Article Response: "6 Steps to Beat Procrastination"

[ Link To Article ]

    An article I can definitely relate to, as, of course, most professional procrastinators can. In the article, Paul Allen, a veteran mentor and pro animator from Reel FX, gives advice on how to beat procrastination, or at least how to get your mind on the right track instead of slacking off.

    Paul Allen explains that what you should first do is take a step back and organize your thoughts and what was placed in front of you, so you're not confused over what your top priorities are. Consider making a list with the most important tasks you need to complete at the top, and continue adding onto it as more things are given to you. Also, turning off your computers/phones/other distracting devices will greatly benefit you in staying focused on getting things done, but you're still able to take 15 minute breaks if you need it to clear your head. Next, you should always consider doing the most important thing on your list first before doing any of the smaller things. That way, you can carefully think things through, instead of leaving it to do last on your list and then having to rush through it.

    This all seems like really great advice for procrastinators, but I thought this was supposed to be advice mainly directed at animators? Oh right, number 5, don't stress out about pre-planning. You should always be thorough when working on animating, because it'll make working on the final project so much easier. Last, break down the bigger projects into smaller ones. Take your time and don't stress out, because once you're done you'll be really proud of the results.

    The article does give some great advice for people who like to animate, but are also huge procrastinators. However, Paul mostly just gave advice for those who procrastinate, and only wrote the last two numbers for people who animate. In my opinion, I feel like he could have written a bit more for animators, since that's who the article is aimed towards. Despite that, he did give some very helpful advice, which is very important to follow if your dream is to get into the film/animating industry. Being diligent and persevering in the industry is key for earning a successful film job!