Engaging in productive procrastination, also referred to as structured procrastination, entails focusing on tasks that are beneficial while temporarily postponing more pressing matters. Take, for instance, a student who practices efficient time management by focusing on a school assignment instead of studying for a crucial upcoming exam.
Engaging in productive procrastination can have its advantages in certain situations, although it can also give rise to a range of challenges, particularly when not utilized effectively. In the following article, you will discover more about the concept of productive procrastination and how you can effectively apply it to your own life.
Examples of productive procrastination
An example of effective time management is when someone prioritizes their tasks and focuses on completing important assignments, such as writing a report, while also attending to other necessary tasks, such as answering emails. When faced with this situation, individuals who tend to delay their work may choose to organize their workday in a way that allows them to tackle the primary task they’ve been putting off towards the end of the day. They can accomplish this by first completing all their secondary tasks through a method known as productive procrastination.
Philosopher John Perry has shed light on another form of productive procrastination, which he refers to as “structured procrastination.”
“I have been intending to write this essay for months. Why am I finally doing it? Because I finally found some uncommitted time? Wrong. I have papers to grade, textbook orders to fill out, an NSF proposal to referee, and dissertation drafts to read. I am working on this essay as a way of not doing all of those things.”
Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that individuals who practice productive procrastination have the option to focus on tasks related to the main task they are currently delaying, or they can choose to work on tasks from a completely different area. Take the case of a student who should be writing a school paper. Instead of diving right into it, they might find themselves engaging in productive procrastination. This could involve tackling other academic tasks that are seen as less daunting, like organizing their notes. Alternatively, they might even find themselves doing non-academic tasks, such as washing the dishes.
However, in order for procrastination to be seen as productive, the activity one engages in during that time must be advantageous. Take this scenario: instead of studying for a test, someone decides to do their homework for another class. Surprisingly, this can be seen as a form of productive procrastination since it involves completing a task that was necessary anyway. On the other hand, baking cookies is typically not considered a productive form of procrastination. It lacks usefulness and necessity, making it fall under the category of regular, unproductive procrastination.
The Advantages of Productive Procrastination
Productive procrastination can offer two significant advantages.
First, engaging in focused and purposeful activities can help individuals accomplish more than aimlessly waste time. In situations where unproductive procrastination leads to wasting time on pointless tasks, productive procrastination offers a way to accomplish something useful and make progress, even while procrastinating. For instance, while it would be ideal for a student who tends to procrastinate to focus on their impending project, it is more advantageous for them to utilize their time by working on an assignment for another class instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media.
Additionally, engaging in productive procrastination can serve as a source of motivation for individuals to tackle tasks they might otherwise avoid. For instance, if someone tends to delay working on a task they find uninteresting, they could potentially motivate themselves to finish it by scheduling an even less appealing task. By procrastinating on the more unappealing task and completing the less unappealing one, which they couldn’t focus on before, they may find the motivation to get it done.
According to philosopher John Perry:
“All procrastinators put off things they have to do. Structured procrastination is the art of making this bad trait work for you.
The key idea is that procrastinating does not mean doing absolutely nothing. Procrastinators seldom do absolutely nothing; they do marginally useful things, like gardening or sharpening pencils or making a diagram of how they will reorganize their files when they get around to it. Why does the procrastinator do these things? Because they are a way of not doing something more important. If all the procrastinator had left to do was to sharpen some pencils, no force on earth could get him do it. However, the procrastinator can be motivated to do difficult, timely and important tasks, as long as these tasks are a way of not doing something more important.”
From “Structured Procrastination” (2006)
And as Robert Benchley so cleverly pointed out:
“Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn’t the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.”
From “Chips off the old Benchley” (1949)
Productive procrastination can be a useful method for organizing and prioritizing tasks effectively. There are certain situations where this can be quite advantageous, especially when it assists individuals in managing variations in their focus and productivity throughout the day. For instance, if you prefer working in the evenings and struggle to concentrate in the mornings, you could try practicing productive procrastination. This involves reserving the later part of the day for tackling important and challenging tasks while using the earlier hours to work on less critical tasks.
In general, engaging in productive procrastination can have several advantages. It can enable you to accomplish more than if you were engaging in unproductive procrastination. Additionally, it can serve as a source of motivation to tackle tasks that you might otherwise avoid. However, as demonstrated below, this form of delay is also linked to several potential problems, which may surpass its potential advantages, so it is important to exercise caution when determining whether and how to utilize it.
Dangers of productive procrastination
While engaging in productive procrastination may have its advantages in specific circumstances, it can also give rise to various challenges. In particular:
- Engaging in productive activities while delaying important tasks can contribute to or worsen the issues commonly associated with procrastination, such as increased stress levels. Take, for instance, an individual who is putting off a crucial task. They may experience a sense of anxiety due to this, regardless of the effectiveness of their delay. Likewise, individuals who delay shared work tasks may negatively impact their relationships with colleagues, even if they are procrastinating in a productive manner.
- Engaging in productive procrastination can often result in individuals delaying their most crucial tasks for an extended period of time. Take, for instance, an individual who indulges in productive procrastination. They may find themselves in a situation where they miss a crucial project deadline due to their tendency to procrastinate. In this case, the notion that their procrastination was productive becomes a convenient justification for their continued delay. Similarly, individuals who practice productive procrastination may find themselves too fatigued to work on their initial task if they fail to take a proper break.
- Engaging in productive tasks that are not directly related to the main task at hand can actually lead to increased procrastination. Take the case of someone who puts off doing schoolwork by tidying up their house. They may perceive this as a valid reason to procrastinate even more than they normally would. This phenomenon is linked to self-licensing, where behaving positively in one aspect can lead to negative behavior in another. It is also connected to inaction inertia, where choosing not to take action initially reduces the likelihood of taking action in similar future situations.
