Why Am I Now Procrastinating Instead of Writing My First Viral post?

Her look describes exactly how I feel. I am wondering to myself “Why am I now procrastinating instead of writing my first viral post?” I sat down to finish a post I’ve been working on about 1 and 1/2 hours ago. Unlike the disciplined steps, I took yesterday. I didn’t ask Siri to set a 50-minute timer today.

I just sat down all willy-nilly with this idea in my mind that I’d knock this post out easily. Especially since it was a piece I’d written years ago. During the time of one of my previous blogs.

The one that completely disappeared after I made the foolish decision of going with a cheaper host provider. Side note. Take my advice. Do not go for the cheapest host provider. You’re welcome.

I shudder to think about that experience and how my nicely formated blog website. With over 50 of my blood, sweat, and tears posts disappeared before my very own eyes. Never (I repeat never) to be seen. Urggg…but I digress. Back to my current “why I’m procrastinating” writing exercise.

The Title Debacle

So let’s start there. Now that I’ve been reading about how to become one of the top writers on Medium. I understand how significant it is to have a good (or even better a great) title.

One of my newly followed Medium Top Writer gurus (Nick Wignall) shared about how he uses the Headline Studio App. So what did I do? I added the nifty Headline Studio App extension to my browser. I have been using it religiously now for 2 whole days.

My Medium Top Writer guru said he shoots for an analysis rating of 80 percent or above. When the title for the post I completed yesterday was analyzed at 85 percent. You better believe I did a special celebratory dance right at my writing desk. Imagine “throw your hands in the air like you just don’t care”. “This post is gonna be the one that goes viral for sure” I amusingly thought to myself yesterday. But what happened today?

What Had Happened Was This

I have pittled around with the title of this posts so many times that the app has told me I’ve reached my limit of tries and to create a totally new one. This has now happened several times.

Of course, being the Not At a Medium or Vocal Top Writer I am. I completely ignored Headline Studio’s suggestions. I could come up with an awesome title for this post. Did you read me say that yesterday my title was analyzed at 85 percent?

So I continue on in this battle of words. I change one word here or there. I’d add four new words and take away two old ones. I changed the title into a question (using basically the same words). It was pure madness.

I am telling you. I did so many maneuvers with those same words. Geeze, now I needed a break. Time to check ALL of my social media and email accounts. But being the Not a Medium or Vocal Top Writer I am. I first had to check the reader statuses on both my Medium and Vocal accounts. As well as the site visits on my blog.

As my current fate and Not a Medium or Vocal Top Writer status life would have it. I viewed all the single-digit numbers. And now I’m completely convinced more than ever. It’s gotta be all those damn previous bad titles I tell you.

Procrastinating Instead of Writing; Facebook and Gmail Here I Come

Surely I could find some love in these spaces. Even if jaded. Yeah. I know. Our addiction to checking our social media accounts offer us a fleeting surface level of satisfaction. But shucks. At least I wouldn’t have to suffer the repeated abusive rejection as I received from Headline Studio. My Gawd. Who came up with this app?

I goofed off on my social media accounts for as long as I could fight back thinking about the title debacle. On Facebook, I shared some things. Liked some things and commented on some things. All with people who love, appreciate, and support me with an everlasting commitment. (I am lying dramatically).

Anywho. After spending a satisfactory amount of time on Facebook. I sped on over to Gmail. I checked all 4 of my email accounts. Don’t ask. This ended up being a kinda downer. There were no “Congratulations your post has been picked for yada yada yada” emails waiting for me. Just junk mail and way too many of those pesky political emails. Mental note. I’ve got some more unsubscribing to do. But for now. I’d better get back to writing if I’m gonna achieve my goal to finish and submit that post today.

My Post Writing Return

“You’ve got to learn to leave the table when love’s no longer being served. ~ Nina Simone

Wait. Did she say table or title? Whatever. It was a “T”. Close enough. I took my cue from Nina and I completely ignored the title. I removed myself from the table of the title because it was showing me no love.

Instead, I started re-reading through the post. The more I kept reading. The more I realized why the title was really not the problem at all. The truth of the matter is, it was the content of the post creating the disconnect.

Let me explain.

I thought I would use this old post and apply it to a current national situation by just tweaking a few things here and there. I’d started the tweaking process at the beginning of the week. I thought this would be an easy peasy transformation.

However. For the very first time, I realized I was wrong. And now I understand why I am procrastinating instead of writing my first viral post.

What I learned from my Procrastination and Resistance Experience

The next time you find yourself procrastinating, figure out why. Are you just being lazy, or is there a deeper reason? Do what you do best and write about it. You might find some new insecurities to face. ~Nick Wignall in “Advice From 15 Successful Medium Writers That’ll Make You A Better Writer”

Although the content of the post was engaging. It really didn’t apply to the current national situation like I thought it would. The post was more about a personal experience than it was about a national situation. I was trying to make it fit but it did not fit. And I could not make it fit. And that is why I could not make the title fit either. The funny thing is. That damn Headline Studio app already knew.

Well, I did exactly what Nick Wignall suggested. I wrote about it. I have taken one of my new Medium gurus advice and it worked. Through the process of writing about my latest procrastination experience. I actually figured out why I was procrastinating in the first place.

Shucks! This guy is good. I think I’ll keep following some of his advice for a while. You know. Until my Not a Medium or Vocal Top Writer status changes over to being a Medium and Vocal Top Writer. At which point, of course, I will be sharing the helpful stuff that I’ve learned during my trek to the top(wink).

Yes. I already know. Just like me. You can’t wait until that happens. But for now. You might want to try this exercise out the next time you find yourself procrastinating instead of writing that next viral post.

And by the way. As I get ready to submit this post to achieve my weekly goal. I just thought you’d also like to know my friend the Headline Studio app analyzed this title at 74 percent within the first three attempts. Not too shabby for a Friday afternoon. I’m just saying.

Until the next time…

Much Love & Peace,

Carla Dee

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