A deeper look at procrastination and how to stop procrastinating your art: why we all do it to ourselves and how to get better at avoiding it. Gain new insights on self-care, taking immediate action, and making it all feel more worth the effort.
It seems like I always tend to have that ONE THING that I know I need to do but keep putting off.
Do you have something like that right now? Something that has been left undone for whatever reason that you just know you need to get to for your own good? Is there an art or writing project you really want to complete but you’ve continued to procrastinate?
Actually, scratch that. I’m not even going to ask. I’m 100% confident that you DO have something like that right now in your life. If you don’t, you’re either lying or you’re from a different planet. Procrastination is so ubiquitous and so utterly human that even the ancient greeks had a word for it: akrasia, or the tendency to act against your own better judgement.
So you’ve got things that you know you need to do, to make, and to experience. You even genuinely want all of it to happen. And yet it’s remained undone, possibly even for months or years. In other words, you’ve procrastinated your dreams.
The first step to stop procrastinating your art is to understand why you do it.
You’re kind of a jerk to yourself
You’ve got two versions of yourself. Present Self and Future Self. And let’s face it: your Present Self can be kind of a jerk. It’s nothing personal, really… my Present Self is that way too.
See, Present Self loves things like safety, comfort, an extra 5 minutes of sleep, and Oreo cheesecake. Oftentimes Present Self seeks those things at the direct expense of poor Future Self, and Future Self’s creative fulfillment. She perpetrates her crimes against Future Self usually knowing plain as day that such action is totally screwing Future Self over.
This is what’s referred to by fancy science types as the time inconsistency phenomenon. Simply put, humans tend to value immediate rewards over future accomplishment. Present Self thinks he’s more important than Future Self. It’s simply in his nature. As a result, we all procrastinate things even when we’re certain they’re worth doing. That can of course include even the things we feel called to do, like art or writing.
The Battle of the Selves
Awkward Encounters
Think back to high school and the horrors of wanting to ask out your crush. You knew you’d regret it if you didn’t, but not knowing how they’d react froze you in your tracks. Present Self wanted to not feel like an idiot, while Future Self wanted to be happy and fulfilled (or at very least have some closure) rather than forever wondering what might have been.
So an epic battle ensued between the two selves. Who was the victor? For me, it was often Present Self. I would back down and retreat when given opportunities, and would end up feeling deflated, but comfortable.
Fear of the unknown and fear of judgement can get to you just as much now if you let it, because your Present Self still likes things to be easy and safe. Oftentimes our tasks left undone involve getting in touch with other people, asking for help, or promoting ourselves, and in those cases it’s always hard to know exactly what to do or to say.
That pay raise you’ve been wanting to negotiate… that one annoying thing your BFF does that you want to bring up… and yes, even that art project you’ve been putting off because it’ll be hard and might not turn out how you want it.
It’s just easier and safer to leave such things undone.
The Rocky Road to Progress
At times we know we need to make a change but we know the transition is going to be messy.
You may really want to make more art or write more, but you know that will mean less Netflix and video games… and Present Self loves Netflix and Video games.
It may be that you genuinely want to get on more of a defined schedule for productivity and sanity’s sake, but that might mean opting out of the cool stuff your friends are doing at times… and Present Self doesn’t want to miss out on the shenanigans.
Maybe you’ve decided to come out of your shell and be more proactive in networking and promoting your art or your blog but you know that that road is paved with a number of embarrassing missteps. Present Self thinks things are actually going pretty well as is, so why bother?
Perhaps you’ve seen a need to become more assertive and willing to speak what’s in your mind and heart, but you know you’re going to step on some toes and offend on occasion even if you’re kind and genuine about it. Present Self would rather fly under the radar and avoid confrontation. Present Self likes to be liked by everyone.
When things are going well enough, we fear change even when deep down we know the change would be positive.
The Sting of Past Failure
At some points in your life, Future Self actually won out, and you made an attempt at something big. The result was… unsuccessful. And the aftermath? super embarrassing. Yikes.
It could be that you entered something you made into a contest, only to find that every other piece there was miles ahead of you. Maybe you spent a bunch of time making a proposal to an art gallery or a publisher only to be curtly rejected. We’ve all tasted failure in one way or another. It’s just inevitable.
Present Self remembers this, and she holds grudges. She’d rather not go there again.
So now, when faced with an argument with Future Self, Present Self has a whole arsenal of ammo. He’s always ready to give what appears (at least emotionally) to be a solid case for not getting out of your comfort zone.
Can’t You Two Get Along?
