Beware Unproductive Production

I have a looming deadline and have not producing as much as I want. Today I finally got a strong surge of productive energy, so I pulled out my notebook and pencil, and then proceeded to write several pages on a project that I have on the back burner while I try to meet my various deadlines.

I was in this awkward position where I was finally creating after days of stagnation, and yet it was the most unproductive production possible (short of starting a new project). Today, I decided that any production was worth more than trying to produce for my primary deadline and getting nothing.

I'm telling myself that it was a net gain, since I forwarded one project noticeably, and I did end up working on my deadline project. But I still feel like it was a wash because I am under the illusion of production but still am procrastinating.

Consider this one of my failings (or at least one of the things I am working on as a writer). Simply put, if you have the willpower to sit down and write anything, then you have the willpower to work on the project that is most pressing.