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Old 08-10-2008, 07:37 PM   #3 (permalink)
Swannie
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 66
Swannie is on a distinguished road
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Sounds like me when I had to do homework from the teachers at school.

I'd sit there and procrastinate like crazy. Eventually there would be a point where I had to start it, otherwise it wouldn't get done. When I'd started it I'd actually find I was enjoying it.

Another thing, tidying up my room. Starting it was hard - it's a boring chore, who likes to do that sort of thing?! But then, once doing it and seeing progress, it's enjoyable.

It is self-discipline. It is what gets you started. Telling yourself "I'm going to do this", and then doing it. All the people that will tell you it is like a muscle, are pretty much correct. If you go and do as many press ups as you can, to failure, you'll have a hard time repeating that again later in the day, or even tomorrow. But if you slowly build up, the same number will soon be possible to repeat again and again.

Sit down and commit to doing just 15 minutes. No B.S. No browsing. Set a VERY clearly defined outcome that will take you about 10mins to complete, and do it.

Maybe you aren't at that point yet. Maybe you need to do some more prep. work. Commit to doing 10mins of that.

As an example, a big organisational issue is my personal filing. I have a shoe box, my Inbox, completely full of post, papers, mementos, etc, from the last 10 months!!! The important stuff has been dealt with, but every time I find some unsorted paperwork, it gets dropped in. I don't particularly enjoy how long it takes to sort it. But little by little it's getting done. The other day I had 10mins, which I used to pull out all of the envelopes and scrap paper. Now that pile is no where near as daunting, because I threw 1/5th of it away.

This quote comes to mind:

"Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work"

Seems often misunderstood, but it's basically saying, don't wait for inspiration - get off your arse and work. All great artists put in their dues.
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