Productive Procrastination...or Eat the Frog

 

By Maureen Bonatch

The first time I heard ‘eat the frog’, I had the same grimace you’re wearing now if you’re unfamiliar with the meaning of this expression. Now I can say it with ease without making that face—until today when I saw a similar reference for avoiding procrastination that referenced ‘eat an elephant beetle’. This left me wondering why eating something most unpleasant seems to be the motivator for preventing procrastination. 

Both of these expressions refer to that task that we put off. You know the one. 

It needs to be done, but it might feel like a lot of work, or there’s something easier or more enjoyable that you’d rather do first. Often this leads to many other little tasks that get completed while that big ole’ frog is still sitting there ribbit-ing at you to pay attention to it. (I am not sure what sound an elephant beetle makes. After taking a peek at a picture of one of those buggers, I’d prefer not to eat that either.)

Avoidance

Sometimes in avoidance, I’ll tackle many tadpole tasks, so it feels like I’m getting something done. Although in the back of my mind, I knew that the giant frog would be waiting for me tomorrow. 

Writing this blog right now is one way I avoid finishing the last 15 thousand words of a story draft. As a panster (a writer who outlines little but instead writes by the seat of her pants), sometimes the words flow like a flood, while other times I sit waiting for the character to tell me what happens next. And sometimes, those stubborn fools just don’t want to share. Or I think I know what’s coming up, and they laugh at the choppy words that are later deleted. 

Productive Procrastination

Many who aren’t authors envision days of just writing the words. Ahh…we writers know there are days like that, but usually, that’s not every day since there are sooo many other tasks that need to be addressed. 

It’s easy to avoid a big task by detouring to other little jobs that still need doing. Things like reworking or writing a blurb, making ads, making graphics, editing, social media posting, looking for book covers, and listening to educational podcasts or other courses… Or—oh—start this new shiny story because it’s so much better than the current one. The last is my current dilemma. Some other characters want their story started.

But alas, this list of ways to procrastinate is endless. Doing these might help to feel productive, but the frog? Yep. Still waiting. 

Working Through Procrastination

The idea of eating a frog (or a huge beetle) is to start the day by tackling the most dreaded task first …and then complete the other tasks without the weight of that task dragging you down. 

The key is finding what works to provide enough motivation to get it done, such as:

• Find something tastier than a frog: Decide upon a reward for yourself
• Hide from the tadpoles: Minimize distractions by shutting down social media and other windows
• Face the frog: Admit you’ve been procrastinating, and then tackle it
• Make a deal with the frog: Commit to completing the task- tell a friend for accountability 
• Picture giving the frog the boot: Change dread to the excitement of imagining how you’ll feel once it’s done
• Magically turn the frog into tadpoles: Break it into smaller tasks, so it’s not as overwhelming

Who Starts the Day Eating the Frog? Or How Do You Deal with Procrastination?

Psst! Here’s some cool things to procrastinate with! 

A Cagey CATastrophe is available for Preorder- click right here to check it out!

Look-ey, Look-ey! It's a Giveaway! Check it out by clicking right here.

Did someone say Free Cozy Mysteries? Click right here to check them out!

M.L. Bonatch believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and caffeine and wine are essential for survival. When she’s not doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, she’s a mom to twin daughters, exploring the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby and dancing as much as possible. She writes paranormal cozy mysteries as  M.L. Bonatch, paranormal romance and other genres as Maureen Bonatch, and her latest urban fantasy as Amber Wrath.

Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter

Plowing Through Procrastination

By Maureen Bonatch

 

When I read stories full of magic and unique abilities there are many that I’d like to have, although one often comes to mind for the everyday world. That’s the ability to tap into ongoing motivation. 

You know, those days when you wake up and hit the ground running. When nothing can stand in your way from tackling that To-Do list with ease. Those mountains from yesterday suddenly seem like mole-hills—as if you’d drank a magic elixir that made most of your worries disappear.

 

It seems very much like some kind of super power because often the next day, or week, I’ll wake up and that motivation has fizzled away and I’m slumped in a pool of procrastination or weighed down by tasks that seem insurmountable. 

I’m left wondering what caused my motivation to depart and wishing I could’ve bottled that magic elixir full of motivation to draw upon as needed.

