Get Off the Internet and Write!
(Oh, I’m not yelling at you – I’m yelling at myself.)
Every day procrastination threatens to steal my dreams and erase any hope of ever achieving my goals.
I know this, but regardless of that knowledge there are still times when I’ll sit down to work on accomplishing goals and then the next thing I know, hours have passed and so many things are still left undone. How do I still manage to let the time slip away?
When I need to write, it seems like everything else is begging for my attention. I don’t know what it is, but everything else seems so much more interesting than using my brain to write a new blog post.
Seems like that’s the only time I actually feel like emptying out my inbox after months of letting both read and unread messages accumulate to an astronomical number. It’s terrible, I know. It makes no sense.
When mindless activities like checking my email spam folder or compulsive stat checking become more interesting than writing, I know it’s time to do something.
At this point, you’re probably thinking…”therapy” or at least some other psycho analysis to prove that I’m safe to be around children, but I assure you, it’s just the evil procrastination demon trying to steal my success.
Well, I’ve got news for him, I’m not going to surrender that easily. I refuse to let the tempting allure of the internet keep me from the most important thing I must do for my blog. Yes, it’s time to get off of the internet, exit out of the Reader, Twitter, Facebook and yes…exit out of the internet browser entirely.
When nothing else works to curb meaningless distractions that threaten to kill my blog, I have to totally shut down Firefox, Google Chrome or whatever other browser I might be using at the moment to avoid the temptation to check my email every time I get a notification.
I have to stop myself from rushing to respond to every tweet I see. Sometimes I have to slap my own hand whenever I get the urge to start reading every new blog update that pops into my reader (they always seem urgent until you read them).
It’s strange how the very activities that help me support my blog can become the very activities that threaten its survival. Social networking is wonderful, but if social networking and promotional activities are allowed to get out of control, they’ll devour your whole day. It’s easy lose track of time and totally forget to write something new to promote. It can become a vicious cycle.
So until I get my writing for the day done, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to shut this thing down-…! (If I could reproduce that old tube television shutdown spark, I would paste that…here!)
So what do you do to force yourself to stay productive? How do you filter out all of the distractions?
Kiesha is the author of WeBlogBetter and Christian Blog: Highly Favored. She’s a writing instructor, writer/editor, and blog consultant for small business owners. If you’d like to know more, read her extended bio. Connect with her on Twitter and subscribe to Weblogbetter for blogging tips & tricks.
Kiesha your so funny, the evil procrastination demon lol I just had to mention it in my comment. How funny seriously?
But to be honest with you I’m in the same boat. I manage to find things to distract me like crazy! Sometimes it’s stats or spam e-mail like you said but other times it’s other website like blog engage or face book. I find myself following articles and commenting it’s just a never ending story for me.
Overall I think your doing an amazing job on your blog we blog together and I don’t think you should worry all that much.Your content is unique and top quality for your readers such as myself.
When I need to stay focused I close the computer room door and I remain in there all alone until my tasks is complete. I know it sounds easier then it is but it’s still hard.
Hi Brian!
Thanks for the compliments! It really means a lot coming from you. I definitely struggle with avoiding distractions – but really how fun would blogging be without them?
I am still learning to overcome the monster of procrastination. I should be writing my message for Sunday now but … :)
Hi Kevin!
Okay, now you’re making me feel terrible about being a distraction :) Please, don’t let me keep you from your message – it’s far more important than this silly little blog post!
It’s a love-hate relationship, procrastination … more love than hate in my case. I still have to post the winners of the competition I ran over at scriptxray last month … I’ll do it later.
:)
Excellent post.
I know I certainly struggle with procrastination on a daily basis.
Steven Pressfield has a great book about overcoming resistance, just as you’ve described,
“The War of Art.” It’s become my bible for getting motivated to get work done.
Thanks Eric! I’ll have to check that book out.
I just can’t write with the internet on. Like you, I would much rather reply to some tweets or mess around on facebook.
