My old friend Procrastination

The biggest block to my creativity has always been procrastination. It’s why I have endless projects that keep getting put off. It’s why my Reminders app has 20 notifications on it, all past due. It’s why I haven’t written this Sunday newsletter until the evening.

Nothing I do seems to make it go away. Every trick, hack, or technique only makes the habit stronger. I’ve read productivity books by Steven Pressfield, Charles Duhigg, James Clear, B.J. Fogg, Stephen R. Covey, Cal Newport, and hundreds more. Yet procrastination persists.

Not even the prospect of making money stops this resistance. The first thing I do upon getting a commission is to start a puzzle. Or clean my studio. Or get lost in a book. My own paintings, those personal pieces that mean the most to me, are always last on the list.

However, today I worked on my own painting. For the first time in four months. So much energy had built up that I only needed to paint for an hour. It poured out. Every brush stroke knew where it needed to go. I could feel the destination forming already. It felt so good that I promised myself I’ll do this every Sunday afternoon. But I won’t know until next week if my old friend Procrastination will stand in my way.

It might seem ironic that I teach others to find their purpose, create a signature series, and get work done. Yet it makes perfect sense.

Because I know what it’s like to feel lost. I struggle every day. It’s not just procrastination—it’s doubt, discouragement, fear, and so much more.

Despite that, I know how to keep working.

I don’t do it alone. I have guides who keep me on track. Some are friends, some are professionals. I meditate and pray every day. I ask my Muse for help. I keep searching for techniques, inspiration—any new tool to launch me from the couch to my studio. To find my way around the blocks.

And I teach others. It keeps me accountable. I once mentored someone who was trying to quit sugar, and I realized I had no idea to help her until I did it myself. And so, I quit. That was almost four years ago, and I’m still (mostly) sugar-free.

I can only teach what I do myself. I’m far from a perfect creator—I procrastinate, lose my way, drop the ball, stop-start-stop over and over. Yet I get work done. And I help others do the same.

If you want help navigating the blocks, I’m starting a new group for creatives who want to complete work. It will build on the techniques I’ve been teaching, and will offer accountability, support, and inspiration. Let me know if you’re interested by replying to this email.

​

With love and light,

Maggie

​

​