Motivation

[torquill]

When you have a project which really needs doing, but you've just hit the wall -- writer's block, overwhelm, or simply total disgust every time you try to look at the thing -- how do you deal with it?

My usual method is strategic procrastination: go do something which rests my brain and makes me feel like I've indulged in something I want to do. Then, when I no longer mentally retch at the idea of working on the project, I go back and crank on it. So I'll go off and garden, or watch movies, or read, for a few hours or a day... I don't lose touch with what I'm supposed to do, I just take a brief vacation with the knowledge that I'll get back to it when I can.

It seems to work, but I'm curious whether anyone else has a different method (perhaps more efficient, or less likely to earn manager skepticism) for harnessing wayward brain cells to the task at hand.

Comments

[catnip13.livejournal.com]

That is pretty much what I do too.

With apologies to Patricia McKillip

[firestrike.livejournal.com]

When you have a project which really needs doing, but you've just hit the wall -- writer's block, overwhelm, or simply total disgust every time you try to look at the thing -- how do you deal with it?

I would run. I would run until no-one, no man or wizard could find me. Then I would take a nap.

This explains a lot about the current state of my life.