Staying Motivated When You Don't Feel Like Writing

Sigh.

It's just too hot to write today. It's 45 degrees Celsius outside right now and it's only lunchtime. I think that's around 115 Fahrenheit. Our weather forecast says the temperatures will remain like this for at least another week.

While I enjoy the heat and I love summer - it makes it really hard to focus on writing anything coherent. I want to laze in the pool (by the shady end under a tree of course). I want to read a book in front of the air conditioning vent where it's cool. These thoughts are way more inviting than sitting in my office typing right now.

I'm supposed to be writing a feature article for a new investment magazine that was released in Australia 6 months ago. My deadline is Friday afternoon but I keep getting distracted by ways to keep cool. I've been on the phone interviewing one of our city's bigger investors for an hour and now I have two days worth of checking numbers and figures and return-on-investment and loan to value ratios and ... the shady-end of the pool is beckoning again.

I think when the sun goes down at 9pm tonight I'll plant another big palm and create another shady area at the other end of the pool so I can laze more often. Or perhaps I can create a little pergola area over one end?

Aarrgh. I'm procrastinating again. So how do I stay motivated at times like these? Deep down I know this one single article is worth a fortnight's wages into my freelance business. I have to get it written and submitted by Friday - but the pool is way more interesting. So how do I force myself to sit here and write what needs to get written?

The answer is - I don't. I'll write it tonight when it's cooler. Right now I'm going swimming. I'll run through the blistering sunny part of the yard down to the shady spot at the end of the pool and dive in to that cool, clear water. When the shade starts to disappear, I'll come back inside and try again.

You gotta love being self-employed at times like this!

:p