Write, Write and Write should be your Mantra - Procrastination is the Writer's only enemy in 90% of cases
I've observed that most of the difficulty while "trying to write" lies in the fact that it is seemingly so difficult or even impossible to pull yourself over to that desk or computer. But once you reach that place and make yourself comfy, words seem to flow magically out of their own, as if some hidden springs have been suddenly unleashed across some unknown areas of your subconscious, and ideas and inspirations are just itching to come out of those springs!
In other words, its the plain old enemy called procrastination which is stopping you. The enemy is profound and resolute as long as you are fighting with it but suddenly becomes non-existent and disappears in a puff the moment you break the barrier and start doing what needs to be done.
But even then, defeating the enemy is not as simple as that, if only making new year resolutions automatically resulted in them actually happening! Its not that easy but its possible if you start working towards this goal persistently and stubbornly. You cannot fight this enemy with pure volition or will-power, for as strong as this power may be, it is still a short-term or momentary power, pitting it against a long-term enemy like procrastination is like trying to break a hard rock with strokes of a small hammer.
Only habit can defeat another habit, just as a thorn can remove another thorn or in this case, a positive long-term power (sticking to a schedule, reinforcement, etc.) can defeat the negative long-term power (procrastination). Of course, you need to employ the help of your short-term will power too in order to stick to that "difficult" schedule, or implement a reinforcement by giving yourself small punishments in case you divert from the schedule but ultimately, its the power of your long-term YOU which designs that schedule in your best interests that wins this battle.
Designing a good writing (or any other kind of) schedule which overcomes this enemy and also doesn't over-burden you too much is very important. The pressure shouldn't be so much that you get upset from initial failures and quit writing altogether, but it should be enough to make you feel some discomfort, so that you keep moving towards the goal. You need to employ the power of rituals here.
I know this works because I've already done it! There was a time when I was hardly able to put together a sentence for any kind of writing, be it fiction or non-fiction, be it an article or even an email to customer support! And now, I'm writing stuff regularly for my freelance blog, freelancemag.blogspot.com and my tech blog prahladyeri.com. If I can do it, then anyone can do it. In 90% of cases, success is simply a matter of showing up and churning out writing is just one of those cases! Just show up to your desk or computer regularly even if you don't feel like doing anything, let alone writing. Sooner or later, writing will happen on its own just as clouds begin to break and rains start pouring in August, or the planet earth moves to that fine tilting position during its orbit that causes springs in April!
In other words, its the plain old enemy called procrastination which is stopping you. The enemy is profound and resolute as long as you are fighting with it but suddenly becomes non-existent and disappears in a puff the moment you break the barrier and start doing what needs to be done.
But even then, defeating the enemy is not as simple as that, if only making new year resolutions automatically resulted in them actually happening! Its not that easy but its possible if you start working towards this goal persistently and stubbornly. You cannot fight this enemy with pure volition or will-power, for as strong as this power may be, it is still a short-term or momentary power, pitting it against a long-term enemy like procrastination is like trying to break a hard rock with strokes of a small hammer.
Only habit can defeat another habit, just as a thorn can remove another thorn or in this case, a positive long-term power (sticking to a schedule, reinforcement, etc.) can defeat the negative long-term power (procrastination). Of course, you need to employ the help of your short-term will power too in order to stick to that "difficult" schedule, or implement a reinforcement by giving yourself small punishments in case you divert from the schedule but ultimately, its the power of your long-term YOU which designs that schedule in your best interests that wins this battle.
Designing a good writing (or any other kind of) schedule which overcomes this enemy and also doesn't over-burden you too much is very important. The pressure shouldn't be so much that you get upset from initial failures and quit writing altogether, but it should be enough to make you feel some discomfort, so that you keep moving towards the goal. You need to employ the power of rituals here.
I know this works because I've already done it! There was a time when I was hardly able to put together a sentence for any kind of writing, be it fiction or non-fiction, be it an article or even an email to customer support! And now, I'm writing stuff regularly for my freelance blog, freelancemag.blogspot.com and my tech blog prahladyeri.com. If I can do it, then anyone can do it. In 90% of cases, success is simply a matter of showing up and churning out writing is just one of those cases! Just show up to your desk or computer regularly even if you don't feel like doing anything, let alone writing. Sooner or later, writing will happen on its own just as clouds begin to break and rains start pouring in August, or the planet earth moves to that fine tilting position during its orbit that causes springs in April!
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