d the nagging and shouting that always follow missed deadlines. When the pressing tasks are done, I bet it'll be time to take a quick coffee break.

Check the internet for some background information you need for your book. Send an email to a writer friend, asking for advice on a problem you're having with your manuscript. Do something to put you back in touch with your writing, as a reward for spending the morning engaging with your day job.

And after you've connected with your real work - even just for a few minutes - it's much easier to find the courage to turn back to that dre

You know that sinking feeling. You've made it to the office, appropriately topped up with coffee, and you're ready to face the day. You start with the email. Opening one of the many messages at random, you can't help but grimace. Your Inbox is a testimony to the horrifying nature of your day job.

How on earth are you going to get through this day?

A day job is roughly equivalent to the thrill of doing housework. You might look around the chaos of your living room, put away a pile of magazines, get out the vacuum cleaner - and then go make a cup of coffee instead. Wasn't there an interesting feature in one of those magazines you've been meaning to read...?

Your day job's just the same.

Distractions are welcome and lunchtime is bliss, because the work you do for the Day Job Monster is probably just plain boring. Too often, you could also describe it as tedious and utterly pointless too. Naturally, you won't be excited about plodding through the day.

The problem is that if you don't get the tasks of the day out of the way, there are consequences for your real work.

If you don't cover the basics of your job description, you'll attract negative attention with the efficiency of a flare gun. And your day will get so much worse if you have to endure a lecture about your sub-standard performance from a senior manager. (And you thought you were depressed before.)

There's another downside to putting off clearing your Inbox. Procrastinating about work - even when it's this boring - drains your energy. It makes you strangely lethargic. When you spend your morning avoiding work and finding innovative ways to waste time, you run into a big problem come lunch time. How are you going to snap back into productive mode when you want to spend your lunch hour with your manuscript? You'll be feeling too low-energy and backed-up with Monster work to focus on your writing.

It's far better to face those meaningless tasks, and clear them out of the way. Get the work out of your Inbox and off your mind, so that you can concentrate on achieving something for your real career the next time you take a break.

So how do you start climbing that looming mountain of boring work?

Take a quick look at the big picture, and set some priorities. Tackle the more urgent stuff first, and let the relevant managers know it's finished. That way, you avoid the nagging and shouting that always follow missed deadlines. When the pressing tasks are done, I bet it'll be time to take a quick coffee break.

Check the internet for some background information you need for your book. Send an email to a writer friend, asking for advice on a problem you're having with your manuscript. Do something to put you back in touch with your writing, as a reward for spending the morning engaging with your day job.

And after you've connected with your real work - even just for a few minutes - it's much easier to find the courage to turn back to that dre

ng feature in one of those magazines you've been meaning to read...?

Your day job's just the same.

Distractions are welcome and lunchtime is bliss, because the work you do for the Day Job Monster is probably just plain boring. Too often, you could also describe it as tedious and utterly pointless too. Naturally, you won't be excited about plodding through the day.

The problem is that if you don't get the tasks of the day out of the way, there are consequences for your real work.

If you don't cover the basics of your job description, you'll attract negative attention with the efficiency of a flare gun. And your day will get so much worse if you have to endure a lecture about your sub-standard performance from a senior manager. (And you thought you were depressed before.)

There's another downside to putting off clearing your Inbox. Procrastinating about work - even when it's this boring - drains your energy. It makes you strangely lethargic. When you spend your morning avoiding work and finding innovative ways to waste time, you run into a big problem come lunch time. How are you going to snap back into productive mode when you want to spend your lunch hour with your manuscript? You'll be feeling too low-energy and backed-up with Monster work to focus on your writing.

It's far better to face those meaningless tasks, and clear them out of the way. Get the work out of your Inbox and off your mind, so that you can concentrate on achieving something for your real career the next time you take a break.

So how do you start climbing that looming mountain of boring work?

Take a quick look at the big picture, and set some priorities. Tackle the more urgent stuff first, and let the relevant managers know it's finished. That way, you avoid the nagging and shouting that always follow missed deadlines. When the pressing tasks are done, I bet it'll be time to take a quick coffee break.

