* Felt like a good time to bring back this blast from the past. Enjoy! *
(Request a free printable version of this mini-poster in the comments section below.)
Procrastination...it's one of our most common creative blocks.
It keeps us from enjoying our creative endeavors by allowing our inner critic to whisper in our ear: "You're no good at this. You don't have time for this nonsense. Who do you think you are?"
Procrastination convinces us that everyone else's stuff is more important than our own.
It causes us to hop up and look for something to eat when we're not the least bit hungry.
It fills us with a strange desire to re-organize our perfectly organized sock drawer or pantry or creative closet.
Procrastination tempts us to check Facebook, Twitter and email about ten times more often than we need.
It thrives on busy-work that could easily wait until tomorrow or even never in many cases.
It encourages our stubborn refusal to delegate and assures us that we must do everything ourselves.
Procrastination sucks. Literally. Procrastination sucks the creative life out of us.
So how to we rid our lives of this insidious creative block?
So how to we rid our lives of this insidious creative block?
Simply acknowledging our various procrastination habits is a great first small step. When see our blocks for what they are...when we're aware of the many ways they creep into our lives, that's the first step to hunting down procrastination and putting it behind bars where it belongs.
Here's an easy way to start. What if you make a quick list of all the various ways you might procrastinate today? By taking a moment to acknowledge the different ways you might keep yourself from making time for creative joy, you'll be more aware when your excuses pop up through out the day.
You may realize:
"Oh, look - here I am on Facebook again. I could spend the next 15 minutes here,
or I could get out my watercolors and paint."
You may find yourself staring into your fridge and think,
"I'm not the least bit hungry for food. I want to play the piano!"
You may find yourself shuffling papers around your desk and have the epiphany
"I'd much rather be writing!"
The idea is, when we're on the look out for our blocks we can stop them in their tracks. We can remind ourselves that we have a choice. "I can spend more time doing this thing I don't really need or want to be doing, or take this time back for my creativity." It takes practice, but it's a doable way to begin. And even if you only open up an additional ten or fifteen minutes in your day for creativity – well, that's ten or fifteen minutes more than you had before – so it's great movement in the right direction!
Here's to rounding up our procrastination habits and locking them up where they belong so we can free up more time for creative satisfaction in our life!
Need more help saying NO to procrastination and YES to creative fulfillment? One-on-one creativity coaching may be just the ticket.
Until next time, all the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,
Jill
Jill Allison Bryan
Recovering Procrastinator
Singer/Songwriter
Master Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach
Founder Creative Oasis Coaching
