How to Prepare Public Presentations that Knock the Socks Off

By Mary Jaksch

Have you ever had to give a public presentation? If so, you may remember damp palms, butterflies in your stomach, and an overwhelming wish to hide in a cupboard instead of striding onto the stage. If you turn into a successful writer, chances are you’ll have to get used to public speaking.

The good news is that you can learn to speak publicly with confidence – and even enjoy it.

There are two keys factors that change the way you experience public presentations, one factor is the use of mental strategies that enable you to feel confident and in charge. The other factor is the preparation that results in a presentation that rocks – this is what this post focuses on.

In tandem with this post, I’ve published an article on Goodlife ZEN that covers the psychological and physical strategies that you can use in order to become a cool presenter: How to Speak in Public With Confidence – And Be On Top of Your Game. Read both articles to get the full juice.

Nail the benefit

Before you start preparing for your presentation, you need to ask an important question: what is the benefit to my audience? In order to get a good response from your audience, the presentation needs to have a clear benefit. It’s important to formulate the benefit right from the start. What new knowledge, new inspiration, or new skills do you want your audience to take away from your talk?

Create a memorable structure

As I explain in my article How to Speak in Public With Confidence – and Be On Top of Your Game one of the fears we face is that our mind goes blank during a presentation. There are some simple psychological tricks you can use to avoid memory blanks. In addition, you can structure your talk so that it is memorable for you as well as for your audience.

An structure that storytellers have used since ancient times is the three-act form. In the design of your presentation, Act 1 is the opening. It is the description of the pain points, challenges, and frustration that your audience faces in respect of your topic. When you promise to show how to overcome these challenges in order to reach a desired outcome, you sets up a dramatic tension.

The corresponding part of your presentation is Act 3. It offers the resolution, and describes how one is changed and rewarded through overcoming the challenges and attaining the desired outcome.

Act 2 is the detailed description of the path from A to B. It is the ‘how to’ section of the presentation.

No matter what your topic is, this structure ensures that you connect with your audience, because people feel understood when you name their pain, and inspired when you show them how to overcome it.  This three-act structure ensures dramatic tension and release – which you need in order to create a memorable presentation.

What is your story thread?

Whatever the topic of your presentation is, it’s useful to consider using a consistent story thread or motif. We have all internalized many archetypal motifs through stories that have been told and retold through the generations. Here are just a few:

Climbing a mountain: how someone overcomes all difficulties to reach the summit.

Finding the missing piece of a puzzle: how a search is finally rewarded with a new insight into how pieces fit together.

Voyage into the unknown: how an adventurer set out into the unknown and finds a place hitherto unknown.

The treasure hunt: how someone follows hidden clues and finally uncovers a treasure.

The reluctant hero: how an ordinary person overcomes all odds and ends up a hero.

Finding the source: how someone walked back in order to find the source or origin.

The blockbuster story: you can use a story thread from popular culture. An example would be Star Wars.

There are many more such story threads. If you use a story thread, your presentation will be strengthened with an invisible backbone. A consistent motif will make it easy to find appropriate metaphors and images to support your topic.

The building blocks of a great presentation

In keeping with the underlying three-act structure, you need three main building blocks, the opening, the development, and the closing.

The opening

Your first task is get your audience’s attention and to create a connection. A great way to do this is to relate a personal story, the ‘why’ of your presentation. Why are you passionate about this topic? How does this topic relate to your life? If you lead in with a personal story, it’s much easier for people to relate to your topic. And your personal story establishes authority. In order to grab your audience’s attention, see if you can start in a way that’s unexpected.

Let’s say you are going to present a talk on how to become a runner, in order to go from flab to fit.

Your opening could be your story about how you were overweight, and then managed to become slim and fit by taking up running. Once you’ve established your motivation and authority, it’s time to start with Act 1, that is, you need to speak about people’s pain, frustration and barriers in respect of your topic. The pain points here could be feeling unattractive, unhealthy, or unfit. The challenge could be the beliefs that ‘I could never learn to run’, or ‘I get puffed after only a few meters – how could I ever get fit?’