Check the internet for some background information you need for your book. Send an email to a writer friend, asking for advice on a problem you're having with your manuscript. Do something to put you back in touch with your writing, as a reward for spending the morning engaging with your day job.

And after you've connected with your real work - even just for a few minutes - it's much easier to find the courage to turn back to that dre

ith the efficiency of a flare gun. And your day will get so much worse if you have to endure a lecture about your sub-standard performance from a senior manager. (And you thought you were depressed before.)

There's another downside to putting off clearing your Inbox. Procrastinating about work - even when it's this boring - drains your energy. It makes you strangely lethargic. When you spend your morning avoiding work and finding innovative ways to waste time, you run into a big problem come lunch time. How are you going to snap back into productive mode when you want to spend your lunch hour with your manuscript? You'll be feeling too low-energy and backed-up with Monster work to focus on your writing.

It's far better to face those meaningless tasks, and clear them out of the way. Get the work out of your Inbox and off your mind, so that you can concentrate on achieving something for your real career the next time you take a break.

So how do you start climbing that looming mountain of boring work?

Take a quick look at the big picture, and set some priorities. Tackle the more urgent stuff first, and let the relevant managers know it's finished. That way, you avoid the nagging and shouting that always follow missed deadlines. When the pressing tasks are done, I bet it'll be time to take a quick coffee break.

Check the internet for some background information you need for your book. Send an email to a writer friend, asking for advice on a problem you're having with your manuscript. Do something to put you back in touch with your writing, as a reward for spending the morning engaging with your day job.

And after you've connected with your real work - even just for a few minutes - it's much easier to find the courage to turn back to that dre

ch hour with your manuscript? You'll be feeling too low-energy and backed-up with Monster work to focus on your writing.

It's far better to face those meaningless tasks, and clear them out of the way. Get the work out of your Inbox and off your mind, so that you can concentrate on achieving something for your real career the next time you take a break.

So how do you start climbing that looming mountain of boring work?

Take a quick look at the big picture, and set some priorities. Tackle the more urgent stuff first, and let the relevant managers know it's finished. That way, you avoid the nagging and shouting that always follow missed deadlines. When the pressing tasks are done, I bet it'll be time to take a quick coffee break.

Check the internet for some background information you need for your book. Send an email to a writer friend, asking for advice on a problem you're having with your manuscript. Do something to put you back in touch with your writing, as a reward for spending the morning engaging with your day job.

And after you've connected with your real work - even just for a few minutes - it's much easier to find the courage to turn back to that dre

d the nagging and shouting that always follow missed deadlines. When the pressing tasks are done, I bet it'll be time to take a quick coffee break.

Check the internet for some background information you need for your book. Send an email to a writer friend, asking for advice on a problem you're having with your manuscript. Do something to put you back in touch with your writing, as a reward for spending the morning engaging with your day job.

And after you've connected with your real work - even just for a few minutes - it's much easier to find the courage to turn back to that dreaded Inbox. Work down your list of prioritized jobs, and tick them off. Get rid of them systematically, and you'll begin to feel organized and in control of your workday. By lunch time, you'll be ready to turn this productive mindset towards your writing career. Head out to a coffee shop with a printout of your latest chapter, and make some progress on that work that does matter.

Forcing yourself to engage with the Day Job Monster's work takes grit, and determination. But it has two major payoffs. Number one, it leaves you feeling more energetic, and in control of your workday. You're not a slave to the Monster, after all. A proactive attitude will help you find ways to fit writing into your day.

Payoff number two affects your real career directly. When you clear those boring daily tasks off your desk, you also clear some mental space. You don't waste time worrying about finishing that report, or answering those ten urgent emails. The Day Job Monster stops creeping into the corners of your mind. You can forget about him; your obligations are complete.

And that's great news, because it means you're free to make some progress on your real career. Spending time with your manuscript may just be the best cure for boredom ever invented.

This article may be freely reprinted, as long as the biography is included. I'd love it if you'd send me a link if you use my work!