Posts tagged procrastination
Would you let your kids plan your home working diary?
Jul 13th
The little Somerset town of Frome where we moved two years ago is a vibrant and creative place and its annual festival is growing every year. On Sunday I was delighted to take part in Writers and Publishers Day by running a workshop for writers who work from home.
I had a very enjoyable and useful time talking to twelve enthusiastic writers about the issues that most affect them and any home worker – developing some kind of routine for your working day, the terrors of procrastination, and how to recognise when you’re spending too much time alone.
Everyone agreed that juggling home and family commitments with work can be a nightmare and often the writing gets abandoned because other, more mundane jobs seem so much more pressing. Even things like ironing and digging the garden yield a quick, tangible result, while making time to write can seem indulgent and selfish.
We agreed that these are issues that never seem to get resolved, and then yesterday one of the group told me that her children had planned the day to include a couple of hours writing time – and unlike many of her own previous plans, those hours actually happened!
Which makes me wonder if she has stumbled upon a brilliant solution to home working parents’ guilt – let the kids have a hand in planning the diary, including your work time, so they have an investment in making it happen.
Who’s a homeworking early bird?
May 6th
I’ve always thought I was one of those people who likes to get things done and out of the way before giving themselves permission to relax, the type who gets up early and revels in having the world to themselves before anyone else is about.
But I’m beginning to wonder whether it’s just strong childhood conditioning, reinforced by years of running an office cleaning company when early mornings were essential, and topped off by many years of self-deception.
I discovered while on my MA writing course and later while writing the book that I struggled to get going with work during the day, whereas in the evening I somehow relaxed and slipped into it, it became much easier and time just slid by. But I didn’t want to accept that might be my preferred style of working. I liked the idea of experiencing that virtuous feeling when you’ve done all you can and feel justified in relaxing for the evening. It seems more logical too – shouldn’t one be brighter after a good night’s sleep and wind down with the day?
Or maybe I need to accept that the Muse is an elusive creature and doesn’t always descend to fit in with human timetables. Although Somerset Maugham apparently said ‘I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.’
Or maybe we’re all completely different and what is procrastination for one person can simply be acknowledged by another as the wrong timing.
