| By :
Steve Shaw
Copyright (c) 2011 Steve D Shaw We all know the terrible feelings that procrastination creates in us: We have something that we need to do, but instead of doing it we avoid it. Then we feel guilty, and after that we feel increasing pressure bearing down on us to get the thing done. The more we avoid the dreaded task, the more guilt we feel and the more pressure, until it becomes an endless cycle. This can happen especially when you have articles that you need to write. Writing is an activity that requires concentration and creativity, so it's no wonder that writers can feel some apprehension about getting started. As a person who is using article marketing to promote your website, you need to develop some article marketing strategies for overcoming procrastination. If you don't have any special tricks up your sleeve, that's perfectly fine--I'm happy to share a few that have worked for me. Here are 5 ways to stop procrastinating and start writing: 1 - Tidy up your workspace. When you're in 'writing procrastination mode', the last thing you want to do is to hang around your desk--that's where you're supposed to be working! One little trick for overcoming this is to do something constructive in your office or around your desk that produces visual evidence that work has been done. A couple of ideas: *Clean your desk so that your desktop looks clutter free and organized. *If your office is in a bedroom, take care of any messes that can easily be handled, such as making the bed, putting boxes in a closet, or putting away clothes that are thrown around. The idea is to get your office looking as organized and tidy as possible, without having to invest major time to do so. Do the surface cleaning only, or else you'll spend all day cleaning and be too tired to write! When you've done a few sprucing up activities, it is much more likely that you'll want to spend time in your office. Seeing the marked improvement in the appearance of your workspace will give you the feeling that you've accomplished something. With this simple activity, you're stopping the downward spiral of procrastination and getting some positive momentum going. 2 - Make the thing that you're dreading your first priority. The energy and time that you spend procrastinating usually turns out to be more than the energy and time you would have spent if you had actually tackled the project head on. The sooner you start writing, the sooner you can submit your article and look back with satisfaction at a job well done. 3 - Break an overwhelming job down into doable steps. So, you have an article to write and it seems like it's such a big job that you don't know where to start. The trick to overcoming your mental inertia is to do the first little step. In writing, the first step is coming up with an article topic. Take some time right now to generate two article ideas. I have some suggestions to help you get started: *Write an article that is a general overview of your topic and that is aimed at people who are vaguely interested in your field who need some basic information. This type of article tends to be very simple, beginner-friendly, and easy to write. *Think of a mistake that people in your field commonly make and write an encouraging article that provides correction. 4 - Make your writing environment distraction-free. This means: *Turn off your phones. *Close your instant messaging program. *Close your very tempting social media applications, such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. The only thing that should be occupying your attention is the page that you are writing on. 5 - Make writing into a positive challenge that offers a reward. For example: *If you write 2 articles today, you can go to the coffee shop and get your favorite drink. *If you finish writing all of your articles for the month this week, you will treat yourself to your favorite restaurant on Friday night. Give yourself something positive to look forward to after completing the writing task, and the writing will get easier. When you focus an attitude of dread on any activity, the thing you are avoiding gets more and more power over you. It makes you want to avoid it even more. You can remove the mental hurdle that the task of writing sometimes generates by focusing your mind on positive rewards, tackling your writing job head on as your first priority of the day, and doing little things to get some positive momentum going toward your writing task. Which of these 5 tips will you start with to get your writing back on track?
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