Blank Sheet Syndrome.

Posted by anihakutin on November 7, 2018

Writing code and Blogging Have More In Common Then You And Your Great Aunt’s Cat.

via GIPHY

Blank Sheet Syndrome

The following all happens to all of us:

You just started this new project or your blog post that was due 10 days ago but somehow you find yourself staring at your screen while subconsciously refreshing your Twitter stream waiting for that perfect moment where the angels of inspiration will somehow make heavenly ink flow through your fingers onto your computer screen.

Now imagine an unsectioned book. One with no chapters, paragraphs or sentences. Most human beings would never start that book for one very simple reason, they don’t see an end without reading the whole entire book, there’s nothing to give them a sense of progress or achievement.

You see, the problem is a simple one. Since we as human beings think ahead and calculate risk we somehow create this mental blockage of fear in our brain that stops us from creating with the notion of impossible or no end in site.

Templates and Blueprints, designing for progress

Construction builders use blueprints, you should too. Outlining what we want to build before we know how to build it achieves the following:

  1. You have now started creating(Yay..!)
  2. Makes you think in logical steps of creation.
  3. It gives you clarity and a direct path to completion
  4. It makes you feel acomplished

The above is true for coding as well. Avi Flombaum who is the dean and co-founder of the Flatiron school said the following:

“At first write with the code you wish you had.”

Write your titles, chapter names or outcomes before you write the content.

For instance, before I started this very late due 2 weeks ago blog post I did the following:

The outline or blueprint for my post

The Point Of No Return

Once you get started and at least completed one single tiny step, you won’t be able to go back. The angels of completion will nag you to no end given the progress you just made. At least for a while.

Try it. I promise it works.

Everything Seems Impossible Until It’s Completed

To prove my point look back at all of those seemingly huge impossible projects/goals you’ve completed in your lifetime. I bet you’ve got at least one.

The above helped me. I hope it helps you as well.

Until Next Time,

Heshie