 

Bottling Up the Magic

 

Sometimes the only magic elixir necessary might be your morning beverage of choice—coffee here. Other days, it’s just plowing in and hoping that once you get warmed up to the tasks, things will seem easier. 

Other things I’ve found that might affect my productivity can include:

 

Attitude

Perception of the task at hand, and the attitude surrounding it, might make a difference in the ability to complete it with ease. I’ve heard this referred to as starting the day by ‘eating the frog’. I’m not certain how a poor frog came to represent the most undesirable or dreaded task for the day, but the idea is to do the most difficult task first and get it out of the way so the rest of the day goes more smoothly. That way you feel awesome for crossing that big item off your To-Do list!

 

Time of Day

Most of us relate to thinking of ourselves as an early bird, or a night owl, which relates to our most energetic and productive time of day. As an early bird myself, by the end of the day even simple tasks can seem overwhelming. By then I’ve depleted my energy for the day, so I save the most difficult tasks for morning and make the most of my energy at then.

 

Benefits

What’s the benefit of completing this task? If there’s a reward at the end, even if it’s knowing you’ve gotten to the bottom of the laundry pile, it can provide a little motivation. If it’s a routine task that we have to do frequently, often we forget what benefits they might bring. Also the temptation to procrastinate might be stronger depending upon who this benefits. Such as who’s going to notice if I don’t do this? Or we may tend to do more for others than for ourselves.

 

Timeframe

Things such as how long a task takes can play into the desire to get to work. Sometimes a task—such as writing a novel—takes a long time before seeing the result and can make it easy to procrastinate. Although in the end, that makes that timeframe even longer.

 

Taking My Own Advice

 

It’s easy to dish out advice to others, look at their issues, dig into the root of the problem and then offer suggestions to get out of the rut of procrastination, it’s not always so easy to apply those principles ourselves. I procrastinated writing this blog by telling myself I had nothing to write about...because I'd been procrastinating on my writing.

 

 

How Do You Stop Procrastinating and Get Motivated?

 

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter

 

Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter

The Next Chapter . . . Where to go from Here? by Nancy Gideon

When one chapter closes, another begins. So it is with life. The same is true with writing. Since 2010, I’ve completed almost 400 chapters in my “By Moonlight” shapeshifter series. It’s hard to believe the last page will be done before the year’s end. That’s close to 7,000 pages since I began the initial prologue! All following the same storyline with the same characters. It’s been an adventure, a challenge, a frustration, a delight. And soon it’s going to be over.

These characters and their problems have consumed my non-9-to-5 hours. I’m embarrassed to say my conversations and stolen moments with them have taken up more hours of the day than my friends and family. I used to worry about what might happen if they stopped talking to me. Now, I know they’re about to fall silent.

What now?

My relationship with these characters has lasted longer than most marriages. I have to move on. I know that. But where do I go? After looking at my project file, I realize I have more opportunities than a dating app! Apparently, other heroes and heroines have spoken to me over these past two decades, but I haven’t been listening.

I’m listening now.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a pathological plotter. I like big plots and I cannot lie! I developed a six book contemporary series complete with character names, story arcs and titles on the drive back from a writers’ retreat! Plotting is a safe escape when you KNOW you don’t have time to actually sit down and write the full books. I’ve got over a quarter of a century of storylines to choose from broken down into different genres: historical, contemporary, suspense, YA paranormal, even horror! I’ve got completed proposals with chapters. I’ve got handwritten manuscripts. I’ve got outlines and exhaustive notes. I’ve even got a substantial backlist to either market or self-publish. An embarrassment of riches that will outlast my lifetime. But this ADD/OCD gal feels like she’s standing in front of the donut display case trying to pick just one while an impatient line waits behind me. They all look good. Rich, tasty, fulfilling. Sigh . . . What if I don’t like the one I choose? Do I reeeeeally want to go back to work for a publisher? Do I want to learn the ins and outs of a new market? Do I want to shop for a – God forbid – agent? 

Before I fall into a procrastination coma, I’m going to throw the above out to you? WWMPNRPD? What would my PNR pals do? If you were me, what would you pick? What would you like to read? What would grab an audience in today’s market? Don’t say which ever one excites me because these projects are like those dreamy himbos on the Bachelorette – they all look good but living with them is a different matter. Decisions, decisions . . .

While I concentrate on finishing the project at hand, I’ll entertain your thoughts on my options for the next decade. I’m listening . . .

