DiscoverPublish Not PerishProductive Research or Procrastination? How to Tell the Difference | Ep. 15
Productive Research or Procrastination? How to Tell the Difference | Ep. 15

Productive Research or Procrastination? How to Tell the Difference | Ep. 15

Update: 2025-09-19
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When it comes to research and writing, many of us struggle to determine whether we're doing necessary intellectual work or simply procrastinating with more reading, thinking, and research.

Don’t get me wrong. Reading, thinking, and researching are all essential parts of the process, and it can be difficult to determine how long we should spend in this phase, which I refer to as the discovery phase. I discuss this experience in the newsletter from earlier this week:

https://www.publishnotperish.net/p/the-real-reason-your-writing-projects

(That newsletter also has a download for paid subscribers on how to estimate how long writing projects will take you!)

In this episode, I share how to spot the difference between discovery time and wheel-spinning. You’ll hear the signs that you’re making real intellectual progress and the signals that you might be avoiding the hard work of writing. Most importantly, I’ll talk about how to navigate that gray zone with more confidence so you can honor the creative mess of scholarship while still moving your projects forward.



Get full access to Publish Not Perish at www.publishnotperish.net/subscribe
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Productive Research or Procrastination? How to Tell the Difference | Ep. 15

Productive Research or Procrastination? How to Tell the Difference | Ep. 15

Jenn McClearen, PhD