Pro-crastination
Is procrastination something to be avoided or even "cured"?
Nowadays, everyone expects everything to be right away - or better - last week. We juggle endless to-do lists, meetings, commitments, e-mails, and nurturing our social media klout. We just don’t have time to come down with a bout of procrastination.
So, for all of you who occasionally suffer from this problem, here are a few points to consider in your ongoing fight against procrastination:
Putting off an unimportant task isn't necessarily procrastination: it may just be good prioritization!
The more important issue is what and how are you putting off:
- Important tasks or unimportant tasks
- For a day or repeatedly for several days
- Occasionally or habitually
Although procrastination has long been considered to be a self-handicapping and dysfunctional behaviour, a recent study has suggested "that not all procrastination behaviours either are harmful or lead to negative consequences" (Rethinking Procrastination: Positive Effects of "Active" Procrastination Behavior on Attitudes and Performance). The authors suggest that active procrastinators (passive procrastinators come in the typical form we all know and love) are closer to non-procrastinators in their efficiency and performance, only they put things off a little.
Research has also shown that procrastination is not dependent on low self-esteem, low energy, or not being a high-achiever as may have been thought in the past - procrastinators can have confidence and high self-esteem, be energetic, and even over-achievers. (At Last, My Research Article on Procrastination)
The Power of Procrastinating: You're an admitted pro-crastinator and you do not see it as problematic
Forget the bad press. Procrastination does not have to be seen as a negative trait. Things aren't always so black and white; sometimes you need to look at the positive attributes of procrastination:
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Procrastination is derived from the Latin procrastinatus.
pro - forward + crastinus - tomorrow
Society's perception of procrastination may be negative, but it is not negative by definition; it is simply doing something a day later. Perhaps people would see it a more positive light if it were spelled pro-crastination.
- It allows you an escape from the pressures of your day.
- It gives your brain a break - and can foster greater levels of concentration, creativity, innovation and productivity when you do get to it.
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Positive Procrastination
- Procrastinating gives you more time to think. During this time, your subconscious can analyze the alternatives and lead you to a clearer solution.
- When you take your time, you are less prone to making mistakes.
- Waiting until things settle means you don't have to do things twice when situations change. Procrastinators can be on top of the latest events and updates.
- A little bit of procrastination instills a sense of urgency, and the pressure can drive you to keep your mind more focused on getting the job done.
- Despite claims, you just can’t be 100% efficient all of the time - it’s not human or normal!
- It is good for your work-life balance. Don't keep up with the hectic pace of modern life 24/7 - slow down, take a deep breath, avoid burn out.
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow. ~Mark Twain
Procrastination is more complex than just time management. However, there are some things you can do to help you minimize the negative consequences of your procrastinatory behaviour:
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Define your goals clearly
- What is your final objective?
- What are the major steps required to reach it? (high level checklist)
- How long will each step take?
- What have you already done and what do you still have to do?
- What is your motivation?
- Do not underestimate the difficulty of tasks
- Do not underestimate the time required to complete tasks
- Clearly define outcome standards and expectations (quality)
- Identify outside resources required
- Schedule blocks of time to get the work done
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Set deadlines for yourself and create that sense of urgency!
- Ariely and Wertenbroch showed that setting your own deadlines does improve task performance. Unfortunately, people are usually better at adhering to other people's deadlines then at setting their own.
- Prioritise
- Own tasks - do not feel like they were imposed on you
- Delegate what you can to those who can do it as well as or better than you.
I would highly recommend reading Stephen R. Covey's classic, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People to anyone looking to improve their efficiency.
Do you have any coping mechanisms you can recommend for avoiding procrastination?
Thanks for writing this Debra.
I plan to read it tomorrow. Or the day after.
By Geoff Schaadt on 2011/01/21
No problem, Geoff. I am sure that you have already added it to your to-read list. You might find this saying befitting; “The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up.”
By Debra Sunohara on 2011/01/21
Debra’s you are the ultimate time manager. Coming from you this blog rings true!
My take on ‘active procrastination’ is to see it as ‘calculated neglect’.
Nicely done.
By Alcide DeGagn on 2011/01/21
Thanks, Alcide. I’m not convinced that active procrastinators are calculated about their intent. During active procrastination your perception is that you are procrastinating and although aware of it, you must do it. It is only after having completed the task/work that you realize that your active procrastination in fact allowed you to get the job done better! But that’s only how I look at it.
By Debra Sunohara on 2011/01/22
So true. My take is that calculated neglect operates at steps 7 and 8 on your list above: i.e. set deadlines and prioritize. But you’re right, one won’t know if it allowed one to do the job better until after the task has been completed. To me this what makes it ‘active procrastination: it’s a conscious act. procrastination has a negative connotation largely stemming from the fact that most of us also allow our propensity to put things off unconsciously. Which of course may still allow us time to work out more creative solutions as you’ve discuss. At other times, it’s just our way of avoiding dealing with matters that we dislike doing—filing ones tax returns or balancing one bank account!
By Alcide DeGagn on 2011/01/23
I think we will have to agree on having differing opinions regarding what does constitute “active procrastination”. I disagree with it being a conscious thing in the sense that we do not know that what the outcome of the active procrastination act will be when we it is comitted. It is only after the fact that we can look back and recognize the pattern of cause and effect.
By Debra Sunohara on 2011/01/23
Debra, enjoyed your piece, found an article which outlines ten things one should know about procrastination - may add to your argument:
1. Twenty percent of people identify themselves as chronic procrastinators.
2. It’s not trivial, although we don’t take it seriously as a problem.
3. Procrastination is not a problem of time management or of planning.
4. Procrastinators are made not born.
5. Procrastination predicts higher levels of consumption of alcohol among those people who drink.
6. Procrastinators tell lies to themselves.
7. Procrastinators actively look for distractions, particularly ones that don’t take a lot of commitment on their part.
8. There’s more than one flavour of procrastination.
9. There are big costs to procrastination.
10. Procrastinators can change their behaviour?but doing so consumes a lot of psychic energy.
By Allen Black on 2011/01/25
Thank you so much for the list, Allen. I definitely agree that procrastination is a complex problem the causes of which can’t be easily and definitely attributed. I especially like #8; my flavour of procrastination is without a doubt creating a sense of urgency. Like any change that is worthwhile, changing your behaviour takes time, commitment and energy. Working on my pro-crastination is one of my top 5 New Year’s resolutions for 2011. I am working on it but, I went 2 days past my target deadline in writing this Pro-crastination blog!
By Debra Sunohara on 2011/01/25