Productive Procrastination
For the creativity of tomorrow
You might have noticed that I missed last week's letter. From Monday–Thursday of last week, I was knee-deep in boxes. We packed up our apartment for the trip south, to California. It consumed my entire week and I did not have the focus or mental energy to write.
As a writer, not having the time or energy to write, at least weekly, makes me feel lost. For me, writing is thinking and a bit of therapy. So this week, I write this letter from the couch of an Airbnb.
Writing and the general act of creation is not necessary for everyone, like it is for me, but it is part of our lives. We need to make things all the time that require the focus and energy that we might not have. This is when we tend to procrastinate. When we use the term procrastinate, we tend to think of it in a negative light. While procrastination for the sake of it can be negative, procrastination can be used as a tool to get things done and as an indication of when something is not the right fit.
Higher Quality Output
Last week, I didn't have the time to put my all into writing. While this might not look like procrastination, it was. I could have grabbed something out of the backlog and just written something. I used the indication of time and energy to weigh out the effectiveness of writing a letter for the sake of writing. I couldn't see writing anything worthy, so I didn't.
This is a key factor of leveraging procrastination. By waiting until the moment is right, you will increase the likelihood that the outcome is of higher quality. This doesn't mean to wait until the night before the thing is due to make it, though some people do work better under a tight timeline. Simply, waiting until the conditions best suit what you need to make your best work.
Introspection
If you are procrastinating, is it because you don't have the time or energy? Are you underinformed? Or is it something larger?
You might be procrastinating due to lack of interest. This is ok, even if not ideal. Procrastination can be leveraged as a barometer of sorts, to gauge interest. If you are perpetually pushing things off in school or work, you might be pursuing the wrong degree or in the wrong field.
Most people procrastinate about something daily, yet never ask why. If something truly fires you up, and you have all the knowledge and energy, you will not procrastinate. If you are, look internally to understand the cause. Journaling is a simple way to notate and track this.
Prioritization
Procrastination can be leveraged, but it can also be fought. If you are interested in the topic, but never find time to get work done, you can simply prioritize around it. There are techniques and methodologies for this. I don't recommend any of them, as they are too rigid and generalized.
I recommend using introspection to create a schedule and environment to foster creation. Journal regularly. No prescribed times, lengths, or prompts. Simply write about how you feel when you feel stuck. Review these entries occasionally to leverage them.
When you understand why you are procrastinating, you can build a schedule and environment that works for you. You might find out that you are a morning person or a post-workout person. The insights will allow you to prioritize your creative and physical energy for when you plan to leverage it.
While I am writing this letter from an uncomfortable couch, in an attic Airbnb, these are the conditions I need right now. I procrastinated last week, so I could decompress over the last three days. I watched TV, ate nourishing food, and finished the brunt of the move. With these things in my past—I can turn on noise cancelation on my AirPods, grab my MacBook, and write something worth writing. Procrastinating today can be worth the creativity of tomorrow.