You guys, you guys, you guys, YOU GUYS. When I said I was over blogging, I meant that I was over it for, like, that minute. I didn’t mean for that last post to be a dramatic farewell. Because, um, hey look, I’m back. Did you miss me?
[Awkward silence]
Over the past few months, I’ve become an enthusiastic follower of Zen Habits, a popular website that promotes simple productivity. I mean, what’s not to love? Today, blogger Leo wrote the brilliant words: “Lazy is often seen as a bad thing, but I disagree. Lazy is an amazing thing.” Homeboy really gets me.
As a 27 year old dangling on the immature side, I am both lucky and cursed to have a job where I answer to no one. I more or less set my own hours, my own assignments, my own deadlines. As long as a magazine gets made every month without any James Frey-type episodes, I will (presumably) continue receiving a paycheck. The gig is fabulous in theory, but when you’re a chronic person-pleaser without a person to directly please, it can be near impossible to stay motivated.
I’ve tried various tactics to rev myself up: bombarding my computer with Post-its that say “Keep writing!” and “No internet, stupid,” bribing myself to complete certain tasks (shopping spree!), and even reciting mini-mantras like “Own it!” and “Booyah!” to get/keep myself in the zone. Mortifying, yes. Effective, sorta.
Zen Habits has this great post titled You Can Do Anything In Your Underwear. Whenever this guy wears his red briefs, he feels unstoppable. Something in his brain just clicks. The post talks about finding your own triggers to help you face your challenges head-on.
Over the years, I’ve seen fellow writers do this. One used to moan and pout and cry over impending deadlines, but once she was done complaining, she would very methodically tie her long hair into a bun, sit up straight and start typing like there’s no tomorrow. Her work was consistently amazing.
I realized I do have a couple triggers of my own. Whenever I’m writing anything that requires thought, I must type in Georgia font. Maybe because NYTimes.com uses it, I feel like anything I write in Georgia will automatically be smart and sophisticated. It’s not, obviously (have you read this blog?), but it’s a good trigger. I also recently turned my new pair of noise-canceling headphones into a trigger. Sometimes, I don’t even plug them into music. (Don’t tell.) As long as they’re on my head, I feel more capable, more in control.
I’m always looking for other methods of staying motivated and productive. Any tips? Triggers you use? Inspire me, please!
Listening to great new music seems to helps me. Pandora is always good for that. But this may distract you more than anything seeing as to how you would have to open the internetz and all.
“no internet, stupid” is my new favorite mantra. i’m going to put it everywhere. thank you for helping me and my disorder.
Oftentimes my trigger is my Outlook calendar reminder going off to tell me I have a meeting in 15 minutes and oh by the way have I finished that presentation for it yet? Then I have to scour my computer for a decent template from the last time this happened, slap on some fancy pictures, fiddle with a transition or two, and then I kind of wing it with lots of long words that clearly give away the fact that I’m an American. I live on the edge!
Sometimes I let my dog type for a while…
I love zen habits. It makes me want to be more zen.
Alas, I might steal the “No internet, stupid” idea.
Apparently I like commenting in bullets today. My writing mode has been switched off. So:
* Alanis karaoke sounds AWESOME. Now stuck in my head.
* Georgia font is SO GOOD.
* Also good: Goudy Old Style, Garamond, and Bookman Old Style.
* But Georgia makes the coolest numbers.
* I am such a font geek.
* I’ve always had a preferred font. The first 17 years of my life, it was Century Gothic.
* I want to take Typography. And I so will.
* Have a great day!
A deadline. I’m just not one of those “work ahead” types. I need a sense of impending doom to pull something out.
Most of my papers in college were written in a day.
Research and prep, I’ll do before hand, the actual writing…give me one day in a computer lab. Done.
i’ve always preferred arial narrow, NOT in bold though. unfortunately, i’m still stuck answering to the MAN, but it’s alright.
the power of underwear is not to be taken lightly. i think i tweeted this the other night, i felt like i could conquer the world in my little lace boy shorts the other day. tmi? haha.
xoxo
I’m totally stealing your Georgia trick. Font makes a big difference– can you imagine trying to compose something of significane while writing in Comic Sans? Or even Times New Roman, for god’s sake. Oof.
But I wholeheartedly agree on the headphones. It helps me feel centered somehow. Before my most well-received writing, I almost always do the same thing– I take a walk while listening to a single song on repeat and compose in my mind. Then I sit down and write, while continuing to listen to the same song.
Listening to a song on repeat helps me enormously for some reason– I think because it helps create an emotional relationship to my words without distracting me with new lyrics every four minutes.
p.s. One more thought about the same-song-on-repeat thing– music affects my emotions so much (and, presumably, most people’s) that if I change songs while writing the same piece, I find that the tone totally changes! Listening to the same song– or at least the same artist– helps keep the tone consistent. Weird? I don’t know.
Let the music move you! Sort out what about your music lets you do specific things (usually this is by genre) and make playlists based on those. Then, name those playlists their matching activities.
For instance:
Cleaning Music
Studying Music
Cooking Music
Tip: Often, non-lyrical music is good for anything requiring reading.
woo! welcome back – even though it was only for like a day. haha.
What Gina said.
I am glad that you are back too! :0)
I have no zen habits other than listening to Pandora, which helps my blood pressure when my boss drives me crazy. Hmmm, perhaps I need some.
i definitely know how you feel about getting motivated. whenever i’m in a slump i tend to blast some great music and hope that my mind follows suit, haha. no idea what that means but it usually works. that or i make lists, i love lists :)
i just love this post.
as an nyc blogger and young professional, a good sex and the city episode has me ready to take over the world. and it gives me the motivation to be successful enough to afford designer shoes.
Ha. I totally use the headphone trick, too. Sometimes I listen to a playlist of favorite, invigorating songs (Feeling Good by Nina Simone!) but a lot of times they are just off and serve as a signal that I need to buckle down. Love the blog, m. Miss ya from over here.
dude, those Phillips ear phones were expensive. we should have just got you ear plugs at the 99.99 cent store.