The desired outcome (that’s going to be Act 3 of your presentation) is to become a runner in only 5 weeks ‘by using the following 5 step body-control program’.  In this scenario you would need to spend a moment explaining why the ‘5 step body-control program’ is effective. Then it’s time for the development phase.

The development

This is the phase where you lay out exactly how to overcome the pain points in order to reach the desired outcome. The brain learns best if you offer bite-sized bits of information. This is why numbered steps or bullet-points work so well. This is going to be the ‘meat in the sandwich’, so to speak. The development part of your presentation should be the longest part with detailed information. Once you have laid out how to achieve the desired outcome, it’s time for the closing.

The closure

In the closure it’s time to talk about how it feels when you achieve the benefits. Maybe you can give examples of others who also achieved success in order to inspire and motivate. It’s a good idea to repeat briefly the main steps of your development phase. In other words, you need to remind them briefly of the main content of your presentation.

Then comes the call to action.  You need to outline the next step for your listeners. What should they do now in order to move closer to the desired outcome? Are there special resources they can access? Is there an action they can do today that will start them on a new path?

To PowerPoint or not?

Most presenters these days use PowerPoint slides. That can be very effective. Because you can use images and motion in order to hammer home your points. I think in general, PowerPoint presentations are great if you want to convey information. However, if your presentation revolves is inspirational and revolves around your personal story, then just words may well work better because such a presentation is more intimate.

Whether or not you use PowerPoint, it’s important for your presentation to sound like your talking, and not reading aloud.

Here are two books that I find especially helpful in creating PowerPoint presentations:

Cliff Atkinson: Beyond Bullet Points. This book explains in detail how to put together a presentation that is based on the 3-act structure. For Mac users, iWork: Keynote ’09 by Richard Harrington is a great resource that shows how to create stunning presentations that inform, motivate, and inspire.

Conversational tone

The best presentation are conversational. Even if you’ve worked them out to the letter, they still need to sound spontaneous. The way to write conversationally is to read aloud your draft to others. Whenever you notice that a sentence sounds contrived, mark it for further work. What often works is to shorten sentences, use simple language and use contractions, such as ‘you’ll’ instead of ‘you will’. These rehearsals are a key part of building confidence. Read more on how to conduct rehearsals for maximum effect here.

Timing

Each presentation usually has a timeframe that you need to adhere to – especially if you invite questions at the end. Make sure you time your rehearsals. Then cut your text so that you spend only 80% of the allotted time, in order to have some time up your sleeve.

Conclusion

As you can see from the notes above, the key strategy for creating a riveting presentation is to set up a dramatic tension, using the 3-act structure that sets up a tension between the paint points that the audience experiences and the desired outcomes that your presentation offers.

Most importantly, if you use archetypal story threads that bind the parts of the presentation together, you  can create a memorable presentation.

What are your tips for creating a presentation? Please share them in the comments.

Don’t forget to read the companion article: How to Speak in Public With Confidence – And Be On Top of Your Game

Mary Jaksch is the Chief Editor of Write to Done. Enjoy more of her stuff on Goodlife Zen. And check out the legendary A-List Blogger Club that Leo Babauta and Mary run jointly.


Categories: Craft, Habits

7 Secrets of Spectacular Bloggers

A guest post by Stanford Smith from Pushing Social

Top bloggers didn’t achieve their success by accident.  They had a plan and they worked daily to achieve their goals.  For many it was a short list of simple objectives.  For others it was a complex strategy perfectly executed.

What about you?  What’s your plan?

I’ll be straight with you; most people aren’t master strategists.  It takes a while to learn how to plan and execute a success effectively.  So, I’m going to give you the shortcut no one talks about, setting powerful Habits.

Habits Are the Building Blocks of Achievement

As a parent, I’m constantly guarding my children from bad choices that lead to bad habits.  Why?  Well, habits are incredibly hard to break.  A child that uses whining to get their way turns into a whining and complaining teenager.

The reverse is also true.  Good habits are incredibly hard to break too.  Our minds are wired to maintain the status-quo.  Once a habit has taken hold, your own body will conspire to turn your habit into a lifestyle.

