Ten Strategies That Helped Me Beat Procrastination (and Write My First Novel)
It’s time to head back into the writing cave. I’ll be honest. I’m not really looking forward to it. I mean—I really enjoy spending time with many of the characters in the Ruth trilogy. It’s an odd process. You get to know a character even as you are the one who’s shaping them. Each one carries a piece of you—who you are, who you think you are, who you wish you could be, and who you’d never dream of being. And some of these characters are… difficult. Being inside their heads is not always pleasant.
And yet… I love writing. And I want you to know my grandmother’s whole story. So Book 2 is now live on my laptop.
I’ll still be here every Wednesday with updates or random thoughts. This week, I’m thinking about procrastination. I’ve wrestled with it all my life. I’m great at grand plans for “next Tuesday,” which of course never comes—except with this book. When I held Sugarcane Saint in my hands, I cried. I couldn’t believe I’d actually reached the end of such a big plan—or at least a third of it.
So how did I get from chronic procrastinator to someone who finished one book (and is doing the final editing on two more) while mothering, partnering, running a full music studio, doing 15 hours a week of volunteer work, showing up for every hockey game, and keeping weekly check-ins with my two adult kids?
Here’s what’s worked for me over the past five years:
I found the calendar that works for my brain. For me? It’s old school. I tried the digital AI assistant. I tried the monthly wall calendar. We have family Google calendars. None of them stuck. I needed to see days, hours, months, and years in one place—with room for both planning and doodling. Enter: the Legend Planner (large). It holds all my chaos and lets me address what’s in my head in a variety of ways, depending on my mood. While the giant book with 24 tabs and a bag full of colored pens may not be everybody’s nirvana, the idea is that there are SO many ways to organize your life and finding the one that speaks to you is key.
I plan my day, my week, my month—and even my year. That doesn’t mean I set things in stone. Every morning, I address my daily priorities and WRITE THEM DOWN. Every Monday, I look at my entire week to make sure I’ve considered all that needs to be accomplished and address anything that needs rescheduling. And at the end of every month, I assess what was complete and what still needs doing– and then I plan the major goals for the following month. I also (thanks to my Legend Planner) review my quarterly goals.
I schedule creative time. Writing, music, and reading aren’t “extras.” They get blocked on the calendar the same way my teaching hours do. Right now, in all caps, my planner says WRITING two hours every day.
I trust the process. I teach my music students this same lesson: practice every day, even if you sound terrible at first. Writing is no different. I show up whether I’m inspired or stuck, confident or convinced I’m a failure. If I keep showing up for the small tasks, I’ll eventually cross the finish line.
I know my WHY. I learned this one from Weight Watchers. I know WHY I teach music. I know WHY I show up for my kids everyday. I know WHY I work on my relationship with my life partner. I know WHY I’m writing this story. Knowing my WHY keeps me moving forward when I want to quit.
I have a therapist. One of these days I’ll write about mental health. That’ll be a long post! Right now, with my therapist, I focus is on keeping my eyes on the final goal: launching all three books while still giving my music work my full heart. Therapy has been essential in navigating the rollercoaster of everyday life and keeping procrastination at bay. I use Talkspace— it’s convenient (online), has both session and messaging options, and is very insurance-friendly.
I stopped wearing makeup (everyday). Okay. Weird one. I didn’t promise that my tactics would make sense! But basically I’ve been working on valuing my internal self over my external self (which quite frankly was the opposite of my raising and is a CYLE BREAKING subject all by itself!). I figured out that given the number of things on my plate, there were days when “looking perfect” was causing me considerable stress. I needed to prioritize my mental health (and my sleep). I shortened my morning vanity routine in favor of morning meditation, a good stretch, and a cup of hot coffee while everyone else is still asleep. Sometimes we have to choose which of our habits matter the most. For me— a gentle start to my day that supports my internal well-being is essential, and there’s only so early a person can get up in the morning.
I ask for (and protect) my focus time. I started valuing my needs within the family schedule. To finish writing the book, I did need chunks of alone time (think days) where I wasn’t interrupted. Given that it is such a difficult manuscript, I wanted that alone time to be able to openly process my emotions without feeling the need to protect those around me from those emotions. I worked with my family’s needs and made room for my own.
I lean into my fear of regret. We’re given one life. One. And at the end of mine, I don’t want to look back onto days littered with things that didn’t matter to me. I want to take my last breath knowing I gave my all to this life. My favorite quote will always be Teddy Roosevelt’s: The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. Teddy inspires me.
I started keeping my promises. When I started writing in 2019, I didn’t actually think I would finish. Procrastination and I were on such friendly terms that we winked at each other when I said I was going to write a book. But then Covid hit. And life felt different (read fragile), and I didn’t want to keep abandoning my goals. I don’t break my promises to my children. I actually feel so strongly about this that I rarely use the word. But I realized that through procrastination I was constantly breaking promises to myself. I decided to treat myself with the same respect that I treat others. I decided to keep my promises. And that one has probably been the biggest game changer.
So yes, the writing cave is calling. And even if some of the rooms inside are dark and difficult, I’ll keep showing up. I’ll keep writing here (it’s on my calendar) because I need to come out of that cave regularly and exist in my everyday thoughts. Why? Because this story matters—to me, to my family, and I hope, to you.
