READERS ASK: How To Deal With Procrastination And Maintain Consistency
There have been a few new faces over the last few days so if you’re new around these parts, I hope you stick around for the ride. The only rules around here are covered by the ‘no bull’ policy we adhere to strictly. Do come as you are and you’ll definitely witness one or two instances of me oversharing and a couple of breakdowns about the state of the world, but that’s just another average random Tuesday business.
It is officially day 4 of the 7-day blogging challenge I started to celebrate the fast-approaching second year anniversary of the blog and I feel like I’m getting into a routine now. There are different things I’m noticing from having to create brand new content from scratch each day, and of course, I will let you in on all my discoveries in a future post. Somehow it has been working, but it has also come with its own set of challenges – challenges should be challenging anyway I suppose.
Yesterday, I answered a question one of you sent me on Instagram, asking me what motivates me to continue blogging. As it’s in my nature to complicate things, my answer was not a simple one, so I suggest you go read that for more context. Today, however, I’ll be answering another question sent to me by another one of you guys (Thank you for sticking around y’all). A reader who preferred to remain anonymous asked:
How Do You Deal With Procrastination And Maintain Consistency As A Blogger?
It’s certainly a loaded question for me because it makes me take a long look at myself as I analyse the behaviours that brought me here. Essentially, I feel targeted.
As a writer and blogger procrastination and constancy have always been at the forefront of my mind, and I’ve never felt like I was winning at either. They go hand in hand and chances are if I’m failing at one, I’m most likely failing at the other.
Last Sunday, I wrote a post about why I had been procrastinating in last few months, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and I admitted to having to fool myself to get things done with a productivity trick that has been working for me.
I feel like the act of procrastination comes and manifests itself in different ways for different people. For example, I often am more inclined to push things to a later hour when I feel like they’re either really easy to do or too difficult. In other words, I thrive somewhere in the middle; challenging, but not to the point I want to rip my hair out.
While I love writing blog posts, it is true that sometimes I can get so caught up and used to the process that I feel the need to take days or even weeks off. There are also times when I allow myself a bit more space to create because I’m dried out and uninspired, but with everything, it’s all about balance.
When it comes to consistency or the lack thereof, it never only came down to my tendency to procrastinate, but rather it was usually more about creating the best post, as I’ve said before. I have this fear of looking back on my blog posts in a few years time and wondering; ‘what the hell was I thinking when I wrote that’. It’s the bad kind of ‘perfectionism’ that makes you hold yourself back until you feel like you are where you want to be which can only be counterproductive. But I’m starting to come to terms with the fact that looking back on things and not finding them up to par is perhaps just another part of growing, and letting things go gives you more space for new ideas. Some times, they will be up to par with the standards you’ve set for yourself, and you will look back on them with appreciation.
This is why I started the Sunday series, ON SECOND THOUGHT; I wanted to prove to myself that I could consistently put out content for you on a weekly basis come rain or sunshine. Even a challenge like the one I’m currently doing has taught me so much about myself in such a short number of days.
I wish I could give you an optimal answer, the answer of someone who has gone through it all and come out the other side, but I can’t. I’m still working on it day in, day out, and I feel like I will be for a long time.
In fact, as a blogger, I am certain that will always be my giant to surpass as I’ll always be chasing the next big idea or story. There will be ups and downs, and life will do what it does best; throw in the most surprising cards into the deck, but I feel like that’s what it’s all about.
Your restless romantic roamer