Why not use this to your advantage?  Your shortcut to success is to use your habits as tools to propel you toward your goals. This notion isn’t theoretical.  In fact, close study of popular A-List bloggers show that they rely on 7 habits that they use as tools everyday.

Let’s take a look at 7 of their most powerful tools:

1. Writing Daily

Interesting, compelling, and entertaining writing is the secret to growing a blog fast.  The only way to get good at writing is to write constantly.

Setting aside time daily to write will immediately improve your style and voice.

How much you write is up to you but for most the minimum is 1 page or 30 minutes.  The best way to start is to make it a priority to write your page before you go to sleep or immediately after you wake in the morning.

2. Confronting Your Inner Critic

Superstar bloggers are fearless.  They write provocative posts.  They take on controversial topics.  They guest post with abandon.  Even though they seem confident almost all of them will admit to wrestling with their own self-doubts.  The difference is that they learned how to harness their self-doubt to push them forward.

They wrestle self-doubt to the ground and challenge it at every turn.  They don’t let a negative idea find a place to nest in their mind.

You can master your inner critic by equipping yourself with these questions:

  • What action can I take now?
  • How can I continue moving forward in spite of my doubts?
  • Is this problem/doubt really a showstopper or can I deal with it later?

Remember, your inner-critic wants you to stop. The best way to beat it is to form the habit of always pushing forward.

3. Connecting with Your Readers Regularly

Blogging isn’t meant to be a lone-ranger activity.  Your content gets stronger when you connect with your reader’s experiences and aspirations. Top Bloggers make it a habit to set-up easy ways to get one-to-one contact with their readers. For them Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn is not an option.  This is where they find inspiration for their posts and recharge their batteries.

But be careful, Twitter and Facebook can be a time-waster if not used properly.  I recommend you start with a goal that focuses you on achieving a result for your reader.  Leo Babauta recommends you spend 80% of your time promoting others, 10% promoting your blog, and 10% on personal tweets.  I agree.  Set aside time 3x a week to connect with your readers and make it a priority.

4. Win/Win Writing

“Help Others Achieve Their Dreams And You Will Achieve Yours” – Les Brown

Steven Covey encouraged peak achievers to seek Win/Win solutions where both parties walk away feeling great about what they achieved.  The same goes for blogging.

Every post you write should satisfy a core desire for you and deliver a real benefit for your reader.  If you are simply writing to satisfy yourself then purchase a moleskin notebook and write away.  But if you want to blog publicly then you owe it to readers to deliver real value.

You can form a Win/Win habit by asking yourself this question before you start writing:  “How will my reader benefit from reading this post and how will I grow from writing it?

5. Be Consistently Upbeat

Optimism is powerful and attractive.  The power to put a smile on your reader’s face is magical.  You should strive to add a little light to your readers lives everyday.

On the other hand, “rants” are a zero-sum game that pushes your good readers away and attracts the wrong crowd.  The best bloggers avoid rants and focus on helpful and upbeat posts.

A great way to this is to consistently write upbeat headlines for your posts.  Start with the right attitude and your optimism will radiate from your post.

6. Master the Art of Storytelling

The words “Let Me Tell You a Story” never fails to get someone’s attention.  We are wired to listen to stories and we love to tell them.  Spectacular bloggers understand this and actively work on their storytelling ability.

The best way to develop your storywriting ability is to read great books.  Work to set a habit of reading at least one fictional book a month.  Start with the New York Times Bestseller list and go from there.  Pay special attention to how authors begin their stories and develop their characters.  This is pure gold.

7. Get Your Voice Right

Your writing voice is your #1 asset. Your voice is what the reader has in their head when they read your post.  It builds rapport and encourages your reader to engage with your content.

Successful bloggers spend considerable time refining their voice.  Most emphasize writing as if you are just talking to your best friend on the phone. One shortcut for finding your voice is to record yourself speaking about your topic.  Just naturally answer a question or even have a friend interview you talking about your passion.  Listen closely to the recording.  That passionate advocate you hear – is YOU.  Now write with the same voice

What A-List Habits Will You Work On?

Which habit do you need to establish to take your blog to the next level?  How have you caged your inner critic?  Talk to me in the comments below.

