Practicing Productive Avoidance

Everyone gets to a point during a project when they just don’t want to be working on it anymore. It can be because a project is boring, but most likely it’s because we get engrossed in our work, and don’t take the time to step away. Then we hit a wall. This wall can cause us to lose any momentum we had, and lead us down the dark road of project apathy.

For a long time I thought that I just needed to tough it out. Work through it, walk it off, get some duct tape, or rub some dirt in it. But I have recently tried to practice what I’m calling “Productive Avoidance”. When I hit a stretch where the project I’m working on feels like a weight around my neck instead of a challenging opportunity to make or do something fantastic, I walk away from it.

Maybe I write a blog post, or work on a project that’s totally unrelated. Sometimes it’s working on experimental things that will never see the light of day. The point is to pursue something that will spark my creativity. That will grab hold of the momentum that I feel slipping away, and give it some freshness. And in doing so, I am able to get new and fresh ideas rolling around in my head. These ideas may pertain to the project that was the cause of my avoidance in the first place. That’s not the point. That project will benefit from me not being burnt out.

If I just avoid working on that project, it never goes away and I just feel flat and uninspired. Diverting my attention, even if just for a few minutes gives me, and in-turn the project energy and life.