Procrastination, Discipline and Enthusiasm

To become good at something, you need to practice - everyone knows that. And practice requires discipline. But what do you do when discipline becomes self-torture and triggers feelings of resistance and stress? What do you do when you know you should practice, but everything else seems more appealing? When you procrastinate and end up thinking you're lazy and useless?

Procrastination isn't a sign of laziness or incompetence. Procrastination is a sign of fear. Fear of what might happen if you fail, but also fear of what might happen if you actually succeed in what you've set out to do. Fear of not being recognized, fear of not being good enough - despite all the work you've put in.

"Do not call inability to start laziness. Call it fear."

– Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way.

So how do you face fear? Do you grit your teeth and charge ahead with grim determination? Do you, like Peer Gynt, feel the pull to go around when the Mountain Troll blocks your path? I certainly feel both the Troll and the inner resistance to rigid discipline quite often.

Here's a suggestion for how you can meet fear and resistance: Treat yourself kindly. Julia Cameron writes in The Artist's Way that the only way to cure fear is love. That might sound silly to a sensible Nordic person, but what if it's true? It certainly works better than scolding yourself.

Be curious. Instead of freezing up and talking negatively to yourself, you can ask yourself questions like "what am I afraid of?", "why am I afraid to start this?" and "what's the next small thing I can do to make this less scary?"

British comedian Miranda Hart has described a strategy for stopping fear and negative thought patterns in her book I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You. When she notices she's thinking thoughts she doesn't want to have, she sings "Stop! In The Name of Love" by The Supremes.

Miranda Hart writes that music is a fantastic way to distract the brain, and by physically stopping and singing the word "Stop!", the automatic negative thoughts stop. The words "In the name of love" remind her to smile, wrap her arms around herself, and thus send signals to her body that she's safe. "Before you break my heart" reminds her that negative, shameful, and critical thoughts can physically harm the body, and "Think it over" tells her there are healthier and better thought patterns that help.

Here's another suggestion: Instead of discipline, go for enthusiasm. Enthusiasm draws its energy from play and joy. Include elements of play in what you do. Play music you like. Make your practice space cozy. Make sure to stop yourself as soon as your inner voice says anything about should, ought to, and similar. Instead, imagine Miranda Hart singing "Stop! In The Name of Love", smile, and turn your practice into a positive experience.

This post is inspired by chapter 9, "Recovering a Sense of Compassion", in the book The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, and chapter 4, "Thoughts" in the book I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You by Miranda Hart. Both books are highly recommended!