… everyone loves having written.
If you’ve been following this blog, I’m sure you’ve come across this theme quite a few times. That’s primarily because getting my butt to the chair to write is one of the hardest things I can do on a day-to-day basis. And that’s not because I’m not too fond of it, but I keep waiting for ideal circumstances to help me write better. Despite being fully aware that no such thing exists!
Note that for me, writing is quite different from my day-to-day work. I’m always on top of the latter but fail to prioritize or stay focused on writing. My process looks like this:
- Wake up early
- Make some coffee
- Procrastinate
- Spend 20 minutes choosing between writing and reading/studying; almost always, I end up choosing the latter
- When I’m done with reading and studying, I prepare myself mentally to write but then realize that I have a physical training session to finish before my workday officially starts. And, of course, I can always write post-lunch. So, I skip my writing session for the training session.
- Post-training, the workday begins… and ends late at night. By then, I’m tired and don’t even want to think about writing.
Here’s what it sounds like:
Oh, not a great time to write
Oh, it’s just 6 am; let me read for a little while and then write…
Oh, it’s 8 am already; I need to train before my workday starts…
Oh, it’s 9:30 am; let me check my emails…
Oh, it’s 9 pm… I’m tired already… can’t write, let me read something…
On some days, I procrastinate after having written!
Oh, it’s 11 am already, let me do this in the evening…
Oh, it’s 6 pm already…
Oh, it’s 9 pm… I’m tired already…
Oh, let me do it over the week…
Oh, it’s the weekend, let me relax…
The natural question is, how on earth was I able to do it all these years? I was skipping the morning reading, which I can’t afford to do these days owing to my academic workload and the ever-demanding work schedule. So, these days, I procrastinate.
Is there a solution? Yes, block out time in your calendar and get the damn thing done. Writing (just like reading) is work. You need to schedule it in, get your ass in the chair, and let your fingers and brain do the job for you. It’s easier said than done, but that’s life.
It’s 1:30 pm, and I’m on my third post of the day. I must be in the mood, or I’ve probably blocked out time for one specific activity that’s important to me. I know this isn’t perfect, but I don’t care so long as I’m putting in the effort and seeing the outcome that matches my expectations.
If there’s any secret to getting things done or writing more often, this is it! Block out the distractions and do the work.