Throughout my career as a writer, there have been times when I’m just not feeling it. I would much rather perform dental surgery on my dog than sit down and force myself to write. And who could blame me when there are so many compelling reasons why writing can wait?

• Time to prospect. A big part of freelancing is finding new clients and new projects, so this is actually a legitimate excuse. Applying for actual jobs is also a valid reason to put off writing.
• Work gets in the way. Unfortunately, I tend to neglect my blog when I’m working full-time, mostly because I have a limited amount of free time and prefer to spend that time with my family.
• Yay! Friends With Benefits is on again! When you work from home, sometimes, you get desperate for the sound of another human’s voice and rely on the TV for companionship. At least, that’s what I tell myself.
• There are other, more pressing things to do. Writers can be inveterate procrastinators and we’re great at finding something else to do.
• Squirrel! I fully admit to being easily distracte…
• I suck. I suck. I suck. Unfortunately, sometimes, abject self-loathing can be part of the writing process and is to be avoided at all costs.
• Ugh. I have nothing to say (see also: I have nothing interesting to say). Many writers hate the process of writing because it can be tedious and intense. Add a case of writer’s block to the equation and there is nothing less appealing than writing.

However, the problem is that laziness creates a lack of inertia. And while objects at rest tend to stay at rest, I prefer forward momentum. Start by asking yourself for the real reason behind your procrastination – if there are things on your to-do list that aren’t truly important, delegate them. If nothing else, step away from the computer and go for a walk, take a deep breath and interact with other humans. Finally, go for it. The sooner you’re done, the sooner you can do something else.