The 3 Steps to Stopping Your Procrastination
So Future Self has his needs and wants and Present Self has them too. Most of the time they’re at odds with each other. So how do we get the two of them to play nice? How do we persuade Present Self to stop procrastinating our art?
Here are 3 steps toward making it happen.
1. Consider yourself as someone worth helping
Oftentimes, we find it in our hearts to care for others but we find it difficult to care for ourselves. We see our own warts and failures so plainly that we may figure we aren’t so worthy of help or care. We know we’re not innocent and cute like the little kid being bullied that we stood up for or the doggo at home that we take time to feed and nurture everyday (or kitteh, for you cat folk out there.)
Let the following sink in as deep as possible: You are worth helping, Every bit as much as your friend, your pet, or your child. You are worth giving to and being loved. You’re a human being and within you resides a portion of the divine. That is worth cultivating. Believe it.
It will take practice, but you can teach your Present Self to be compassionate and kind to your Future Self. The you of tomorrow is deserving of good gifts, and the you of today can come to recognize that. Present self can with time and perseverance learn to stop procrastinating the things most important to us, including our art.
The only version of ourselves that we have direct and immediate control of is the Present Self. So if we choose to spend time in the present thinking ahead and making good plans for ourselves, we are actually teaching Present Self to consider Future Self’s needs and stand up for them. Planning is an act of self care. Do a little of it every single day.
Resolve to be a giver of good gifts, and never exclude yourself from all that giving.
The you of tomorrow is deserving of good gifts, and the you of today can come to recognize that.
2. Do it quick, think later
The things we need to do most are often the hardest to do. With difficult things, the time you spend analyzing is time spent putting things off.
The only solution I’ve ever found to analysis paralysis is to just make the leap quickly, stupidly even, before letting yourself think about it. It’s gotta be like ripping the wax strip off your unibrow. (Take it from me, a dude with a gnarly unibrow. The anticipation is by far the worst part.)
It’s also like running full speed toward the end of a high dive. Once you’ve crossed that point of no return, Present Self has no real choice but to fall. It’s terrifying. But even with frazzled nerves it’s hard to deny that you feel amazing afterward. That’s the feeling of reconciliation between Present Self and Future Self.
Remember, when you’re at the top wondering, it only takes one small step to put yourself over the edge and into the water. It doesn’t have to be a graceful swan dive at first. Identify the smallest step that can be taken right now and do it quick before you have time to retreat with a well-crafted excuse.
Paradoxically, when Present Self “loses” the argument to Future Self, it ends up feeling like both won out. So get the analysis out of the present and act quickly.
Rule of thumb: If you’re starting to move past simple planning and find yourself mentally flipping through a catalog of worst-case scenarios, it’s definitely time to quit thinking and act. Take that little step over the line.
3. Give yourself a pat on the head
Most of the time, caring for yourself means having Present Self make sacrifices to help Future Self out. But of course, Present Self shouldn’t be neglected either. On occasion the best way to care for yourself is to indulge yourself in the now.
Do this by rewarding yourself handsomely for your good work.
Got yourself to do those dishes that stacked up? Listen to your favorite brand of brainless nonsense on YouTube while you do it. Spent some time to stay on top of the laundry? Time for an episode of your favorite show. Made some progress on that art project that’s pushing you to your limit? Make yourself an impromptu pollock-inspired chocolate drip painting on an ice cream canvas.
Essentially, what you’re doing here is coupling the short-term sacrifices you make with short-term rewards.
Often, the rewards for your hard work don’t materialize right away, and in such cases Present Self may start to feel betrayed and want to quit. So throw yourself a bone right away as an act of good will.
When I started working on my animated cartoon, Meager Quest, I had resolved to build a habit of everyday work. I wanted that habit to stick. To that end, I bought several 12-packs of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and promised myself one if I got even 15 minutes of drawing done in a day. Sounds simple and maybe even dumb, but it worked surprisingly well for me. To read more about this, check out my previous article!
Never forget to thank your Present Self and give her a pat on the head.
Making Progress
By learning to consider yourself worth helping, identifying and taking small steps quickly, and by rewarding yourself for the help, you’ll make progress. You’ll become more able to stop procrastinating your art or writing, along with anything else that’s important to you. Your Present Self will become more mindful and considerate of Future Self’s needs, and you’ll even become more able and willing to help others as a result.
What is it that you’ve been putting off for a while? What’s one tiny step you can take to make progress? Let me know in the comments below.
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Practicing these tips helped me gain more momentum in my own creative projects than I had seen in years.
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