Crushing a Creative Block with 7 Easy Steps
It’s the middle of the day, you have deadlines to meet and you’re clicking away on Facebook, scrolling through the latest posts on Twitter, chatting with coworkers and finding things to cross off the to-do list other than what really needs to get done. Not because you necessarily want to, but because you feel compelled to. You're procrastinating and you don’t even know why. The deadline is quickly approaching, but you can’t even seem to find a place to start. Welcome to your creative block.
Creative blocks happen to everyone, regardless of job tile, industry or experience. But no matter how many times you’ve hit one before, it always seems like the most daunting task to overcome. You might feel like throwing in the towel, but what you really need is a new game plan and a few helpful tips to get back on track.
Perform a Google search for "creative block tips," and you’ll find more than enough to read – and probably even more to keep you from actually accomplishing the task at hand. Which is why Mark McGuinness’ "7 Ways to Smash Procrastination" is different. Instead of giving tips on how to get around a creative block, the article provides seven ways to fight procrastination – the thing that actually keeps you from doing what you need to do when you have a creative block. Here are a few highlights from the article:
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Decide in Advance – McGuinness argues that if you have to decide whether it’s more important to start working on a “Big Scary New Project or rearrange your CDs into alphabetical order,” then it’s pretty clear which one is going to win. But by planning ahead and deciding in advance when you’re going to start working, there’s no excuse for procrastinating.
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Pretend You’re Not Going to Do It - Mark Forster, author of “Do It Tomorrow,” suggests telling yourself little white lies like, “I’m not really going to start work, I’m just going to get the equipment out.” McGuinness has actually approached projects this way and says that it works. So instead of saying, “I have to get this project done by the end of the day,” say to yourself, “I’m not actually going to do the project, I’m just going to write the title and jot down a few notes so I don’t forget.”
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Break it Down – Still having panic attacks about that gigantic project on your desk? Just break it down into steps. McGuinness mentions the fable where a man ate an entire tractor by grinding each piece down and adding a little bit of it to his porridge every day. It’s not that he wants you to eat a tractor, but it illustrates his point. Instead of thinking about the project as a whole, think of the first part of the project. Then think of the first step you have to take to get the first part of the project done. That way it will be far less overwhelming, and you can focus on one piece at a time.
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Sprint Against the Clock – Instead of using the end of the day as your deadline, try the Pomodoro Technique. Create an artificial deadline with a timer and set it for 25 minutes. Work as much as you can and get as much done as possible in those 25 minutes, and then reward yourself with a five-minute break.
To read the other three tips, check out the full article at LateralAction.com.
Breaking through a creative block and ignoring the urge to check Facebook for the 50th time in one day can be tough, but just remember the tips in "7 Ways to Smash Procrastination," and meeting that looming deadline will seem like a piece of cake.
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1 comment so far
Cory Grassell says:
The key to avoiding procrastination is setting realistic goals for yourself. Then, break down your goal into many smaller goals that can be achieved per week/day. If you look at a project as a whole, it can seem insurmountable. But when you accomplish little feats along the way, you are filled with a sense of accomplishment, and you can see progress.