Mastering the Art of Procrastination
Success February 21st, 2009I’ve certainly written my share of productivity tips in my previous series and other articles on that topic. Procrastination is one I’ve not written on yet. Most articles and guides suggest learning to avoid procrastination, overcome the habits of procrastination and find ways to simply take things one without delay. Now, while those ideas have their own merit, I also think that there is another side to procrastination that can be quite useful as well. That is to use what you have already mastered about procrastination for the right things.
Procrastinating Waste
Everyone has things they would consider waste and other things on that dreaded to do list that seem like they must get done. That list however, contains things on it that you probably don’t want to be doing and leaves you with one choice, either do it, or procrastinate it.
To change that list and make the choice a little easier, but the things you want to avoid on your list. Perhaps they are bad habits or activities you are looking to eliminate since they get in the way of work you need to do. Well, think about those more attractive activities and write them instead as the enjoyable activity, an activity that leads to more pain because of the procrastination. Perhaps a few examples would help here:
Initial Tasks
Mow the lawn
Do the dishes
Exercise for 30 minutesAdd to the List New Tasks
Neglect the lawn so it takes an extra hour to mow next week and looks terrible for visitors
See what’s on TV and waste the night being lazy so I’ll regret it tomorrow wishing otherwise
Now, if you look just at the initial list, the tasks all seem quite average but you don’t want to do any of them. There is no clear winner or best choice and none of them might make you feel like getting started, so you procrastinate. However, if you combine these lists and are looking at the tasks, the new items look significantly more varied and that works well for a procrastinator since the priorities don’t help them. So, now there is a task to make yourself feel bad the next day and is exactly what you might have done if it wasn’t on the list, but since there are much easier choices there with little impact, any good procrastinator will pick the easier ones to do so they can now simply get to do those dishes or perhaps go for a jog.
Mowing the lawn as a task will contrast strongly with leaving it for a week and then having to deal with those consequences that are much worse. This may or may not help depending on how a person feels about leaving it, but the contrast, and difference between tasks on a list help a procrastinator since they tend to pick the easier tasks and not the most important or prioritized tasks. Putting more of your common time wasters but written with an intense impact that makes it seem painful, will ensure a procrastinator will avoid it, as that is what they do best so why not take advantage of that yourself.
Putting these tasks that are far worse, make the initial tasks seems quite a lot easier so you end up using your skills to procrastinate the waste.
Motivated by Procrastination
So the self deception that is carried on by procrastinating waste can be taken a bit further. Having many things on your to do list with a few important ones you really don’t want to do, let a good procrastinator to accomplish a great many things in order to avoid those few important ones. The trick is that the top tasks seem most important and are likely the ones most dreaded so they get procrastinated by lower listed items. This can be a useful way as a procrastinator to get a lot of things done and even though you are still procrastinating, it is time well spent!
Keeping Commitments Under Control
Finally, my final tip with using procrastination is to also control your commitments you have on your plate. If you always tackle the biggest task first and seem to always have time to take on more, others can take advantage of that, especially in a workplace, and just keep piling the work on. New tasks are more likely to have higher importance than your simple remaining and undone tasks so the new tasks become expected more naturally. Well, not if you procrastinate more. If you always procrastinate the most difficult tasks, you are also always busy and have important work on the plate so it’s much easier to avoid commitments. This can be useful if you truly want to take on less without having to just say no.
Disclaimer: I only recommend doing these things if you are already a procrastinator and can’t break the habit. There are advantages in that habit you can actually use to your advantage even if they are not ideal ways to handle a task list or work load.
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February 21st, 2009 at 1:17 PM
Hi Mike,
I do have moments, and maybe even more, things that I procrastinate. This is an interesting look at the topic of procrastination – and how to get beyond it. I do like your first idea of adding tasks that sound even worse – maybe that would motivate me to do the ones I’d been putting off. Hmmm…. I’m giving this some thought today Mike…
February 21st, 2009 at 3:59 PM
I have already mastered this, i just don’t know how i did it. Maybe i was born with the skill… my biggest problem now is how do i unmaster myself, sigh!
February 21st, 2009 at 7:37 PM
Oh Boy! Have you made a fantastic point here!
