Dear Accidentally Qualified: Procrastination and Self-Promotion

“Accidentally Qualified” is a new advice column from Study Hall written by Sonia Weiser, a freelance journalist and the founder of the journalism opportunities newsletter, “Opportunities of the Week.” Questions can be submitted through our anonymous form for consideration: https://forms.gle/pwUbNgwTBaGKATyu5. 

Dear Accidentally Qualified: 

I am a perfectionistic freelancer who struggles to focus on a single task, and often has multiple things competing for my attention. Despite making a priority list of what needs to be addressed NOW, I still fall off track and end up doing unrelated things and never addressing my real task. I’ve tried everything: time tracking, therapy, the Pomodoro technique, body doubling, a coworking app, writing self-compassion letters, trying to quiet my inner critic, working in a library, exercising, walking to stimulate my brain. 

Nothing helps me avoid this problem, and I’ve lost literally thousands of dollars due to unsubmitted work that I am perfectly capable of doing, but unable to address for some unknown reason! I don’t know if there’s a solution and I am frustrated as hell.

-Hell is Other Assignments 

Dear Hell is Other Assignments,

Oh boy do I know how you feel. The other day I was looking at Streeteasy to see what apartments are on the market—despite my lease not being up until February—instead of working on my book proposal.

I wish I had a single solution for you, but really all I can offer is a few tips that sometimes work for me as well as the comfort of knowing that most of us aren’t able to focus on jack shit right now. 

Here are some things that may work: 

1. Sitting or lying on the floor while you do work. I’ve found that being a bit uncomfortable keeps me on task far more than being cozy ever will. Maybe because I’m a bit of a masochist, maybe because the part of my brain that wants to focus on literally everything else is occupied by thinking about how uncomfortable I am, but whatever it is, this has been a longtime strategy of mine. I’ve heard people get something similar out of sitting on a yoga ball because they have to focus on not falling off of it. Or perhaps you’re a standing desk fan in the making? 

2. Keep a calendar (pick your favorite kind!) of your work habits to track any possible patterns for productivity. For instance, have you noticed if there are certain times of day, days of the week, or weeks in the month when you’re more focused? Or maybe a certain sequence of activities that sets you up to be in the right brain space to get your work done?  Experiment with working different hours than usual (I love working in the middle of the night from 2-5ish) and see if that changes anything. Once you know when you’re most productive, you can reorient your schedule to accommodate a new routine. You might also find that accomplishing something by a certain hour just feels better and encourages you to keep going. I know that whenever I get out of the house early to run, I instantly feel more productive and that feeling powers me through the rest of the day. Inversely, on the days I don’t, I feel like a failure and that informs my overall productivity.

3. This isn’t something I’ve tried but maybe it’ll be the latest trend in productivity: what would happen if you put the “unrelated things” on your to-do list? Maybe reframing them as things to accomplish will eliminate the guilt associated with failing to stay on track and will help you manage your time better. 

If nothing else, try repeating “I can do this, I just don’t want to” as a mantra when you’re on the verge of abandoning a task. Reminding yourself that it’s not about your capabilities but about your motivation or interest level may be the push you need (I do this when I run and it honestly helps a lot.)

Dear Accidentally Qualified: 

How do I find confidence to promote myself, as a writer and in life, when I’m flattened by rejection?

-Panini Depressed 

Dear Panini Depressed, 

Self-promotion always feels kind of gross. Unfortunately, it’s no longer optional, so whatever reluctance you have about giving yourself a shoutout, you’ll need to work through it. Find comfort in scrolling through LinkedIn and see the ridiculous ways people boast about themselves or try to garner attention through lengthy, and mostly meaningless, thought leadership content. Did you see the guy who wrote about what proposing to his girlfriend taught him about B2B sales? People you’d never trust with plant-sitting a cactus are out there touting their services.

There are also different ways to promote yourself so you can choose the ones that feel best to you. Some people become extremely active on LinkedIn and build up their reputation as an industry expert by replying to relevant posts and writing their own. Others take to TikTok or Instagram to post charming or funny content about their work. Or you can go on Twitter and boost your own bylines. Play around with different options and see which ones are most effective. 

As far as self-promoting in the face of rejection: confidence is everything. Almost every podcast about grifts I listen to emphasizes how their fake business took off because they were confident and charismatic. Some people choose to admit their mistakes or acknowledge that they’re a beginner while others fake it til they make it. Ultimately it’s going to come down to the type of person an employer wants to hire. They may appreciate honesty about rejection or the tough job market and bring you on because they feel that your genuineness is an asset. Others may want someone with the self-assuredness of a sports team’s mascot. Self-promote in the style that you want to be received. It’ll be fine. 

-Sonia

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