The Art of Purposeful Procrastination

I see procrastination and research as part of my artistic process.

Lynn Nottage

I’m just going to throw it out there. As shocking as it may seem, procrastination can be a good thing. What?! Yep! Contrary to societal constructs, procrastination can help you work more effectively and with efficiency.

What is that in the first place?

To procrastinate is the act of delaying or postponing something. It relies primarily on self-control to get things done in a timely manner. And, can be broken down into three types.

Active procrastination: Making a conscious decision to not do something. It’s the “Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow, or the next day, or the next” concept. Instead of doing what we know we should be doing we deliberately push it aside to do something more enjoyable or nothing at all. About 95% of us have done this at some point.

Inactive procrastination: Making an involuntary or subconscious decision to not do something. This happens when anxiety and fear take over and for whatever reason we simply can’t do it right now. This type of procrastination can be chronic and affects about 20% of people. Sometimes it requires professional help to overcome.

Both of these are what gives procrastinating a bad reputation. They come from a place of anxiety, fear, lack of motivation or frustration. Because they can be rooted in emotional well-being, they are beyond the scope of our conversation.

If you would like to learn more about the different types of procrastinators check out It’s About Time! The Six Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them. By Linda Sapadin and Jack Maguire.

Today we will concentrate on a concept called Purposeful Procrastination. We’ll go over what it is. The potential benefits. And, along the way how it makes that decision to procrastinate a good thing.

What is Purposeful Procrastination?

Purposeful procrastination is making the conscious choice to put off or delay a task and work on other things. When we do this, it’s beneficial and productive time spent. We’re doing other things from our to do list instead of the one thing we aren’t quite ready to tackle.

What Are The Benefits of Purposeful Procrastination?

I’ve stated that it can help you work more effectively and help efficiency. Here is how.

1. Get more things done: People who practice Purposeful Procrastination find that their to do list becomes a “Tah Done” list. Spending time concentrating on getting those smaller things done leaves you with “the one thing”. That task, project or decision you chose to put off because there is nothing else to focus on.
2. Helps you prioritize important things. Using Purposeful Procrastination, you find yourself re-evaluating and re-prioritizing. It gives you the chance to review everything you need to do and see if they’re still important or even relevant. This may help you work more efficiently.
3. Increased creativity. It’s only natural to want to put off big projects because they can be overwhelming. Even when we’re doing other things, Purposeful Procrastination allows us to subconsciously come up with ideas. We’re processing and preparing to do “the one thing”, even if we aren’t actively doing it. So, that when we finally get to it, we’ve got more ideas how to get it done.
4. Improved decision making. You may Purposefully Procrastinate before making a decision when you aren’t sure what’s right. Giving yourself purposeful time to reflect allows you to think and gather information before you act. When the time comes, your research is done and you know exactly what is right for you.

How Do I Start Using Purposeful Procrastination?

To start using Purposeful Procrastination you need to get clear on the reason(s) you are putting off doing something. There are four questions to ask yourself before you put Purposeful Procrastination into practice. When you find yourself putting something off you need to ask yourself:

• Why am I really procrastinating? Be honest with yourself.
• How would Purposeful Procrastination help me reach my goals?
• What are the consequences if I do procrastinate?
• When will I get going on this? Sorry folks. You can’t just put it off forever. You need to set a definite time when you stop procrastinating and get started.

Download the quick reference Purposeful Procrastination. This reference will guide you through the process for purposefully planning to procrastinate.

Understanding why you are procrastinating and making a purposeful plan to do it, can help you with reaching your goals.

Leave a comment with any questions. Also, if you want to share, I’d love to hear how Purposeful Procrastination positively impacts you. Wishing you much happiness in your unique journey.

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