Comments on: Using Blog Deadlines to Defeat Bloggers Block

By: EngLee

EngLee — Fri, 25 Nov 2005 02:45:09 +0000

Speaking of deadlines, I’m also one of those people who don’t work without pressure. This is a good method to keep me writing. But, always remember to announce some vacation if you feel that you can’t breathe.

By: RC

RC — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 18:46:11 +0000

I was posting once a day, now I’ve slowed down to once in two days, because I need to propagate my blog more. So far I didn’t have any block, but I guess it’s because I’m blogging just few weeks. I’m curious when my first “blogger’s block” arrives… Regarding deadlines, I know they work for me. Even if I don’t meet the deadline, I’ll do much more than if I didn’t have any specific time target.

By: JLT

JLT — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 18:11:03 +0000

Great idea. If everyone would post frequently wouldn’t it make the net so much better? Deadlines I think will work for most people. As you continualy work on deadlines I am sure the nerves will go away and you will become a pro at meeting your deadlines.

By: Brad D.

Brad D. — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 18:07:18 +0000

I can’t really work on a deadline because I flop under pressure. I have to live a little freely, and same with my writing. I try not to let myself feel hurried at all so that I can write more effectively. Deadlines work for 95% of the population but not me for some reason.

By: Salman

Salman — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 17:24:33 +0000

Hey Bill, that egg timer sounds interesting. What kind of a clock is that anyhow?

To really solve bloggers block, it would be great if the egg actually broke every time you past the deadline hehe.

Get cracking! err…blogging.

By: Fly Girl

Fly Girl — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 16:25:18 +0000

I used to think that I was a procrastinator, because nothing ever got done until the last minute. Now, I realize that I need deadlines in order to prioritize the many things going on in my life.

I no longer even think of it as procrastination — but as working to deadline.

By: Bill Peschel

Bill Peschel — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 16:11:46 +0000

Let me add another type of deadline I picked up from Lileks: a timer.

I have an egg timer on my desk. Recently, I wanted to write a book review for my web site. This usually entails a first, very rough draft, followed by revisions. I’d print out a copy and check it for errors, and carry it around for a couple of days. Maybe in total it took 90 minutes, but you have to factor in the “back of the mind” time and the wear that causes as well.

This time, I set the timer for 30 minutes and resolved that that was all I was going to devote to this.

I bashed that sucker out in 28 minutes. There were some revisions afterwards, but overall I saved a lot of time and mental effort in getting it done, and the review was much better than I expected.

Sometimes, the pressure to create forces the mind to operate at peak efficiency.