And by Next Week I Mean…Sometime in the Near Future

Procrastination.  It’s one of the ugliest words in any writer’s (or college student’s) vocabulary.  Yet unfortunately, it can be one of the most familiar, as well.  Case in point: this post. 

I would say let’s just call the last two months “the lost months,” but that would imply that I am never going to go a considerable length of time without posting in the future, and…well, I know my track record.  I also know how difficult it can sometimes be to stick to a set schedule, especially if you are a procrastinator, like me. 

The reality of life is that sometimes things do not always pan out the way you originally imagine they will, and if you are a procrastinator, it is very easy to trick yourself into thinking that something important can be put off until the next day.  Or the day after.  Or the day after that…

If you are a writer, this cycle is particularly vicious.  Ideally, writers should strive to put something to paper (or Word document) every day, just so their skills do not go to waste.  

Even writers struggling with writer’s block should do this in order to see if an idea will spring to life.  When writers fail to do this (and worse, when it becomes a habit), it gets increasingly harder to return to a stable writing routine. 

From my own experience, I find that there is a definite feeling of guilt that comes from falling out of routine.  You want to write every day, and each day you don’t, it’s as if you are disappointing yourself.  If you are attempting to write a blog, you also tend to feel as though you are disappointing others.

Here’s the thing, and though it may be a bit cliché, it is something I know absolutely: you can always go back. 

You might think that after a certain period of time, after enough time has passed, it is impossible to go back and continue what you have started.  You might be afraid that it’s too late and that you have let it go for too long. 

This is a fallacy that you let yourself believe to continue along the road of procrastination.  If you keep waiting and never go back, then it’s truly too late. 

Hopefully, now that I’ve returned from the blog graveyard, I’ll be able to keep up a regular pace.  We’ll see.

(And let’s be honest: if I can do it, then you can, too.)

As always, happy writing,

Shannon