Procrasta-learning
Hello dear reader!
Today I want to talk to you about something that I’m well versed in. Practically a master. It’s called “procrasta-learning”. I did not coin this term, but when I heard it, I knew immediately it applied to me.
Procrasta-learning is when you procrastinate by telling yourself you need to learn more before you get started or finish a project. If I just knew a little bit more about this, then I’d be good enough/smart enough/skilled enough to do the thing.
I have bad news for all of my procrasta-learning readers out there. You learn more by doing the thing, not by reading about, researching, or otherwise learning about the thing.
Now, before you get up in arms and start yelling at me, I am all for reading, doing researching, taking classes and learning about whatever ‘thing’ you want to do. However, when you continually put off doing the thing because you just need to learn a little more, or improve your skill just a little bit more, or research a tiny bit more… well then my friend you are stuck in the procrasta-learning loop.
There is a lot of value to be had in doing skill building exercises. Practice writing scenes or short stories. Do some sketching in your sketchbook, practice some life drawing, Practice your form with a PVC pipe instead of a barbell. Practice and skill building are invaluable. Taking classes or reading books can be incredibly beneficial to expanding your skill set and developing your ability. But don’t get stuck there.
I am forever guilty of this when it comes to certain aspects of developing different skills. For my in particular, it’s art. Drawing and painting is something I want to be good at, but I consider myself mediocre. I can watch all the YouTube tutorials I want, read all the books I want, look at all the drawings I want, but unless I actually sit down and put pen/brush to paper, I will never improve.
My husband tells me I have a tendency to “get stuck between my ears.” (Aka, overthink things.) In my defense, that’s easy to do when you have anxiety. BUT. You can’t let it stop you. I wrote a whole post quite some time ago about “letting it be bad”. This is so important in any skill development! Be it writing, or sports, or art, or music, or rock climbing, or archery, or ANYTHING. You have to be willing to let things be bad and push through the uncomfortableness of self doubt and worrying about what other people think of you. You have to GO DO THE THING to get better at the thing.
Till next time, dear reader. Enjoy your learning, but then make sure you go do the thing! <3 Tiff
