The Simplest Way For Makers To Overcome Procrastination Mid Build

Everyone struggles with procrastination in the middle of a build.

Personally, I have for years including during a recent project.

When I was building my giant 2x4 Mythosaur Skull, I would get through one phase of the project, then not touch it for weeks. In fact, I took more than a month away from it when I broke one of the tusks off and wasn't sure if I could salvage the project. I would overthink absolutely everything about something before trying anything.

My procrastination caused a project that should have taken a few weeks to drag on for a few months.

But what changed for me was realizing I would procrastinate when I didn't know what to do next. And as soon as that clicked, I started to understand that overcoming mid-project procrastination wasn't hard; I was just doing the wrong thing.

Here's what I should have done instead:

When I realize I'm putting off part of a project, I need to identify what I'm unsure of and make a plan to tackle it.

Procrastination kills projects, even if it's "productive procrastination" like picking up the workshop or designing the next project. Instead of avoiding the problem, identify it and come up with a plan to remedy. Most importantly, get to it quickly so momentum isn't lost.

Ultimately, I believe that procrastination like that is a failure of mine to plan ahead of starting the project. If I run into something, I also need to note it down so I can ensure I plan better for the next one.

Procrastination, like anything, is a progression, so focus on improving every time and don't beat yourself up when it happens (because it happens to everyone sometimes).