Shifting context makes a difference

A fellow writer and I were recently bemoaning our propensity to procrastinate on our writing projects. Honestly, it’s beyond propensity – we have mastered the art. 

To make things worse, we know how to deal with the menace – but don’t. 

We’ve set our goals. We have great intentions of meeting those goals. We’re fully trained in our craft and have had years practicing it.

We’ve both made a living from writing in some form or another. It’s not a new concept. It’s not unfamiliar to us.

We know what needs to be done to accomplish what we set out to do. We make schedules for tasks leading to the goals. We put reminders on those scheduled tasks – on our computers, on our phones, on Post-It notes around the house.

Losing the momentum

Sometimes it works. For a few minutes, we’ll be focused and on fire – in the zone. We’re writing up a storm, being so productive we can hardly believe it. This is particularly true when we are working on someone else’s deadline.

Then poof, the zone disappears. The fire fizzles and we realize the laundry hasn’t been folded and put away. Our sock drawer got messed up and really must be straightened. We’re out of almond butter and have to run to the grocery store.

An email pops up that has to be dealt with immediately. We see a link on the email that looks interesting and check it out – just for a second. An hour later, we’re so far down the cyberspace rabbit hole, we have no idea how we got there.

Justification mode

If not distracted by some other task that must be done, we move into justification mode. 

“I’ve worked hard all week. I need a break.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway. Nobody reads what I write.”

“I deserve some down time. I’ll watch my favorite show for a few minutes. Or play just one game of solitaire.”

“It can wait until tomorrow. What’s the rush?”

Try something new – shifting context

So, as my friend and I languished over our low discipline and our failures to overcome it despite our vast knowledge of how to get stuff done, we decided on a different approach. 

Let’s try shifting context. Let’s look at why in the world we write in the first place.

“I have to pay the bills. Writing is what I do – that’s my profession. It’s what I’m trained to do and it’s easy for me.”

“Writing is my job and I have to do it. People expect it from me.”

Wait!

What if writing really was something we LOVED to do? (That’s actually true – we do love it.)

What if we believed deep down that we had something important to say? That we could make a huge difference for another, brighten someone’s day?

We’ve both been told on many occasions our writing does have that effect.

By the end of our hour-long conversation, we were excited and anxious to get back to our computers. 

We’ve heard that by simply shifting context, we can alter our mindset. Maybe it’s true. I’ve seen it work before – just last week.

Proof shifting context works

A different friend and I were talking about a complicated procedure I need done with my teeth over the next few months. 

Since leaving the dentist’s office earlier that week for my treatment consultation, I’d been feeling antsy about it. The cost is high – a lot more money than I have laying around. 

I wondered aloud whether it was worth it and if I was getting ripped off. 

Without hesitation, she made a comment as if she hadn’t even heard me.

“Isn’t that great that they were able to arrange financing for you so you could do everything necessary to save all your teeth?”

And she was dead serious, not just trying to make me feel better. They had given me several options of making payments that I could actually afford over a period of time. It may take a while, but it’s doable.

Looking at it from that context made me feel better – more like I had something to say about it and wasn’t the victim. It’s still a lot of money, but hey …

I can’t wait to see how shifting context affects my writing this week.