Stanford Smith obsesses about how to get passionate people’s blogs noticed and promoted at Pushing Social, except when he’s fishing with his boys. Follow him to get the latest about his new ebook “Get Noticed.”


Categories: Blogwriting, Habits

7 Mindfulness Tips to Energize Your Writing

A guest post by Alexander De Foe

Many people don’t realize that their greatest resources for writing, creativity, and motivation lie within them already. By practicing Zen techniques of mindfulness and “no-mind” meditation you can actually inspire your inner artist into action without doing much conscious work at all.

That’s right, almost paradoxically, a state of “no-mind” can produce excellent results in your life in terms of creativity and productivity.

It seems like a paradox, because in our world we’re often told to think things through, and that hard work requires lots of conscious effort. How about inspiration and true artistic expression? How are these factors synonymous with conscious effort? In fact, I’ve found that simply being still and present in the moment can result in some of the greatest inspirations for writing.

Do you ever find yourself using the below “mental excuses” when planning a new article or project? In this post, we’ll look at how the Mind can bring up all sorts of excuses that limit and hold us back, and how to practice Mindfulness to re-center and re-energize your creativity.

1. Analysis paralysis

During the process of writing do you notice asking yourself questions like “is that the best sentence to open with?” “is there a better way to phrase this paragraph?” “have I written this well enough?” The mind can be a great critic and push you in the right direction, especially when carving out superfluous elements in your writing while sharpening pertinent points. However over-doing it can result in the tendency of over-relying on your mind and undervaluing your heart in the writing process.

Mindfulness Practice 1 - Let your mind calm down for a moment by taking a long deep breath. Once it stops mentally butting in and critiquing your work, listen to your heart by getting a ‘feel’ for what you are writing, rather than merely analyzing the content.

2. If…

Some writers find themselves spending more time on thinking rather than writing! “Hmm, If I had more time, I could…” “If I had more knowledge on the subject I could…” “If I had a better computer I could…” If’s are often the mind’s way of expressing uncertainty, and can be a major roadblock for you in learning to trust yourself and your capabilities.

Mindfulness Practice 2 - Recognize that “If’s” have their purpose, but just ask yourself if you could let go of the particular “if” for just this moment. By doing so, you begin to let go of the thought of “if” and embrace the present moment. By being mindful and present, mentally-imposed limitations can be distinguished from true limitations much more easily.

3. The need for perfection

I used to know someone who would edit his work almost to the point of compulsion, revising draft after draft after draft until every word was perfectly placed in his essay. The need for perfection arises from mental standards, it’s often your mind’s way of saying “this is how things should be for your work to be legitimate, interesting and successful.” Once again, I’d like to stress the point that many writers have been taught to write from their heads, not their hearts, and the latter is where I believe all truly inspired writing originates.

Mindfulness Practice 3 - Instead of demanding of yourself that your work meet a certain standard, ask yourself “what would I like to write if I could write anything in the world?” Become mindful of where the energy in your mind and body flows to and trust in this experience to connect with your inner voice.

“A good style should show no signs of effort. What is written should seem a happy accident.” -W. Somerset Maugham, Summing Up, 1938

4. Being good enough

Letting your opinion of yourself shape the quality of your writing is something we all do but few of us realize. If someone ever told you that “you are a bad writer” or that your work wasn’t up to scratch, you may have held on to that false belief and carried it with you unconsciously, and now it may come out in elements of your work.

Personally, in this regard meditation has been the best tool I have ever come across for writing, rather than conducting psychotherapy or self-analysis I simply take myself out of the picture when writing and let the writing partake in it’s own creation. To those new to Zen, this may seem almost insane. “How can I take the ‘ego’ or ‘self’ out of the writing process?” some may wonder. However simply sitting in a quite meditation for 20 minutes or so can often allow you to write naturally and seamlessly with little “editing” from your mind at all.

