Overcome Procrastination in Five Minutes or Less by Rochelle Melander

21 April 2015

Note From Rochelle

Dear Writers,

Great news! Writer’s Digest magazine has named Write Now! Coach one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers. This is my first time on the list, and I’m honored to be there with so many amazing sites.

If you’d like to see the entire list of Best Websites for Writers, it’s in the May/June issue of Writer’s Digest Magazine, on stands now.

This week, I’m planning to work on some projects I’ve been putting off all winter. As I do, I’ll be putting into practice the procrastination solution I explain below. Read on. It might help you, too!

Happy Writing! Rochelle, the Write Now! Coach

My daughter and I have fallen in love with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the new sitcom on Netflix. The story opens with Kimmy being rescued from the underground bunker of a doomsday cult in Indiana. After spending 15 years underground, Kimmy embarks on a new life in New York City. Along the way she offers bits of wisdom from her days in the bunker, including this one from episode two: “You can stand anything for 10 seconds. Then you just start on a new 10 seconds.” Kimmy flashes back to the bunker, where she turned a crank—to no purposeful end—for 10 seconds at a time.

I immediately thought of writing—and all of us who fight to overcome our procrastination habit. I don’t know about you, but I procrastinate at very specific times. I put off writing when I think that the work will be too hard, confront a problem I don’t know how to solve, or worry that I don’t have the skills to complete the task. When that happens, I can’t imagine spending a day or even an hour on the project. I’d rather do almost anything else. But I could manage ten seconds or even five minutes.

In the book Mind Gym by Sebastian Bailey and Octavius Black, the authors recommend that readers overcome procrastination by taking a five-minute start. Tackle a project for five minutes. When your timer beeps, think about how you feel. If you’re up to it, try writing for another five minutes. By taking absurdly small steps, you’ll be able to overcome procrastination and finish your projects.

Write Now! Coach Rochelle Melander is an author, a certified professional coach, and a popular speaker. Melander has written ten books including Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (And Live to Tell About It). As the Write Now! Coach, she teaches professionals how to write books fast, get published, and connect with readers through social media. Get your free subscription to her Write Now! Tips Ezine at https://www.writenowcoach.com.