It took me a while to get down to writing this month's blog post, as I had difficulty coming up with a topic. Technically, I don't consider that conundrum a form of procrastination. Being the task-minded person that I am, and given how much I enjoy writing, however, I'm loath to admit that I sometimes find it difficult to launch a writing session. My main excuse is a need to clear my head, which means I invariably check emails and text messages before addressing the keyboard. Once I'm at it, though, I'm good to go until fatigue sets in.
After ridding my head of distractions, I silence my phone and reread prior work before resuming the project. Yet even my own review process can get in the way as I linger on something problematic. A slow start often leads to frustration about not getting as much accomplished as I intended, and sometimes I pay for that underperformance by waking up at three in the morning with a guilty conscience. I've been known to jump out of bed and burn the midnight oil during the wee hours of the night to make up for lost productivity. Admittedly, some fault lies with me being that driven person with the to-do list that won't quit. But that's another digression!
One solution to procrastination that works for me is a deadline, which reinforces discipline. My goal is to publish this blog on the 15th of each month. Although I got a late start this time around, at least I met my deadline.