5. Motivation and rationalization (“I’ll do it tomorrow”)

One of the major issues with being successful at writing, business, life, as a matter of fact anything, is putting your energy into doing what you plan to do, rather than putting your energy into planning what you plan to do. I think we’ve all fallen into the trap at least once. It’s the one where we spend 3 consecutive days convincing ourselves that the article, or essay, or project, can be put off until tomorrow. In fact we spend more time on this convincing process than we would have spent on writing!

Become mindful that you are withdrawing into yourself and ruminating, rather than expressing yourself externally. Notice when you begin thinking about a task rather than doing it and ask yourself “would I rather internalize and think right now to no end or would I rather be producing something real right now?” Use mindfulness to catch yourself and transform rumination into action on-the-spot.

6. Distractions

Distractions are interesting, because they can cause us to question the value we assign writing. How do you mentally regard your blog? How about your business? The value of your writing? A professional writer who gets paid by the word probably regards his work as being of a higher value than someone who writes recklessly with little consistency and tact. How does your writing style speak to how you value the process of writing?

Becoming mindful of the value you assign your writing involves setting aside time every day to write and treating it as almost a “sacred space.” It is your time to be fully mindful and present while writing, and as you become more immersed and write consciously, you’ll find yourself setting more appropriate boundaries to filter against external (and internal!) distractions.

“Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head.”

7. Other mental chatter

Like with anything worthwhile, I recommend writers give themselves fully to their writing. Immerse yourself in the process and be totally mindful of every moment. For me, writing is a Zen-like state, without a doubt, and I believe that only in this state can the true magic of inspiration happen. It’s not when we think tirelessly and dwell on the best way to write something that inspired writing really flows. Quite the opposite.

Quick tips for mindful writing:

  • Remember to bring yourself back to the present moment when you find yourself over-thinking about what you are writing.
  • Bring your heart into your writing, don’t just write from the mind.
  • Instead of aiming to write the perfect article, aim to write the most honest, useful, or even “fun” article.
  • Find your source of inspiration and motivation in your dreams, not in your expectations of yourself.
  • Pick up on yourself thinking about doing something when you could really be using that time for†doing that same task.
  • Notice how you rationalize self-limiting excuses, and then let them go, take your excuses out of your writing process.
  • Be fully present during writing, treat it like a Zen meditation state where your focus is immersed and unbroken.

Learning Mindfulness isn’t just useful for creative writing, it can be a great way of allowing the energy of your inner-heart to permeate all of your daily life experiences. I believe most of us have been †taught to be “living in our minds” to keep up with the world we live in. Too many have lost that connection to their inner wisdom and presence, a source of inspiration that was always there, just waiting to be heard.

Alexander De Foe is a Coach and licensed Counsellor from Melbourne, Australia.  His e-book 8 Reflections on Following Your True Life Path is available for free download at his website.


Categories: Blogwriting, Craft

4 Reasons to Appreciate Your Self-Doubts

A guest post by Joan Dempsey of Literary Living

Let’s face it – every one of us experiences self-doubt, even the most well-established writers. Dean Koontz, for instance, an author who has sold more than 400 million books and is one of the most highly paid writers in the world, says “I have more self-doubt than any writer I know.”

And Alice Munro, the celebrated Canadian writer who’s been called our Chekhov, worries every time she finishes writing a book that she’ll never write again.

Let’s agree, then, that self-doubt is an ordinary part of every writer’s experience, even yours. You’ll never be without it. The question is, what can you learn from it?

Here are four reasons to appreciate your self-doubt.

1. Self-Doubt is a Protective Instinct

Self-doubt arises out of your own instinctive desire to protect yourself, which is actually a nice impulse that you probably don’t often acknowledge. We usually bemoan or bludgeon our self-doubt; we believe what writer Sylvia Plath famously claimed, that “the worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”

I beg to differ!

You can be more creative if you welcome and examine your self-doubts.

It’s true, though, that we writers allow our doubts to keep us away from our work. Why? To protect ourselves from pain. Author James Baldwin says we’re good at fooling ourselves because we don’t want to get hurt. “We don’t want to have our certainty disturbed,” he said.

Psychologists call this self-handicapping . If you stay away from your work you’ll never have to face the pain of writing poorly, or you can fool yourself into thinking you’ll be a great writer if you do get down to work.

