The End of Procrastination

Magnetic poetry

Do you procrastinate?

Procrastination is a word I often hear artists use.

But procrastination can be more than just postponing tasks and projects. It can become a reason to turn against yourself, to bring all of your doubts to the surface.

When you procrastinate, it’s easy to beat yourself up, to wonder if you’re too lazy or scattered to be a working artist?

Do you worry that you don’t work hard enough? Or wonder if you’re not good enough?

If you can scratch the surface of procrastination and question it, you’ll find that it holds an important message beyond “Not Enough.”

When you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself if you’re afraid ? Fear of stepping outside of your comfort zone may be the culprit.

But don’t stop there. Scratch a little deeper and question that fear. Not Enough is a monster that terrorizes all of us with evidence of our lack and shortcomings.

Slay the monster.

How? If there’s something that you’re procrastinating about and you suspect fear could be the reason, list 3 reasons why you WILL SUCCEED if you try.

For example, if you’re procrastinating about answering a call for entries because you don’t think you’ll get accepted, your 3 reasons might include:

You’ve developed a strong body of work.
You know how to speak about the work and the ideas behind it.
Your work deserves to be seen.

Still procrastinating? When I procrastinate, it’s sometimes because it’s something I don’t really want to do.

Ask yourself, is this something you really want to do? Or is it something you should do?

If it’s a “should” and not a ‘want’, can you re-visit its importance in the grander scheme? Is it really necessary?

Question your resistances. And if you find that the task itself is too big, too scary, try breaking it down into teeny-tiny steps.

I’ve built my whole career on teeny-tiny steps!

You can do it too. Identify all of the tasks and decisions involved and start at the beginning.

What’s the teeny-tiny step you could take right now?

Perfectionism is another common trap for artists. Look closely. Can you see Not Enough lurking in perfectionism’s shadows?

Yes, it’s important to do everything to the highest standard, but as long as you keep trying to make it better, as long as it’s Not Enough, it will never live in the world.

Like a child who’s ready to leave home, let your work stand on its own feet. It may wobble. It may prove to be too soon. But your job isn’t to coddle it forever. It’s not about making anything perfect.

Your job is to finish your work well and repeat.

They call this an art practice – remember?

I challenge you to move past the blocks that stop you. You can do anything – one teeny-tiny step at a time.

Crista x

PS: Marie Forleo has opened the doors to her powerful program Time Genius.

I’m a graduate and this program changed my life and my work profoundly. So, if you’re ready to conquer time once and for all too, I will support you.

To every artist who joins Time Genius, I’m offering a complimentary Professional Strategy Session (value $599). I’ll save you even more time in your art practice and career.

Let’s make 2024 the year you stop procrastinating and make this time your time.

Learn more about Time Genius here.

PPS. Want to learn more about Marie Forleo and how she works?

For the next few days, she’s offering a free webinar called “3 Sneaky Mistakes That Kill Productivity & Tank Profits.” You can register to watch it here now.

Written by Crista Cloutier, artist mentor + founder of The Working Artist. (learn more about Crista here)