Confusing "Busyness" with "Business?" Two Productivity Tips for Writers

Never confuse movement with action.  --Ernest Hemingway

It is quite easy to confuse "busy-ness" with "business," especially if you begin your work session without a clear focus and intention.  Here are two productivity tips to help you focus your writing sessions.

• If your goal is to finish writing a manuscript, ask:  "What specific actions will move me forward?"

Here's an incredibly obvious but (judging from my own and my clients' experiences) oh-so-difficult concept to remember:

• In order to finish writing a piece, you must write, even if your end-product is a hole-filled "swiss-cheese draft."

• If your goal is to boost your freelancing income, ask yourself:  "Is this an income-producing activity?"

Resist the temptation to confuse these writing-related tasks with the task of writing itself:

• research
• revision
• platform-building (teaching, social networking, blogging, etc.)
• marketing (researching/approaching agents, setting up readings, etc.)
• purchasing, record-keeping and other administrative tasks

Can you relate?  What other tasks convince you that you're writing, even when you're not?

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If you struggle with staying focused and moving forward, productivity coaching can really help you stay on track. Email me at <[email protected]> to inquire about a new and affordable 6-week coaching group starting in late-March/mid-April. 

 

Comments

[Christie Wright Wild]

This is good. Probably why I'm revamping my whole way of thinking about writing right now. Trying to come up with an actual schedule. Although I DO consider revising to be a part of writing. AND writing my blog posts, though a different form of writing. My categories are:
WRITING (first drafts, revising, research for the project itself, and ideas)
BLOGGING (my own posts)
READING OTHERS' BLOGS, AND HOW-TO BOOKS
NETWORKING (comment on others' blogs, forums, twitter, facebook, etc.)
CRITIQUING
MARKETING (query letters, publisher/editor research)
and MISC (the admin. stuff)
That's a lot! How do people fit it all in?

[Marla]

Hi Andres,

Thanks for stopping by The Relaxed Writer and leaving your comments. Sorry to put a wrench in your productive procrastination scheme...but what's a life coach to do?

warmly,
Marla

[Account Deleted]

I'm a procrastinator to the max. It makes me feel awful and unproductive yet I can't seem to stop the cycle at times. I even have a blog that I started months ago that I don't keep up with anymore. This article has provided me some inspiration and peace knowing I'm not alone!

[Andres Marin]

This just throws a wrench in my whole productive procrastination scheme!