My guy is Major Procrastinator.This is one of the things I have tried to persuade him to work on but for one thing he has the worst perception of time.
He never wants to leave his work to go to appointment’s.Heaven forbid the motor vehicle office.
He always structures his time inappropriately.The things he works on are the fun creative ones.Leaving quotes that don’t take so long til afterward when he is tired and it is at the last minute.I won’t even start to mention the days he codes.
I on the other hand like to get it done and out of the way.Even if I don’t enjoy it has to be done.The sooner the better.That is just how I am.
Putting things off often takes you longer and makes you stress –
February 21st, 2009 at 8:08 PM
Great points! Thank you!
Coincidentally, what lead me here was part of my procratination process! Instead of doing homework, I am here leaving you a comment but it is well worth my time spent! :~)
BTW, it is nice to meet you! :~)
February 21st, 2009 at 8:11 PM
I’ve learned to not put so much on my plate so I can actually get a few things accomplished. If I don’t limit my list I tend to get a bit overwhelmed. Great post! Man, I really need to update my About Page 🙂
February 21st, 2009 at 8:52 PM
In many ways, I’m pro-procrastination. Often I find that if I put of a task and wait until it absolutely most be accomplished, I am much more efficient because of the hard deadline. Without it, I might take an extra 50% or more time and effort to accomplish the same task.
In other words, procrastinating sometimes makes me more efficient when I do start working. Just an idea. It doesn’t always work… especially if you’re not good under pressure or if there’s no wiggle room in the level of perfection required to complete the task. For example, I wouldn’t suggest this approach for skydiving training.
Marshall Jones Jr.
February 21st, 2009 at 10:29 PM
@Elyong — that is so funny =) (to unmaster maybe you can procastinate to procastinate?)
February 22nd, 2009 at 8:50 AM
@Lance – just be careful not to become a procrastinator if you do this heh? 🙂
@Elyong – I’m not sure if you mean you’ve mastered procrastination or using procrastination productivity? Hopefully the latter! Thanks for stopping by to comment!
@Bunny – Perhaps Thumper needs you to give him some more difficult tasks that you “know” he won’t do in order to get those easier ones done then… Come to think of it, maybe I learned this trick by my wife tricking me? OK, I don’t think I should recommend that unless he knows about it.
@Henie – Classic and welcome! I guess your procrastination was good for people to hear that comment and have you stop by. Very funny!
@HIB – I think a lot of us suffer that same problem. So many things on it, where to start right? Perhaps leaving only super hard ones on there you know your not ever gonna do would help with just the task to update that about page… Your sure to procrastinate the hard ones then and get the about page done, right?
@Marshall – Very funny! 🙂 Yes, anything death defying is probably not wise to procrastinate till the last chance. Your point though is one that does work for a lot of people, if you can work well under pressure.
@Prod. Pinoy – YES! I guess if you are a good procrastinator, you will automatically accomplish that then!
February 22nd, 2009 at 11:20 AM
I often procrastinate and, while there are some things that I’d prefer to get done straight away, there are others that mature like a good wine with age. I’ve learned that when I put some things off it means they were just not ready at the time. Or even that they were just not meant to be done at all. Of course, I don’t make a good judgement call … and end up with a complete mess on my hands. But that’s quite rare.
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:40 PM
Sometimes we need to trick ourselves to make sure we put ourselves in the right mindset. I like the second list because it shows the person what really matters to them.
There are always reasons to do one thing over another. I have a lot to do today, but my parents wanted to talk on Skype. I know that once we get on it’s an hour ordeal. I was hesitant at first, but I thought about what was really important and my parents are more important than writing my next blog post.
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:35 PM
@Ian – Thanks for your thoughts and experience here as well. Definitely some can take advantage of putting things off, just like how some have to take advantage of procrastination and trick themselves, whatever works, use it!
@Karl – That is for sure! Those extra items can often feel like they are not as important at first glance, but if you really think about it, often are not, just like you’re example.
February 22nd, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Holy crap! I am still procrastinating…Academy Awards a good excuse! :~)
February 22nd, 2009 at 11:06 PM
That’s awesome. Great post.
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