Why Procrastination Is A Good Thing
I remember in college being so excited about the start of the semester: getting my syllabus and all of my books in order feeling like this was going to be the semester where I was on top of it. I wasn't going to wait on starting assignments! BUT nope! Total fail on that and I waited on every single one.
And the last couple of months I've been caught thinking that because I haven't been doing as much that I'm not valued as much. And it's crazy! Been feeling a bit of guilt because I've not been producing at the level I once was nor do I even have the desire to do it! Honestly, I've just had too much work (self-inflected and otherwise) put on me that I've gone numb in wanting to do any of it! Turning my nose on things I think need to be done and instead doing things that I want to do more of: reading and yoga. Which has been so lovely! (BTW, book club coming up - see below!)
But alas! I have some great news for you. This is totally acceptable and actually really good to do! The doing yoga and reading part or anything YOU want to do. I've written about this before and here again with why procrastination is good!
"Ok, Jess, so how?!" you ask!
Well, there are 2 types of procrastination according to Smithsonian Magazine:
1.) passive procrastination where you sit on your arse and binge on Netflix (btw, just started watching {not binge-watching} Maniacand it's appears promising!) and
2.) active procrastination where you're actually doing something productive with your time. With the latter you need to know you will complete the task eventually and maybe might even want the intensity of the time constraint to help you create a better product!
Here are 6 more reasons why procrastination is good!
You get more things done with active procrastination. Think in the past of when you had to get something done, you’ve likely recalled finishing off so many other things on your list first. It’s like magic getting many things you want done in that short amount of time - all those organized homes right before a major life assignment! (also sometimes known as avoidance - but that’s for another newsletter!)
With the passage of time, some unnecessary things fall away. Sometimes if we act too soon, we make extra work because some of the steps are no longer needed.
It highlights the most important things for you. You end up doing the things that are more important first which might be bringing you more joy - and something to pay attention to. Still, it’s important to do things you don’t like as well (sometimes).
You make better decisions. If the task is put to the side, oftentimes it’s still moving around in your head. You give yourself time to process and make a better decision around it.
It makes you creative. The heat of the moment before handing something in, or doing a presentation, or whatever it is you are doing makes you sweat on it a bit and produce something more amazing with that pressure (most of the time!)
Use that in-between time to {passively} motivate. See art, read books, do yoga, have a drink, or do whatever it is you need to do to get yourself back on track. Simply be in the moment of your life.
Here is a quote from John Perry, author of The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging, and Postponing, said, "If you go back through history of human culture, and take away every invention that was made by someone who was suppose to be doing something else, I’m willing to bet there wouldn't be a lot left."
Let me drop the mic there.