Recently I’ve been trying to multitask my writing. I’ve tried to focus on both fiction and non-fiction. And I’ve gotten neither accomplished.
Since I’m not naturally a multitasker, I tried letting Bully-Alex roam free inside my mind, looking at Writer-Alex menacingly while muttering: “Get to work, boy.” Unfortunately all this did was bring out Rebellious-Teen-Alex who replied: “Make me!”
Then things got ugly and no writing got done.
Therapist-Alex has tried getting Writer-Alex to talk about the lack of progress, but his questions are met with incomprehensible phrases like “complete cliffs apple jump.”
I’m tempted to allow Writer-Alex to unitask and since the non-fiction is what will most likely bring in money in the near future Writer-Alex would focus on producing ebooks and more workshops.
But then Someday-Busting-Alex would ask: what happens to the someday dream of becoming a fiction author?
And at that point the whole of the Personality Zoo would pick sides and a full-on Fiction/Non-Fiction war would start.
Fortunately, one of my many personalities is Solutions-Alex and he’s come up with a great plan. Writer-Alex will finish the current workshop and ebook then focus on fiction writing for month. After that he’ll return to non-fiction, pumping out several ebooks before going back to the novel.
How about you? What inner conflicts are causing you to not get things done?
14 Responses to “Showdown in the Personality Zoo: Inner Conflict-Created Procrastination”
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I think there’s 3 tricks that help:
1. Rather than find a way to make yourself do it, find a way to enjoy it.
2. 30 day improvement sprints.
3. create a glide-path. Reducing friction goes a long way. This echoes your slide into it sideways point.
For #1, this is about turning something you don’t enjoy, into something you do. One way is to combine it with something you already like (for example, your favorite shows or songs)
For #2, I mostly call them Monthly improvement sprints now, but this lets me cycle through 12 key themes each year. Before that I used to worry about opportunity cost … now I just queue it up for an improvement sprint.
For #3, this is all about reducing friction. I find friction is the silent killer. It’s death by 1000 paper cuts.
When I’m really stuck, it’s either that I need to pair up, find a mentor or go back to my “why.” If the why is strong enough, I find a way.
J.D. Meier´s last blog post..My Favorite Personal Development Books
Too-many-fun-things-to-do Melodee has decided to find an Organizational Coach to help keep her poor brain from trying to go in 20 directions at one time. It doesn’t work
Melodee Patterson | Virtual Assistant´s last blog post..7 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me
::What inner conflicts are causing you to not get things done?::
Well, See-the-world Georgia is tempted by her French ex-boyfriend’s random Christmas present - a round trip ticket to France for 2 weeks of free lodging and food - while Romantic-Idealistic Georgia knows that if she does that she will never be able to be with her poor as dirt but amazing (and American) ex-boyfriend. Meanwhile Stand-up-for-yourself Georgia is pissed at both of them for this whole situation. You’re-an-independent-woman-so-plan-your-own-goddam-life Georgia is crying in the corner because she doesn’t know what she wants from life and this situation makes her feel like one of these two men is her only option. If I had some goal………that would be great.
Georgia - as you get older you realize that being an independent woman is a wonderful goal all by itself. Forget both of the ex’s, take a girlfriend to France, and you can find a couple of “fun for two weeks” kind of guys
Melodee Patterson | Virtual Assistant´s last blog post..7 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me
Hi Alex: Wow, there’s certainly a lot of people in there
But I see they reached a consensus, so that’s good. Bully-Marelisa is actually very good at twisting the arms of everyone else in the village, so I need to watch out for her (it would be all work and no play if I don’t keep an eye on her). Which reminds me, it’s time to go get some dinner 
Marelisa´s last blog post..Five Happiness Videos on YouTube
OMG! Someone’s kidnapped Selma?! Oh, wait, that’s not what this is about…sorry. *ahem*
“Don’t bully yourself into doing something you don’t want to do – instead find a way to slide into it sideways.”
