Stop frigging procrastinating!
If a great thought pops into your head - shoot, whether or not it's great - if you ever think "You know what would be cool..." or "Ooh! What if..." -- do not procrastinate. I repeat. DO NO PROCRASTINATE.
Procrastination is slow poison to Creativity. It's a swift kick to Success. Thinking "I'll get to it later..." or "I'll start after xyz..." will keep you in the purgatory of Average and Mediocre.
Procrastination is death.
I've kneed myself in the nuts so many times for letting procrastination make me have to stay up til 3 a.m. trying to pull unicorn kisses out of my ass to make some illusive idea mold into something sensible.
I've put myself in timeout for not writing down that awesome thought I had in that sweet space between sleep and awake, that now I can only remember is "something about carrier pigeons..."
And I've definitely looked for the nearest bridge to jump off when I see someone do something I thought about days/months/years ago but never followed through with.
Let me help you. And myself.
In 2013, here's what we're going to do to: Kill Procrastination (before it kills you):
* Don't wait. Ideas can be slippery, sneaky little mofos that slide right through your fingers when you stop for a second to check out that cutie walking by. You have to grab them (the ideas, not the cutie), wrangle them and tie them down into your notebook where they'll never be able to get away. Don't promise yourself you'll get to it right after whatever seems more important right now. You're a liar. You won't. Plus there's no promising it'll be there when you get back anyway.
* Make Space. Even if it's opening a document, titling it and saving it. Or writing the assignment on top of the page then putting it in bold, underline and making it red. Set the place for the idea to live and grow. Don't leave it in a musty corner of your mind. You'll end up struggling in the dark reaching at the moldy residue of other ideas you've let die in solitary confinement. Find some place bright and right in your face to give that idea space to come to life.
The shittiest feeling is thinking "I had a great idea, but I don't remember how it worked." So do yourself a favour and just make the time to give it the attention it needs.
A new idea or a burst of inspiration is like a baby with a dirty diaper. It needs to be attended to immediately before things get real messy. And stinky.
Get to work!