- Engaging in productive activities while avoiding important tasks can hinder individuals from addressing their procrastination tendencies. Take the case of individuals who practice productive procrastination. They may find themselves achieving satisfactory results in life, which may diminish their drive to acquire the skills necessary to overcome procrastination, despite the potential long-term benefits. Likewise, this can happen when we deceive ourselves by overestimating the advantages of our productive procrastination and underestimating its drawbacks.
It’s worth mentioning that the concept of “productive procrastination” can be misleading. The term “productive” implies that this behavior is completely beneficial and yields better results compared to not procrastinating at all. On the other hand, although engaging in productive procrastination can be more advantageous than engaging in unproductive procrastination, it is generally less effective than not procrastinating at all. This applies to both productivity and related concerns such as stress, making it somewhat counterproductive.
In general, although engaging in productive procrastination can have its advantages, it is important to be aware of the potential drawbacks. As a result, it is often preferable to avoid procrastination altogether. While productive procrastination can be a valuable technique in certain situations, it is crucial to approach it with caution. It is important to carefully consider when and how to utilize this approach, ensuring that it is employed appropriately and for valid reasons.
Mastering the art of productive procrastination
Before considering engaging in productive procrastination, it is important to carefully evaluate the potential advantages and disadvantages, as well as the associated costs, in your specific circumstances. This can be done by taking into account the following factors:
- What benefits can be obtained from practicing productive procrastination? Take into account the significant impact it can have on your productivity compared to regular procrastination and its potential to motivate you to tackle tasks that you would otherwise avoid.
- What are the potential downsides of practicing productive procrastination? Take into account the potential negative consequences that may arise, such as increased stress levels, prolonged procrastination on crucial tasks, an inclination to procrastinate more frequently, or a tendency to avoid addressing your procrastination habits in the long run.
Typically, it is advisable to engage in productive procrastination only when the advantages outweigh the potential drawbacks and expenses. For instance, if you anticipate procrastinating on a crucial task for an hour anyway, it might be worthwhile to accomplish some smaller tasks during that time. Otherwise, it may be more beneficial for you to prioritize overcoming your procrastination, as this can have long-term advantages.
If you choose to engage in productive procrastination, such as when you’re actively working on overcoming your procrastination, there are a few strategies you can employ to maximize the benefits of this approach:
- Ensure that you focus on tasks that have a significant impact. When faced with the dilemma of choosing tasks during procrastination, it is important to prioritize those that are truly beneficial and avoid those that hold no significance.
- Organize your tasks in a manner that supports the accomplishment of your objectives. As an illustration, you have the option to deliberately plan tasks that create a sense of urgency, even though they may not be truly significant. This way, you can harness the motivation that comes from procrastinating on these tasks to propel yourself to accomplish other important things.
- It is crucial to establish a reliable system to ensure the timely completion of important tasks. For instance, if it’s important to complete a task by a specific deadline, you can seek assistance from someone who can help keep you on track and remind you of the approaching deadline.
- Reduce the adverse consequences of your tendency to delay tasks. For instance, if you notice that your tendency to delay important tasks is causing you stress and anxiety, there are techniques you can employ to combat this. One effective approach is to enhance your mindfulness and focus.
- Understand that there are times when it’s important to take a step back. For instance, if you find yourself engaging in productive procrastination due to exhaustion from your main task, it might be more beneficial to take a break and get some rest instead of pushing yourself to be productive when it’s unlikely to happen.
However, as mentioned earlier, you will likely see greater benefits by focusing on reducing or eliminating your tendency to procrastinate. In order to address this, it is important to first understand the underlying reasons for procrastination. Once you have identified these factors, you can then select the most suitable strategies to combat procrastination in your specific circumstances.
Additional information
Being productive versus engaging in structured procrastination
The ideas of efficient and organized time management are frequently used synonymously, primarily to describe the practice of engaging in productive activities while postponing more pressing tasks. However, depending on the definition of structured procrastination, it is possible to distinguish it from productive procrastination in two ways.
Firstly, if structured procrastination is seen as a behavior that individuals purposefully participate in and entails completing advantageous tasks, then it can be seen as a form of productive procrastination (whether intentional or unintentional). According to this definition, structured procrastination can be seen as a form of productivity, although not all forms of productive procrastination are structured.
Furthermore, if structured procrastination is seen as a deliberate behavior that individuals engage in without necessarily accomplishing anything beneficial, it can be distinguished from productive procrastination, although the two are not mutually exclusive. According to this definition, structured procrastination can have both productive and unproductive outcomes, while productive procrastination can be either structured or unstructured.
Comparing productive and active procrastination
Productive procrastination is often linked to the concept of active procrastination, where individuals intentionally delay making decisions or taking action, using the impending deadline as a source of motivation to complete tasks.
There is a distinction between the two types of procrastination. Active procrastination involves intentionally delaying tasks to take advantage of the rush of working on them just before the deadline. On the other hand, productive procrastination involves engaging in beneficial activities while putting off more crucial tasks.
However, although the two types of procrastination have their differences, they can coexist as individuals may participate in both simultaneously. Take, for instance, when someone intentionally delays tackling a crucial task until the last minute in hopes of finding motivation (known as active procrastination). However, during this delay, they may also engage in other useful tasks (known as productive procrastination).
It’s worth mentioning that the idea of active procrastination has faced significant criticism. When it comes to productive procrastination, it’s crucial to fully comprehend and evaluate the situation before determining whether to embrace it. In most instances, you’ll find greater advantages in tackling your procrastination head-on.