So I make sure my internet browser(s) is closed and I use a Mac app called WriteRoom. There is absolutely nothing to that app except for a blank writing canvas. You don’t even see your dock or menu bar. I get writing done much faster there. :D
Hi Alex!
I know everything else just seems so much more fun than writing when I’m supposed to be writing. I just use the plain text editor now – no frills at all, but some how I still manage to get distracted – doesn’t make any sense, I know :)
I just downloaded WriteRoom – doing the 30 day trial, maybe I’ll purchase it if it works out. Thanks for the tip!
I’m pretty hopeless when it comes to being allowed off a leash, so during the day I’ll make myself write using an online timer to keep my focus. The other thing I do is write for an hour or two every morning before I let myself get on email, open Google Reader, etc.
Yep. I just spent at least an hour today playing mindless games on Facebook when I have 3 articles I need to be working on. I find that doing exactly what you said (closing everything out) definitely helps.
I also set small goals for myself followed by small rewards; something as simple as “type 3 paragraphs and you can watch one episode of ‘24′.” Then by the time I type those 3 paragraphs, I’m usually in a groove. If not, then the break is needed and when I finish the episode, or whatever my reward is, I do the same thing again. The worst thing that can happen is for me to come back to a mess of unfinished ideas, and I’m okay with that because I can usually take it in some positive direction later.
Great post, loved reading it!
I feel ya, Kiesha.
Despite how oxymoronic blogging without the web sounds, I definitely feel the frustration web based distraction produces … when it prevails.
The key to overcoming this distraction (for me personally anyway) has little to do with the web, but rather it has everything to do with myself. In order to overcome distraction, you need to focus on what you’re trying to accomplish at that moment. If you make a list for the day (highly recommended), focus on the task of the hour — it’s the only way to go for me as I write for multiple blogs and it’s easy to lose focus of one blog while you focus on another.
I often use a lot of reference material, sources, and other content online so giving the web the boot isn’t in the cards for me.
If I find it impossible to focus on the post I’m writing at the moment, I usually scratch it and move on to something else — whether it involves blogging or socializing, it doesn’t matter. I don’t think it’s wise to force anything … one thing I’ve learned over at scribbleplay.com (which focuses on overcoming writer’s block) is that most writers get the block when they’re forced to write something.
If you don’t feel passionate about it, scratch it … it usually won’t be worth your time or the time it takes to read it (at least in my experience).
Some of the greatest time of inspiration are killed by the wants of going online and doing things that I know aren’t going to help me get done what I’ve set out to do that day. I usually leave the computer and come back when I’m ready to accomplish my task and then do other stuff. Either way, as long as it’s all done, it shouldn’t be a problem, right? :)
Kiesha, thank you soooo much for this article. I breathed a sigh of relief as I read through it, and all the comments, knowing that I am not the only person who yells at themself, – ’stay focused – get off the internet!
I often completed a weekly TO DO list for my online tasks, which when I checked at the end of the week was invariably incomplete, due to procrastination. My lack of focus led to me becomimg a little guilty and frustrated with myself. I was so easily distracted, reading other blogs, checking the RSS feeds of all the blogs I had subscribed to, listening to my favourite gospel videos on Youtube, anything, but write.
However, it all changed for the better, when recently, I lost access to the internet and after ‘twiddling’ my thumbs for about a week, I suddenly had a thought.
Why not write your posts using notepad or Microsoft Word, you don’t need access to the internet, until you publish your post!!
Dur!!
Well since that day, I have compiled all my posts offline and have prepared many in advance. I no longer open my browser fisrt thing, I have also been more inspired to write, without feeling that I am forcing myself.
I am now endeavouring to stick to the new habit I have now formed.
Hi Carole!
You are absolutely NOT ALONE! I still struggle – it’s a daily battle, but I feel so much better at the end of the day when I see how much can be accomplished if I just stop beating around the bush and get to writing.