Feeling like a cog in a wheel...

February 9, 2013 9:13 PM

I'm almost fifty and it's just dawning on me that my days are almost entirely consumed by the minutiae of my interests. I enjoy these activities but I feel I'm not getting anywhere. There's a big writing project I long complete, yet all my time is spent with the practical details of "making ready." For example: I'm forever making our technological tools ever smarter and more streamlined but I'm noticing that, instead of using these resources to get things done, they're sort of using me to perform the physical tasks of updating, debugging, etc. Not having any models for self-directed, executive functioning I'm wondering what it looks like to break out of this pattern toward more personal fulfillment and real productivity.
posted by R2WeTwo to Writing & Language (11 answers total)

Best answer: I'm also a writer, and I used to have really bad problems with "making ready". My problem in particular was over-researching, but I also had the tech problem -- especially easy is the thing where you say "well I can't write a [type of project] without [proprietary software]", though there's always "... till I've read this book about how to structure a novel" or "... till I have a voice recorder setup to do interviews" or "... till I've taken this workshop," ad fucking infinitum.

Chances are, you already have everything you need to do what you want to do.

Now you have to do it.

My approach has just been to tell myself "NO" and get to writing.

When it was particularly bad, I made a hard writing schedule for myself. I managed this by tying my writing to a sensory input and personal ritual -- in my case, no coffee unless I was writing. Period. Without morning coffee I can't start my day, and I can't have morning coffee unless I'm writing. So I can't start my day without writing. In order to keep myself from cheating, I also had a daily page count. I could do ANYTHING I wanted once I'd finished that day's pages, and I couldn't properly start my day without at least starting on that day's pages. So the best way to waste a day was to drag my feet on my pages, and the best way to have a productive day was to get the writing done so I could move on.

After a month of that, it got a lot easier.
posted by Sara C. at 10:40 PM on February 9, 2013 [6 favorites]

Best answer: I love this book Not that I ever take its advice, but it does address this sort of thing. Quick read, relevant, multi-field applicability.
posted by FauxScot at 12:03 AM on February 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: My old boss used to say that the last 10% of a project often takes as long as the first 90%, and so sometimes you just have to let 90% be good enough and move on to the next thing. In your case, this would mean letting the technological tools be good enough and sitting down and writing.
posted by colfax at 3:11 AM on February 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'm wondering what it looks like to break out of this pattern toward more personal fulfillment and real productivity.

For me it is getting paid upon completion. I am at this moment getting ready to go into my office and sit down to write 20 pages of analysis that has to be sent out tonight. It's Sunday afternoon. I do not want to do this, but if I don't, I don't get paid. For me, there is nothing like the fear of not making next month's rent to light a fire under my ass.

If you're not motivated to finish a task, maybe it's because it's not really that important to you in the first place.
posted by three blind mice at 5:10 AM on February 10, 2013 [2 favorites]

Best answer: A writing project requires nothing but a pen and paper. Why not step away from the technological tools and write for awhile by hand?
posted by xingcat at 7:18 AM on February 10, 2013 [3 favorites]

Best answer: How about giving yourself some structure by taking a writing course. You'll have homework or in-class writing assignments, and a teacher and peers nagging you to turn in chapters. It's motivating.
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 9:10 AM on February 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I came in to say what xingcat said. Writing requires nothing but a paper and the writing instrument of your choice (I like pencils over pens, but that's neither here nor there). Or a word processor and a keyboard if you cannot write for very long by hand. Everything else is just luxury.
posted by patheral at 9:35 AM on February 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Are you thinking you should sit down and write a chapter, spending 3 hours a day on it for weeks? Put an appt. in your calendar, with an alarm on your phone, to spend 20 minutes, 3 days a week, writing. It can be a letter to an old friend, answers on ask.me, jokes, or anything. Increase it to 4 or 5 days a week. Start the outline, start filling it in. Increase it to 1 hour/ day. You can write more if you want, but getting into the habit of 1 hr/day, 5 days a week is a really good start. You can use any word processor, and you should back up your work, but there is no other technology needed.

Social pressure can be motivating; come back here in a week, and tell us if you have begun.
posted by theora55 at 11:41 AM on February 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I notice you say interestS, so the writing is just one of many. I'm 46 and also have many interests, none of which I follow long enough to get some satisfaction over what I've accomplished. In fact, my life is a depressingly looooong list of unfulfilled dreams, started tutorials, bought books, special software I was very enthusiastic about at some point, etc. I think the problem for me is that my parents never taught me to put my best effort to a task, to really go the extra mile. Everything always came easy for me, so I forgot to learn how to become a singleminded goal setter. We weren't a competitive family. All three children of my parents have become losers, with a questionable career, little income and bad (addictive) habits. I'm absolutely unsure what the way out of this misery is, but I don't think it is as simple as using a pen instead of a word processor. Good luck.
posted by hz37 at 1:09 PM on February 10, 2013 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Reflecting on the combined wisdom in these it occurs to me that the solution is a healthy assertion of humanity. Thanks all!
posted by R2WeTwo at 7:42 AM on February 11, 2013

Mod note: Final update from the OP:

It took a little more than a week but I've not only begun but finished thanks to these superb suggestions. Hearing how others have approached then gone through the same door is a tremendous help. Thanks, everyone!

posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:04 AM on June 25, 2014