfect writing place. Don’t fall into the “creating a workspace” trap where you are cleaning and rearranging more than you are writing. When finding a spot, make sure it’s comfortable. So whether it’s at a local coffee shop, the library or even in your house, choose a place where you can focus and keep your eye on the prize – your published book.

So, take note of these tips the next time you feel like putting off your work so you can keep chugging along on the track toward making your book writing dreams a published reality!

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2015