The Savvy Entrepreneur

Anti-Procrastination Month: Day 4

October 4th, 2007 by Cristina Favreau

If you’re procrastinating because you’re feeling stuck, try right-brain tactics to shake things up.

Tap into your creative self by using metaphors (stories, analogies, similes, humor, dreams, physical movement, projections, art, poetry, etc…). They help you bypass logic to alter the way you think and introduce possibilities.

Describe your challenge with a metaphor. (I’m so stuck on this article, I feel like I’m in a deep fog).
Use your metaphor to create a scenario. (I am the captain of a large ship stuck on the ocean, surrounded by a thick, impenetrable fog).
Play with it. Make up a story about how would you go about in your scenario. (First I’d need to determine my exact position. Then I would get my most experienced crew on deck. I would attempt to locate the lighthouse and throw my anchor out to keep me grounded until the fog lifts.) I’m making this up on the spot, but you get the idea.
Use your story to help you reframe your situation — to see it in a new way. (How can I apply this metaphor to my challenge? What are the similarities? What did I learn about my approach as a captain? How do I take this same approach with my article?) Again, you get the point.