Hmmm, first part - YES. Second part - not so sure (and please, stop giggling at the back. Oh, that was me - hehehehe)
Self-bullying = guilt, shame, shoulds, pressure, and lots of yuck - POOEY!
Finding a way to get it in there via some circuitous backroute? Kinda feels like a puritanical work ethic kicking in and trying to con us into thinking we’re doing something good for us. If you have to make yourself do it, by any method, then you gotta ask why you’re doing it.
My preference would be reframing. E.g. What’s the positive that comes from it? By doing this work I can earn enough money to pay the bills for this much time so that I can work on this project without worrying about money. Now I want to do the work because it is part of the dream project that I have.
James | Dancing Geek´s last blog post..Day 9: Making a promise to myself
Hi Alex - That pic is hilarious. It seems like I’m having similar internal conflicts to you.
Another idea I’m toying with is maybe carry on working on the novel - but only do an hour a day on it, then it doesn’t get shelved completely. All those hours will soon add up.
Hi Alex,
Fighting-Against-Procrastination-Ulla at the moment is held back by Let’s-Have-Fun-Ulla who is saying “Let’s enjoy the 2 weeks off from Office!” Between them stands Be-rational-Ulla and says: you won’t be able to enjoy your holidays if you don’t use the free time for doing the things you’ve always wanted to do. Well…
As I am writing down this I have the feeling that playing around with different self-personalities is not only fun but also helps with solving problems! Thanks for the post!
Ulla Hennig´s last blog post..Five Things you might want to Know about Me
@JD
Exactly - I’ll enjoy the writing by unitasking instead of multitasking. I’ll be focused in 30 day sprints. And I’ll stop bullying myself into writing, hence reducing a lot of the friction.
@Melodee
Good for you! If you need a recommendation, I’m certain that Janet Barclay would be able to give you some great names.
@Georgia
Wow, that’s a tough situation! I hope that there’s a “fuck-them-all-I’ll-do-what-I-want” Georgia in there who was able to cut through the hard emotions…
@Marelisa
It’s amazing how easy is it to bully ourselves into doing more than we want to or need to, eh?
@Ulla
Exactly - when I’m all chaotic inside I find that this exercise really helps clarify things.
Mom Brianna wants to play with all the new Christmas toys with the kiddos.
Wife Brianna wants to go away for a weekend with Husband David.
Homemaker Brianna needs to mop all of the floors and get everything cleaned up after 2+ weeks of being snowbound for the holidays.
Quilter Brianna wants to finish 3 quilts and a set of curtains before the end of January (ha!).
Runner Brianna wants to get a do-able running schedule in place.
Writer Brianna wants to get started on a new book, but first needs to get a real 2009 marketing plan rolling for the book that already exists.
I like JD’s suggestions above. When Homemaker Brianna gets things under control, I’ll be looking into something like an organizational coach, too. Can those coaches really help unravel the knots in our brains??? I could use that!
Brianna´s last blog post..Cabin Fever Busters
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This is brilliant! Just exactly what I’ve been experiencing recently. I may try expressing the conflict on my own blog in these terms, if you don’t mind?
My conflict has been about publication. I can write as much as I like, about anything, as long as I’m never put in print. I’ve already tried talking, remonstrating, pleading with the Don’t Do That in me, but it isn’t talking back. At the moment, I’m trying to edge around it. I keep relaxing and stepping back as I work on my pitches, which so far has been quite effective.
Joely Black (@TheCharmQuark on Twitter)´s last blog post..The pre-new year new year’s indecisiveness edition
@Brianna
I’m like that too - I like to get the house in order before tackling other things. Orderly space, orderly mind.
@Joely
I so know what you mean when it comes to publication. I love seeing my name in print, but taking that first step to letting others see my work and reject it before finding a home for it was one of the hardest things to do in my life. Good for you for edging around the fear.
[...] parts of our personalities warring with each other, which pretty much sums up my life. The characters in my inner Personality Zoo break out of their cages and run amok through my brain. It’s not a pretty [...]