10 Writing Tips For Procrastinators

Do you ever feel like you’re in a constant battle with your word processor, and you’re always losing? If that’s the case, you won’t be surprised to learn that getting started is one of the most difficult challenges nearly everyone has when they have something to write about.

It’s known as writer’s block. It’s often referred to as “finding your inspiration.” For every two lines, you write, spend two hours on Facebook.

Getting started is difficult no matter what you call it.

Most of us procrastinate from time to time, particularly when we have something essential to write.

The first piece of advice is to establish a plan. Making a plan does not imply that you must sit down and ponder the research you must conduct; rather, it means outlining an overall structure to stick to.

You can be more productive and spend less time agonizing over your writing if you use the correct tools and techniques and approach it with the right mentality.

Here are Those 10 Tips-

1. Use a Timer

When you finally hit ‘send’ on an email or hand in a report, it often feels like the only ‘real’ finishing line in writing. That reward is a long way off, and you have no idea when it will arrive. It’s no surprise that staying motivated is difficult. Giving yourself a distinct finishing line – or a couple of them – makes writing much easier. A timer can be useful.

Here’s how to go about it:

  • Make a list of mini-tasks that are linked to writing your paper, such as gathering data or writing your first draft.
  • Set a timer for 25 minutes.
  • Work on the mini-task you listed until the timer beeps.
  • Pause for a moment.
  • You are not required to finish the mini-task. This isn’t how we measure success. Working on the problem for twenty-five minutes is now considered successful. It’s a lot less difficult than simply aiming for a far-off finish line.

2. Do not Overwork Yourself

The next point to remember is to schedule your breaks carefully. Remember that you are only human, and working on a large assignment such as a thesis can tax your mind. Because working nonstop for 24 hours is unrealistic, make sure you keep physically and mentally fit during the process.

Remember to eat all three meals each day—skipping meals to work may allow you to get more done, but it will exhaust you and prevent you from working for the rest of the day. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself at first.

3. Prioritize Your Research

The most important aspect of your preparation may be research.

So, if you’re unsure about what you’re writing, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Too many people continue to battle, attempting to bring everything together in one easy step.

But let’s say you’ve gathered your thoughts and are stuck because you can’t figure out what needs to be included.

4. Choose the Right Place to Work

Working with others is a good idea. Although a thesis is an individual effort, it is better to work when you are surrounded by other people rather than sitting at home with several potential distractions. If at all possible, work on your thesis at a college or a library.

Quiet areas will help you focus, and working for a few hours in one of these places will be more effective than working at home, where there are many distractions. Spending 2 hours in a library rather than studying 4 hours at home, where numerous things distract you, will result in more competent work.

5. Make a Mind Map

If you’re having trouble writing, try not writing.

I understand if this sounds strange. However, there are various options for moving forward without writing a single word of your paper.

However, the essential concept is pretty simple.

Follow these steps to make a mind map:

  • Make a note of the topic in the center of the page.
  • Write the subject’s characteristics around it.
  • Take a look at each area and consider it. Draw a line for each new concept or piece of information, and keep going in this direction.
  • Continue to study questions like Why? How? What do you mean?When? , Where are you going? & Who are you? until you’re convinced that you’ve covered everything there is to know about the subject.

6. Get Proper Guidance

The next tip is to make sure you get adequate thesis guidance. Students who are writing a thesis are frequently accompanied by a professor. Make sure you schedule meetings with your lecturer or thesis advisor; creating deadlines will push you to complete work within a specific time period.

Your lecturer can also advise you on the next steps you should take. Meeting with my guide twice a week was beneficial to me. Every meeting, we discussed a chapter I have written and plotted out the framework of the next chapter. Your professor can direct you to more easily available resources as well as a consistent academic writing style.

7. Make a Draft First

Writing is as simple as randomly pounding the keyboard if you write complete rubbish.

When you set out to write perfectly the first time, it seems practically impossible.

That’s because writing amazing, error-free content the first time is extremely difficult. The gradual refinement of your work through revision and editing results in excellent material.

If you try to write and edit at the same time, you’ll find yourself paralyzed for no reason. So go ahead and draft. Try drafting faster than you’re used to, leaving spelling mistakes or phrases that don’t sound right behind, knowing that you’ll go back and fix them later.

8. Inquire About the Document’s Needs From Whoever Requires it

If you’re having trouble, it could simply be that you don’t know what to write or why.

That’s a difficult thing to admit, especially if you’re in the middle of a project.

However, it’s essential for some documents to take a break from your computer and ask the person to whom you’re writing what they want.

This can be as simple as saying, “You’ve requested a report on the incident, so I’ll write what happened and why it happened, interview everyone involved and ask them what they did, and make some recommendations to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

You might discover that you’re missing a significant section at this stage, or that what you’re writing is too detailed for them.

In either case, having a clear understanding of what’s expected will make the rest of your writing go more smoothly.

9. Self-Discipline is Essential

Some of the world’s top engineers, psychologists, designers, and marketers came together to create the most distracting websites possible. They’ve figured out how to steadily weaken your willpower and keep you hooked. And they’re improving all the time.

This can cause small issues with keeping focused on occasion.

Instead of fighting the siren pull of these websites with your willpower, it may be preferable to simply block all of them.

After a few alerts informing them that their favourite wasting-time site is restricted, many people find that the need to visit it vanishes. It becomes simpler to enter a state of flow and continue writing after a while.

10. Remind Yourself Why You are Writing – It Will Keep You Motivated

Too frequently, we become so engrossed in the process of writing that we forget why we’re doing it.

However, it’s important to remember why you’re doing it. If you have a to-do list for your document, start with something like “make the customer pleased” or “get the basics of information to the manager so we can get this project rolling” – or whatever applies to your project.

It’s simpler to get on with mini subtasks when you move away from your words and back to the main objective of what you’re doing (like writing a first draft). This is due to the fact that you can see what you’re doing in the perspective of something larger.

Conclusion

You should adjust at least some of your writing habits if you find yourself delaying frequently.

This can be scary. Writing quicker than you are comfortable with, leaving imperfect sentences in your wake, is a good example. It’ll be difficult at first to attempt writing more freely if you’re used to writing something extremely good and deleting and rewriting each sentence as you go.

But you should give it a shot. If there’s anything to be learned from legendary authors‘ widely different habits, it’s that they each developed their own best practices for writing well.

You, like them, are a yet another individual. Try out some of the suggestions, see what works best for you.

The initial step may appear to be the most difficult, but by breaking it down into smaller phases, such as making an outline or making a plan for yourself, it gets easier and more manageable.

You’ll be shocked to learn that the tiny steps you took resulted in a complete thesis by the end!

The goal for procrastinators is to finish their thesis on time. Make your own deadlines and start working. Good luck with your writing!

-Isabell S.

TrueEditors

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