Get the Hell Into It: Stop Bouncing from Idea to Idea and Learn to See Things Through

As a writer, something I can pride myself on is that I never put projects off, I always remain carefully focused until a task is complete, and I always turn in my work well ahead of the deadline.

Nah, just kidding. If you’re also a writer, you probably knew that already. Procrastination has become a running joke that many in the field can relate to. Indeed, it’s practically a way of life, and there is no shortage of jokes and memes to be found.

Today’s book isn’t just for writers, though. It’s for all of us who struggle with the insidious beast known as procrastination…and I have a feeling that’s a whole lot of people out there.

[Notes: I received a free ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of this book in order to be able to review it. Also, while I’ve read the book itself thoroughly—and that’s what I’ll be focusing on—I didn’t have time and energy to do all of the exercises (especially being a perfectionist who tends to make projects more extensive than they need to be…still working on that issue! You see a simple question, I see a demand for a thousand-word soul-pouring essay) or check out all the outside links and resources, though the things I did make use of were great.]

As we discover in author and copywriter Sarah Beth Moore’s book, Get the Hell Into It: Stop Bouncing from Idea to Idea and Learn to See Things Through, procrastination is a many-pronged fishhook; if it doesn’t get you one way, it’ll get you another. It’s not just the simple matter of watching tv when you should be working on a project. It comes in the form of things like hopscotching from one brilliant, promising, all-consuming idea to another, never giving any the time they need to really work. Or even in the form of giving undue priority to tasks that, while necessary and useful, nonetheless drain us and siphon away energy from the goals that are most important.

One thing that I love about Get the Hell Into It is that it really explores the topic in depth. In addition to addressing the forms it comes in, Sarah also delves into the root causes behind it. Sometimes those are pragmatic problems—overextending ourselves or not properly allotting our time and energy, thus feeling too drained to get things handled. But sometimes the reasons are more subtle. Sometimes what’s really stopping us are the fears we have deep down. We become paralyzed by the fear of failure, by feelings of inadequacy. And if we never finish a project, there’s no risk of seeing it fail and feeling like failures ourselves.

But this book doesn’t just analyze or help us self-diagnose. It doesn’t just sit back and make observations. That’d be missing the whole point. In fact, the book begins with a warning that we’re not to be sneaky and try to use reading the book as a cute way of still procrastinating! [That alone should let you know that this chick knows what she’s talking about. She’s got us nailed down. But hey, takes one to know one, eh? We’ll get to that in a bit.]

Get the Hell Into It is designed to spur us to action. The author isn’t content to just give us information while we nod sagely and have lightbulbs that fizzle out after a while. Instead, the various chapters end with sets of exercises: specific, logically ordered steps we can take to first determine which exact problems we have and then to immediately start work on combating them. You ever see that security monitor commercial?

[Video posted by Heli Rac]

That’s what we’re trying to avoid. We’re identifying these targets so we can take them out!

But never fear: Even though Sarah is definitely kicking our butts into gear and making sure we put in the work, she’s not doing it from a standpoint of chewing us out or just casually dismissing things. She knows how to strike the right balance of acknowledging and understanding the struggle without indulging us in any mess or letting us indulge ourselves in it. (After all, this is the second entry in a series called “Weenie-Proofing the Artistic Brain.” And yes, I’m serious. And yes again, we need this.)

Sarah’s speaking from the position of someone who’s been there in the same trenches that we have. Indeed, during the very course of writing the book she’s struggled through those issues herself, and takes the time to make notes on it throughout. So you really feel like she’s right there with you in your journey and that you’re not just getting advice from someone too removed from the battle to still really appreciate how difficult it is.

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In the end, I think one of the most important and valuable points Sarah makes hits at the core of why this battle is so important (and thus why the book is worth investing in).

Losing the fight with procrastination comes with a much deeper cost than you might initially realize. If it goes far enough, it could prevent you from ever getting your most important projects out and sharing your unique set of gifts, talents, and contributions with the world. It’s ultimately something that damages both yourself and others, and wastes so much good that could ultimately come out of things.

Back when I really started contemplating becoming a writer and began what I believe was my first novel attempt, there was briefly a question as to how much I would feature spiritual aspects in them. There was definitely a temptation not to worry about that, and to just make it a more or less standard piece of work. My moral principles would’ve still been a part of it, I’m sure, so it still wouldn’t have been typical. But just how typical did I want to make things? My answer came from two main factors:

1. I’ve been taught that we should try to use art for the purpose of good & God, educating and uplifting people rather than just churning out vile garbage that, if anything, just pushes people in the wrong directions. There’s already far too much of that as it is.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that everything has to be serious or profound, but overall we should have a higher, positive purpose for our work.

2. I already figured ahead of time that writing a novel would be an enormous amount of work and take a considerable amount of time. With all the time, energy, and effort invested, I figured it would be a waste NOT to do something more with it. If all the book does is entertain, will that really feel worth the effort?

I feel like having deeper purposes in mind has helped me to stay motivated not to abandon the project. It’s also something that I revisit periodically when I’m tempted to get off track, like by picking an easy way out rather than going for a more purposeful route. It’s also helped me in terms of figuring out the plot, making story decisions, and developing the characters—I have to keep my end goals in mind.

So Sarah’s point about the true importance and responsibility of getting one’s work out there really resonates with me. What I have to contribute is something that I feel is really needed in this world, and not so easy to find. It also reminds me of what Toni Morrison said—that if you can’t find the story you’re looking for, then write it yourself.

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These are just some of the things Sarah handles in her book. She’s packed a lot of heavy-duty content into a concise format, and her witty, casual, humorous, and relatable writing style makes it a breeze to read. If you’re ready to kick procrastination to the curb and get schist done, Get the Hell Into It: Stop Bouncing from Idea to Idea and Learn to See Things Through is well worth checking out.

By the way, if you’ve never checked out her site, New Leaf Writing, I’d really recommend it; it’s full of great blog posts written in her engaging signature style.

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