Mr. Procrastination can be your bestest b-f-f. He’s there for you when you are really wanting to do something, or know you should do something, and then he accidentally tips over that big punch bowl full of Jell-o made from Super Glue onto your kitchen floor.
Because that’s where you are when you’re procrastinating. Cleaning your kitchen floor. Or emptying the litter box. Or walking the dog. I bet there’s a blog post or novel to be written while you’re reading this right now.
I know I’ve got a novel to finish up while I’m writing this, but I’ll write it anyway just to save you. 
Here’s one secret way Mr. Procrastination likes to interrupt you in disguise. You think you are working, but really you’re just avoiding the work. That is: reading about how to or why to or what to do at your job, when you already know how to do it.
Here’s how it works. You’ve got three papers to write. You go online and read up on how to write a paper, then read some forums on how other people have finished their papers. Then you read horror stories about how one person wrote a paper, and the teacher hated it, and told him to do it a different way. Soon, you’re an expert on writing a paper, without having started your own.
It’s natural to want to study something you aren’t successful yet at, only because of uncertainty. Are you really doing this right? Is this how I find success? Without a guide, as most don’t have one, we crumble under the weight of our own doubts, and then seek out answers. Unfortunately we don’t get answers, not the ones we want. What we want is confidence and a clear path. No one can provide it for you. They can only provide ideas. Unless you’re willing to fork over money for an expert to walk you through a process (most can’t afford this) then you’ll have to do this yourself.
Now there are exceptions. For example, I’m taking Holly Lisle’s How to Revise Your Novel course. Now, this is an example of paying for guidance. Maybe you don’t know how to ride a horse, so you pay an instructor. You don’t know how to play piano, so you pay for lessons, buy a book or some videos to help you along.
There’s nothing wrong with looking for answers, as long as you are finding answers and it requires your active participation, not sitting on the sidelines.
I often hate reading magazines. No offence, magazine writers, and you may be the exception, but magazines carry a lot of fluff. Next time you are in a check out lane at the grocery store, look at the cover of Women’s World Magazine, as an example. If you look every month, there’s always a column about how to lose weight, usually about 20 to 30 pounds, doing something that sounds so simple, like drinking water, walking, etc. (Notice off to the right or left there may be a picture of cupcakes. It’s too pull at different emotions so you’re more likely to buy the magazine.) If you read those articles, it tells you everything you probably already know about how to lose weight. If you walk every day, eat right, and drink water, you’ll lose the pounds. It’s no secret formula. They just talk to a different doctor who put it in a different concept, but the theory is still the same.
I call it fluff. It’s stuff you already know wrapped up in a different package.
But it’s so easy to pick up a magazine that promises to solve a problem for you. It’s the same thing with looking for answers online, while procrastinating about your career or problems. You’ll look for answers, often, but end up looking at concepts and ideas, and while great in theory, the only real solution is to test, and try.
Off to do my novel revision. What were you procrastinating while reading this?
