Hi.
I m Karen McKee and this is another video about writing.
Today, I d like to talk about procrastination, something we all do at one time or another.
Writing seems to be particularly vulnerable to procrastination.
We read email, file papers, reorganize our offices, chat with coworkers, check our Twitter
feed, anything to put off writing our thesis, journal article, technical report, or grant
proposal.
And then scramble at the last minute to finish by the deadline.
You ve probably heard all the usual recommended solutions.
Set up a daily writing schedule.
Create an inviting workspace for writing.
Turn off distractions such as email notifications.
And set up rewards for writing.
These things may help but they don t necessarily get at what is causing you to procrastinate.
We may avoid activities that we feel inadequate doing or because we fear failure or being
criticized.
Or because we feel overwhelmed.
Or we aren t sufficiently motivated.
One or more of these may be relevant for you.
So, what is the solution?
Obviously, it depends on the underlying reason, but here is what I found to be generally helpful.
Be aware of what you are really doing when you procrastinate.
When tempted to check your Twitter feed or reorganize your photo library,
stop and consider the choice you are making and how much harder it will be
for you to meet your writing deadline if you choose procrastination.
This forces you to make a conscious choice between a negative and a positive outcome.
Then envision the positive outcome.
Think about how good you will feel when your paper is published or your thesis is submitted
to the graduate school.
Often, such steps will push you into sitting down to write.
Now for many students, the problem may be feeling overwhelmed with the thought of writing
an entire thesis or dissertation or a paper based on five years of data.
You may intimidated by the enormity of the task.
The best solution here is to break the job into smaller segments.
Just focus initially on writing one section of your thesis or paper, such as the methods
and don t think about the other sections.
You sit down at the computer and think, today I m going to write the site description.
Now f that s too challenging, break the writing down into even smaller tasks.
Write about one analysis or one experimental protocol at a time.
The key is to stay totally focused on the smaller task and not to worry about the entire
job.
But for me, the best overall antidote to procrastination has been to learn to love writing.
This happened after I gained some writing skills and stopped worrying about making a
mistake or what a reviewer might say.
Now, I look forward to sitting at my computer and typing away.
I m not easily distracted because I would rather be writing than reading what has someone
posted on their Facebook page.
Of course, what works for me may not work for you.
The point is to analyze your behavior, identify what is fueling your procrastination, and
work out a solution tailored to address your specific issues.
In the end, if you are plagued by procrastination and fail to do something about it, the problem
will likely grow and interfere with your career goals as a science professional.
It s best to tackle procrastination early and find a solution that works for you.
Thanks for watching and please like my video if you found it helpful.