♚♚♚♚♚

Nancy Gideon on the Web

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon

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That Awkward Moment When... with @MeganSlayer

Anyone ever have that awkward moment when you're staring at the computer and you know you should be doing something, but nothing comes to mind? Maybe it's right after a gigantic writing session or a frantic promo blast. It could be after the family has gone to bed and you're alone with the story or you've found a quiet nook at your favorite writing spot... Ever had that moment?

I have.

I had a fellow author tell me that authors should never have downtime with a story. There should never be a moment when he or she cannot find some sort of words to put on the page.

Here's the thing. Authors do have this problem. It's called writer's block. It can be called procrastination. It's also been known to go by the name of NaNo Overload.

Ever heard of those?

I have. I've lived them. I am living them.

I just finished NaNo. Know what that is? National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo for short). It's every November. 50,000 words in 30 days. To some, this is therapy. To others, torture. Some use this as their way to catch up and get wordage in. Others simply stare at the screen and try not to cry due to stress.

Me? I had my moments of tears. I mean, 50,000 words is a lot of words. Okay, maybe not for Stephen King or Nora Roberts, but it is for me. There's some serious stress involved. I had moments where the words flew from my fingers and I thought, yeah, I got this.

I did got this...so to speak. I nailed it. 50,330 as of yesterday at 11:30 pm and the story isn't done yet. That's the best feeling--the story isn't done, but I reached the minimum word goal. Phew. Now to get print length where I want to sub the book requires 60,000, but I've got at least that left in the notes, plus two sex scenes to write. So yay me!

But now I'm at that awkward moment when I'm staring at the computer screen. I know I should be writing. I even know WHAT I should be writing. But the words aren't coming. They're stuck or on strike. I'm not sure.

Either way, I did get to blog today and got to talk to you, so that's pretty good. Have YOU ever had that awkward moment? Want to talk about it? Commiserate? I'm all ears.

How about a snippet from my latest release, since I'm here. Sure!

Bonding with Ben 

Sanctuary Book 4

Resplendence Publishing

M/M, Anal Sex, Masturbation

Novella

Sometimes the biggest hurdle in life is accepting who you are and what you want.

​

Joe Dallas thought he’d escaped the draw of the shifters at the Sanctuary. He doesn’t mind. With his tendency to keep relationships simple, he doesn’t want to get involved with a lion shifter. Then there’s Ben. The quiet shifter piques Joe’s attention. When Joe accompanies Ben on a rescue mission, he realizes the attraction isn’t one-sided. But can a shifter and a human really make a relationship work? Joe isn’t sure.

Ben knows who he wants in his life and bed—Joe. The lion wants to bond with the human he desires. The difference in their species doesn’t bother him a bit. Will the shifter be able to convince Joe they have a future or will fear dominate and destroy the love before it can blossom?


Warning: Once you’re in the sight of this shifter, you may be the “mane” attraction. This lion doesn’t give up until he has his prey.

Available at:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bondingwithbensanctuarybookfour-1937295-340.html

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/m8/793-978-1-60735-921-0--bonding-with-ben-sanctuary-book-four-by-megan-slayer.html

​EXCERPT:

Copyright 2015, Megan Slayer, All Rights Reserved

What was it about Ben that kept Joe thinking about him? He closed his eyes and stood under the searing-hot spray. With other guys, Joe did the casual thing. Have a good time but no strings, so no one got hurt. Until now, that plan had worked. Right?
Kind of. Sure, he had nothing holding him down, but when he looked at John and Markas together, jealousy hit. He wanted that kind of devotion. Would he get it with Ben?

Ben was certainly different. He was innocent and deserved someone worthy of him. Joe wasn’t worthy of too much of anything. He’d had a little too much fun and broken a few too many hearts along the way. Ben needed true devotion and a good match.

Joe snorted. He was great as a reporter and nosy as hell, but he sucked at relationships. Ben deserved a partner, not a player.

Still, he liked Ben. He worried about the shifter and wanted him to be happy. Could Joe make Ben happy? Doubtful.

Joe opened his eyes and washed the cum from his body. He’d be a friend and help Ben find a suitable partner. No romantic entanglements—just friendship—even if it damn near killed him not to be the man in Ben’s arms and bed.

This was one situation he couldn’t screw up.​

* * * * *

​

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