“Do Not Loosen the Screw”
Sometimes, real productivity lies in knowing when to take a break, not when to move forward. Just like a screw, your mind and body can work so hard that you will be stuck for much longer than you need to.
Author Nicholas Carlson talked about his writing process in a recent article on Business Insider. In all, he managed to write a 93,000 word book in about six weeks. All things considered, it was a pretty productive feat, and one of his key strategies was to keep telling himself, “Don’t unscrew the screw.”
If a screw is tightened too tightly, it can become stuck permanently if you rip it off by turning it too hard. Sometimes when I was working, I got into a difficult passage, was very anxious and wanted to force myself to START WRITING NOW. It never helped. So I imagined that my brain was a cog that I didn’t want to take off. I gave myself a break and allowed myself to just stare at the screen if that was all I could do at that moment.
So, as you work, imagine that your mind is a cog, slowly moving where it needs to be. When you are putting up a lot of resistance, do not continue to twist with more force. Stop, give yourself a break, and go back to the screw with a better screwdriver.
Productivity Tricks I Used To Write A 93,000 Word Book In 6 Weeks | Business Insider