Laziness is probably something that most writers struggle with from time to time. And as a beginner, I need to equip myself with the strategies to overcome this trait when it strikes.
I have been feeling lazy these past few days and I just cannot bring myself to finish an article that I have already researched and drafted.
Most of my time was spent binge-watching TV shows on Netflix. I keep telling myself I will write later. The “later” turned into “tomorrow” and then ended up turning into “next week.”
No matter how many times I tell myself to get up and write a few sentences, I just couldn’t get myself to write. As a result, my article remained unfinished.
What to expect in writing
When I first started my writing career nearly 2 months now, I knew that it will not be easy. That I will encounter some obstacles. Now I am facing some of the said obstacles, namely myself.
Or rather my laziness. Somehow I need to find something to combat this. Especially since, being freelance, I don’t have to answer to anybody but myself. And of course, I will tend to be lenient on myself. But, this attitude should not be tolerated.
It is now Monday and the start of another week, and yes, I am still my lazy self. But I told myself that, if I don’t feel like writing today, I must do something for my blog. I am a blogger, and it’s a workday. I don’t want to waste any more time than I have already.
Writing related activities
So here are the things I did today that is not writing but still definitely related:
Created pins for posting on Pinterest
After publishing each article, I immediately create one pin for posting on Pinterest to promote my latest writing.
However, in some posts of Pinterest managers or those familiar already with the site, it is better to post several pins for the article for optimal promotion.
Now, this is something that I have not done so I have a number of articles that I need to create several pins for. This activity took me a few hours to do as it is not as simple as downloading an image and posting. A number of steps have to be done prior to posting one pin.
Because of this, I resolved that moving forward, every time I finish a new article, I will prepare at least 5 pins available for posting on Pinterest.
Scheduled Facebook posts
Prior to my decision to become a blogger, I am not really active on Facebook. I usually just scroll and hit the like button for posts by family or friends that I do like.
Now that I took up blogging and as advised by some bloggers, social media presence helps in page views somehow. So I created a Facebook page for my blog and I’m trying my best to stay active.
Today, I scheduled one post each day for the rest of the week.
This is also something that I need to incorporate as well in my activities aside from the actual writing. I’ll have to set aside some time for social media posts.
Contributed to Canva
I have seen posts on Facebook that one can contribute images on Canva and earn something from it. So this is the next thing that I did. I took some photos using my phone and submitted them to Canva.
I am not a photographer, I just point and shoot, so this is me trying my luck and hoping that some of my photos would be accepted. If not, I can always use them as images for my blog.
What next
I busied myself with the above actions because I cannot get myself to finish the article I started. And while these are beneficial, I still need to attend to my writing.
So what to do? I need to read up. Learn from other writers who have encountered this same feeling and were able to overcome their laziness.
Also, I need to remind myself that one of my goals is to be a consistent writer. If I am not writing, then I dare not call myself one.
How to Overcome Laziness
After some reading, I now share the tips I learned today to overcome laziness in writing.
Know Your Laziness Type
In order for you to combat your laziness, the first thing to do is to determine your laziness type. By knowing what kind of lazy writer you are, you can then plan out the steps on how to snap out of it.
Accordingly, there are 3 main types of laziness in writing and these are:
The Busy Writer
This type refers to the kind of writer who lacks time to write. This may be due to work or activities at home that require immediate attention. By the time these are done, you may already be too exhausted to write something.
The solution for this type is to block a schedule for your writing, preferably the time where you feel that you are most productive.
For example, if you are working, you may want to schedule a time for writing before the official start of your workday. Or if this is not possible, then immediately after you punch out. While your brain is still active and on “work” mode.
However, if you cannot find time to write during workdays, then you may want to schedule a few hours during the weekends.
The main idea is to plan a schedule where you have enough energy to form words and sentences.
The Unstructured Writer
This type of lazy refers to when your days are not organized for writing. This may be due to the fact that most writers’ time is their own. Especially for bloggers who do not answer to editors or publishers. There is no one to prod or nag you to finish or publish an article.
For this type of laziness, the best thing to do is to create a structure in your writing. Treat your blog like the business that it is. Create a work schedule for yourself and give yourself deadlines.
Another option is to create a reward system. For example, each time you finish an article, you can watch 2 episodes of your favorite TV show or have an extra hour on social media. Incorporate an enticing reward for your hard work so that you can easily get over your laziness.
The Zero Attention Span Writer
This refers to the type of laziness that may result from boredom. If this is the reason for your writing laziness, what you can do is break down your writing into smaller tasks.
It is also advised to work on multiple writing projects. This way, if you get bored with what you’re currently working on, you can easily switch to a different project.
With this, you can stave off laziness and ensure that what you are working on is always interesting for you. Allowing for a more free-flowing writing experience.
Seinfeld method
This method is from the comedian Jerry Seinfeld who says that his way of forcing himself to write is to lock himself up in a room with no distraction.
With no TV, no mobile phone, or other gadgets to compete with your attention, the only thing that you can do is to write.
Apparently, even the author Neil Gaiman is employing this tactic to overcome writing laziness.
Habit formation
Another way to overcome laziness is to accept that there are times when you really feel like not writing at all. So when this happens, know that you can also form a habit out of it. As discussed by James Clear, there are 3 Rs to habit formation, which are:
- Reminder
- Routine
- Reward
Following this, whenever you feel lazy (reminder), you have to incorporate one action to redirect your attention to writing.
The action (routine) can be something like taking a short walk, watching a motivational video, or taking a power nap. Experiment with an action that will help you refocus your attention on your writing.
Once you are successful with getting back to your writing, you can then enjoy a reward. Again, make your rewards enticing or satisfying enough to draw you out of your laziness.
In conclusion
These are just some of the strategies I learned today that are worth trying in order to overcome writing laziness. And although laziness sets us back in terms of our writing, we can always counter it by doing something to return our attention to writing. In the end, it will be our passion for writing that will help us overcome laziness.
Do you have other strategies to overcome laziness? Please share them in the comments.
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