The problem with that, though, is that you’ll never really be a writer. Baldwin believed that the trick is to know when you’re fooling yourself.

The best writers live an examined and therefore honest life, and that includes scrutinizing your self-doubt.

2. Self-Doubt Sounds an Alarm

Not unlike a smoke detector, self-doubt alerts us to the presence of fear, the typical cause of our doubts.

Thich Nhat Hanh, a well-known Buddhist teacher, advises us that because fear is a natural and constant presence in our lives, we’d do well to welcome it rather than fight it:

It is best not to say, “Go away, Fear. I don’t like you. You are not me.” It is much more effective to say, “Hello Fear. How are you today?”

The next time you feel self-doubt, don’t despair or fight – look around to see what might be smoldering; be grateful for the alarm.

3. Self-Doubt is a Call to Action

Dean Koontz is notorious for obsessively polishing his paragraphs. “I began this ceaseless polishing out of self-doubt,” says Koontz, “as a way of preventing self-doubt from turning into writer’s block: by doing something with the unsatisfactory page, I wasn’t just sitting there brooding about it.”

In Koontz’s case, feeling uncertain about his abilities actually motivated him to take an action he might otherwise not have pursued.

Similarly, Write-to-Done Chief Editor, Mary Jaksch, believes that a “healthy dose of self-doubt, of not knowing” can lead writers to the “edge of creativity” by not allowing us to stay complacent.

I learned this first-hand through kayaking. After more than twenty years of paddling, I finally took a safety class. I realized I’d avoided such a class because I was afraid I wouldn’t have the strength to learn the appropriate skills. But the longer I kayaked, the more my fears began to be about saving someone’s life. I knew I didn’t have the right skills to be safe and those doubts about my ability became my call to action. I took a safety course and before long I was happily flipping over in my boat, certain I had the skills to save myself from drowning.

4. Self-Doubt Provides Fresh Perspective

If you keep your doubts to yourself you’re missing a valuable opportunity. By sharing your doubts with friends and writing colleagues you’re bound to get a fresh perspective. Others often don’t see your failings or uncertainties in the same way you do.

By sharing your doubts you’ll likely learn something new about yourself, feel companioned, hear a helpful cheer, or receive a much-needed boost to your self-esteem.

James Baldwin, in discussing why he writes, says he does so to describe. What he means is that by describing something in detail you come to understand it intimately. Describe your doubts in writing, or through dialogue – either way, your new understanding can help disarm your doubts.

The next time self-doubt keeps you away from your writing, try this:

  • Review these four reasons to appreciate your doubts;
  • Say “Hello, self-doubt, how are you today”; and
  • Get to work.

What have you learned from your self-doubts?

Joan Dempsey is a writer and the founder of Literary Living, an online program for serious, aspiring writers who want to overcome resistance and self-doubt to create a unique writing life. Sign-up for more information, a free audio interview with Leo Babauta, and a free e-book, The Power of Deliberate Thinking: 5 Strategies for Staying at the Writing Desk (Despite Your Self-Doubts)

Categories: Habits, Productivity - Tags: , , , , , ,

The Fail-Safe Guide to Overcoming Procrastination

A guest post by Gail Brenner, Ph.D. of A Flourishing Life

Can we please eliminate the word procrastination from our vocabulary? No one ever feels better or more alive by labeling themselves as a procrastinator.

Some words flow off the tongue like mellifluous or resplendent, but procrastinate? Yech! Other words reveal a treasure in their origin. Inspiration has its root in “to breathe” and happiness means good fortune. But procrastination? It comes from the Latin meaning to put off until tomorrow. No revelation there.

Yet, as writers, most of us procrastinate, and it’s not a positive experience. We find checking email for the millionth time way more compelling than working on that piece that has a deadline coming up. Then we judge ourselves for our lack of focus. Frustration, feeling stuck – this is not a happy road to travel.

Does this scenario sound familiar? Then let’s find our way out of the struggle. We begin by putting on our explorer hats, the ones with the spotlight on the forehead, so we can see what we are actually dealing with.

What is Procrastination?

