Advice on Work Paralysis

As some of you may know, I pulled about two all nighters in a row getting midterms done this week. Normally I am great at planning out my time, but something I didn't plan for snuck up on me...work paralysis. Now many of you are probably familiar with this but if you don't quite know what it is, it is kind of like a writer's or artist' block. Work Paralysis is what happens when you get so intimidated by the amount of work you have to do that you freeze up and can't do it. That's what screwed me over. After my midterms were over, I decided to do a little research on the topic to maybe help those who read my blog as well as myself...I wanted to figure out how to avoid this so next time I will be more prepared for my deadlines...here is what I found out:

       -Don't be afraid to fail. If you are intimidated by not doing a good job, jump head first into whatever it is. You won't learn if you don't fail and you won't get any better either...so go out there and fail with pride!

       -Keep your projects on the back of your mind all the time...many ideas come unexpectedly and away from your desk, so keeping your project on file in your head will help so when you get to your desk, the ideas will start flowing.

       -Your mind is like a well...keep it full of inspiration and the ideas will pour out. Find ways to keep yourself inspired about what you do and about your project. As an example, I keep a blog full of things that inspire me ... http://rosered91.tumblr.com/  ...so that is an idea, or you could keep an inspiration binder, read a favorite book, listen to some good music...anything to keep the ideas and inspiration going.

    -Progressive times come and go...sometimes you may be jotting down ideas and notes forever, constantly on a roll. But there are always those times where you can't get any ideas or work out at all. Get through this...keep in mind it is only a short term thing and you are doing what you love for a reason. I went through an entire quarter like this and asked every person around me what to do and they all said the same thing...work through it, there is light at the end of the tunnel once you do.

    -Set goals for yourself. Deadlines are stressful, but there is no use stressing about the entire project up until the second it is due if you don't need to. This just invites work paralysis and health problems in...don't let it. Instead, get out a calendar or a dayplanner and set short term deadlines for yourself every day...you get more done, you feel accomplished when you do, and there is no scrambling right before the deadline.

     -Setting your sights too high...DONT do this. Work on smaller portions of the project leading up to the final thing.Working your way up is better than setting your sights too high and being disappointed when nothing happens.

      -Get your mind in a positive place otherwise your enthusiasm will be drained. Realize that your talent and skill is acquired over time, not overnight (unless you're a genius/prodigy/supernatural being).

       -Leave yourself something to get excited about. Before you go to bed, make sure you end on something that you want to work on the next morning so you look forward to your project when you wake up.

    Hopefully this helps any of you who are having trouble with this...its tough, but work through it! Midterm art will be up soon! Have a wonderful weekend!