How to Not Procrastinate [Wow! It’s Wednesday!]

So a lot of people ask me how I avoid the pits of procrastination. Well, here are all of my current trade secrets.

1. I use StayFocused. Now back before we moved, CH came up with the idea of turning off my internet when he left for work. Though, I got more writing work done, I found that my email response time suffered and that I often had to take copious notes about stuff I would have to later on remember to do when I had internet. This situation soon became irritating and untenable, so when we moved I tried to hang on to my internet. Big mistake. I soon once again found myself frittering away too much of my writing sessions on Facebook and other timesucks.

Then CH sent me a link to a Google Chrome app/extension called StayFocused. Basically this program kicks you off certain pages at certain times of the day. So while I can return emails during my writing time, I can’t go on Facebook or Twitter or even Fierce and Nerdy, I can email my writing exchange partner pages and look up the name of that one street where that one thing happens in my book, but I can’t clean out my Google Reader (a favorite procrastination activity). The secret, I think, was letting CH do all of the set up and making it really hard to get to any other browser but Google Chrome — which is the only one StayFocused works with. That way if I want to undo my StayFocused settings, I have to go through my disapproving husband. And if I really want to get on Facebook, I have to go through a lot of procrastination-killing rigamarole to get to another browser.

2. I “go to an office.” Though, I have a writing desk at home that I use for all Fierce and Nerdy business, when it comes time to write, I go to Starbucks every weekday. Once there, I put on my writing music and you know, write. There’s nothing like actually going somewhere to specifically do a particular something at a certain time every day — especially if you have the option of not going to an office every day.

3. I write at the same time every day, but I also schedule chunks of time for everything else in my life. For example, weekends are for Fierce and Nerdy. Mornings are for exercise, errands, and business calls. And I answer email during Betty’s naptime. Everything that I used to procrastinate with now has its own time and place, so that I don’t feel overly compelled to do anything but write during my writing time.

4. I only watch 90 minutes of adult TV before 10pm.

5. I only talk on the phone for business reasons. Once or twice a week I call my best friend, but other than that, I’ve pretty much stopped talking on the phone, which saves a lot of time.

6. I equate time with money and budget both accordingly.

7. I don’t multitask. Over the years I’ve found that doing one thing and only one thing at a time on my to do list is the fastestway to get things done.

So those are my tips for killing the procrastination bug. Got any to add? Sound off in the comments.

featured image credit: Sam Hames

clock image credit: gothick_matt