To say you are procrastinating means that you are living smack in the middle of the land of “should.” And when has a “should” ever served anyone? In essence, you are saying, “I’m doing this right now, when I should be doing that.” You are putting yourself down and rejecting this moment as not good enough.

When you have convinced yourself that another action is better than the one you are taking, two sides within you have taken up arms, and the resulting inner conflict is depleting and depressing. No wonder you shut down and go into brain fog. Who wants to fight a losing battle?

Can we learn to be kinder toward ourselves? We might find that as the dust settles, our actions become focused, efficient, and even joyful.

How Procrastination Works

What we call procrastination is all about avoiding. With good intention and high hopes, you begin working on a project. But before you know it, you are busily researching some fascinating tidbit or preparing a tasty snack. How did that happen?

You can discover the answer by rewinding and playing the scene back in slow motion. What you would notice is that you are prone to procrastination when what you are working on:

  • Seems boring or unexciting,
  • Triggers fears – of rejection, of not being capable, of not being perfect, or
  • Activates a pattern of self-denigrating thoughts – I can’t, I’m no good, this sucks.

See how becoming aware is empowering? Once you learn to manage the thoughts and feelings that fuel procrastination, they stop sabotaging you. Then the choice is yours – writing or some other activity. No stress, no angst.

Familiarize yourself with each of these reactions and practice the tools that address them. Procrastination will no longer be your nemesis.

Boredom

Boredom can be sneaky, as you might have noticed. There is no neon sign that flashes, “I’m bored.” Rather, our focus slowly drifts away, and we find ourselves disengaged with the task at hand.

The fix: The antidote to boredom is involvement. If you realize you are procrastinating because you are bored, try these:

  • Reconnect with your excitement about the project you are working on.
  • Work on something else that engages you more.
  • Take a break by doing something pleasurable, then take that sense of pleasure back to your project.
  • Move your energy by walking or stretching.
  • Consider modifying the project in some way so it brings you joy.
  • Remember why you are writing – to help, entertain, or move people – and keep that reason foremost in your mind.

Fear

Unexamined fear virtually guarantees that you will procrastinate. Until you experience the benefits of befriending fear, you will resist feeling it. And what better way to avoid fear than to slip off into mindless and harmful activities.

Yet, writers feel afraid. If you want to stay alive and engaged in your work, get serious about dealing with fear.

The fix: There is no substitute for becoming familiar with the way fear arises in you. Awareness always equals empowerment.

  • Be curious and compassionate in your approach to fear.
  • Turn your attention toward the fear. Lean into it. Discover the direct experience of it in your body and your thoughts.
  • Recognize that fear is not the enemy – it’s a natural human emotion.
  • Ask the fear what it wants and needs. It may be trying to tell you something you’ve been ignoring.
  • Find the wise place inside you that is not affected by fear, and move from there.

Limiting Thoughts

Contracted beliefs about ourselves and our abilities drop like a sledgehammer to squelch our enthusiasm. If this mental habit revs up in the midst of writing, no wonder you have a hard time staying focused.

The fix: We tend to assume our automatic thoughts are true without investigating them. Are they?

  • Question each thought to determine if it is true or not. (Hint: It isn’t.)
  • Notice how negative thoughts affect your body, mind, and emotions.
  • See if the thoughts are serving you.
  • Take a couple of deep breaths to help the thoughts move through you.
  • Bring compassion to the place in you that gives rise to these thoughts.
  • Reconnect with your true intention that is not colored by habitual thinking.

Guess what? Procrastinating has just become an opportunity. Each time you lose your focus, check in with yourself. Are you bored, afraid, or consumed by negative thinking? Once you understand the source of procrastination, apply the right tool for the job. Your conflict and resistance will diminish, leaving you fresh, energized, and ready to write again.

How about you? What fuels procrastination in you? What strategies have you found to be useful in dealing with it?

Gail Brenner, Ph.D. is a psychologist and blogger who writes at A Flourishing Life, where she delights in offering practical wisdom for untangling self-defeating habits and realizing happiness. You can receive her posts by RSS or email, and follow her on Twitter at @aflourishinglif.


Categories: Blogwriting, Productivity

Next Page »