Do you ever find yourself doing busy work? You know what I’m talking about…. Those little items that don’t necessarily need to be done, but keeps flashing in your mind. You try to focus on the thing you should be doing, but this little niggle in the back of your mind keeps yelling that you should look at this. So you do it, telling yourself that although it isn’t exactly what you should be focused on, you are at least working??? And then when you are done with that busy work, you feel horrible because although you were technically “working”, you weren’t doing what you were supposed to. And now you are behind on a deadline.

Have you ever found yourself in this cycle, knowing well what you need to do but finding every reason not to? I do, especially when I have a deadline looming over my head. I start the morning with such high hopes about what I WILL get done during that day. But, then I find something that sends me down a rabbit hole and the next thing I know, I haven’t gotten a thing on my list completed.

Busy work is one of my biggest procrastination issues. When I am on a deadline…. or even scared that I can’t do the project, I find an excuse. I am slowly learning that there are certain steps in my writing process that sends me into this mode. Outlining my next book. Drafting a new book. Working on big revisions. Okay, I admit it… anything can send me into this spiral.

The worst part… I know that once I get started, I’ll get into these projects and be focused. But it is always tough to get myself going. There is the whole saying about getting your butt in the chair. I have no problem with that. I actually love being at my desk.

And I know why I do it. It is all out of fear. Fear that this project will be the one that sends readers running away, never wanting to pick up another one of my books. Fear that I can never fully reach my goals. Basically…. fear that I am not a good writer.

Yet, even though I know why it happens, I can’t stop myself from falling into the same patterns. This acknowledgment, however, is the first step towards overcoming procrastination. Recognizing the root of my procrastination—fear of failure, fear of not meeting expectations, fear of judgment—has been key to addressing it head-on.

To combat this cycle, I’ve begun implementing a few strategies that have gradually shown promise.

Firstly, I started to break down larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks. When I have drafting or revisions to do, I look at my schedule (making sure to add extra time) and break down what I technically need to do in that week to meet my deadline.

With revisions of my soon to be released first book in my new series, I knew that in order to meet my deadline to get the book to my editor, I needed to get 11 or more chapters done in a week, with the last week being 10 and then an extra week if something would go wrong. I then created a little table in my Notion’s page where I kept tracked.

Each day, I would log how many chapters I got done. As you can see from the image below, I did good until the last week. I got all but 4 chapters completed and needed to move them to the last week.

Going this method, helps me to make the task ahead less daunting. Here is what I have for drafting the next book in the Moonflower Series that I started this week. As you can see, I need to get 4 chapters done today to stay with my goal, but I know that if I don’t reach all four, I have that extra week to make it up.

Additionally, setting aside dedicated time for creative work helps me maintain focus and momentum. I have learned through trial and error that mornings aren’t the best time for me do anything creative such as drafting or revisions. So, my days start with doing marketing and business related items, including anything that I happen to think about during my creative time. During my afternoon and evening times, I turn my phone, computer, and tablet to do not disturb (only allow notifications from certain people). And if something pops into my head, I write it down to be done the next morning. Most of the time, when I look at the list the next morning it isn’t as important as it felt at the moment I wrote it down.

Mostly, I’ve learned to schedule cushion time to help with self-forgiveness. In a perfect world, I would meet every goal I set for myself in the time that I plan, but that rarely happens. Life is full of surprises that pulls me away from my writing time. I suffer from migraines. We had issues with our internet recently. And our sweet baby kitten ended up getting an emergency surgery and complications afterwards that lead to her needing to leave this world. Adding an extra week to any goal I set for myself, gives me that leeway in case things pop up. The last thing I needed while dealing with a migraine is to add more stress to the situation because I need to get three chapters written and no extra time.

Lastly, I’ve found it crucial to celebrate the small victories. Every completed task, no matter how minor, is a step forward. Every day I meet my desired chapter goal, I do a little song and dance while I close down my desk for the night. These celebrations act as reminders of progress and capability, slowly building the confidence that procrastination seeks to undermine.

Overcoming procrastination is a journey that requires patience, self-awareness, and a proactive approach. While the fear of inadequacy may never fully disappear, developing strategies to manage procrastination has helped me move closer to my goals. The key lies in starting small, forgiving oneself for setbacks, and recognizing the power of incremental progress. After all, every great book, every profound story, begins with a single word. And it’s within my power to write it.

I’d love to hear how you’ve tackled procrastination in your own creative endeavors. What strategies have worked for you?