If channeled well, procrastination can become an asset for your writing career.
For years, I called myself the Queen of Procrastination, a title as damaging as it was useless.
This procrastination habit was the reason I left so many projects undone and why, despite working more hours than anyone I knew, I always felt behind. The constant stress and guilt from delaying important tasks led to burnout and a perpetual feeling of overwhelm.
I asked myself what would happen if I could turn this bad habit into a positive force.
That’s when I discovered productive procrastination.
And can I tell you a secret? I’m doing it right now.
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What is productive procrastination?
Most of us understand procrastination. It’s when we delay or avoid tasks that need to be done, often getting a dopamine hit from more enjoyable or easier activities instead.
These could include bingeing on Netflix, scrolling through social media, playing video games, or researching your next holiday in the English countryside.
Certain types of procrastination masquerade as actual work. For example, re-doing your LinkedIn profile for the seventeenth time, listening to podcasts, tidying your workspace, checking in with your team, or learning new skills.
Still, even if there are benefits to the activity, they’re generally a way for you to avoid important, difficult work that will lead you to your goals.
Productive procrastination, which is also sometimes known as structured procrastination, on the other hand, channels your avoidance into beneficial tasks that boost overall productivity.
By leveraging your natural tendency to procrastinate, you turn it into a strategy that keeps you working on the important tasks and maximizes your time.
Or, as John Perry, an emeritus philosophy professor at Stanford, put it:
“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.”
When productive procrastination is useful
Productive procrastination can be a powerful tool when used correctly. For instance, it can help you overcome creative blocks by allowing you to engage in different creative activities, sparking new ideas and perspectives.
It also reduces stress and anxiety by letting you perform less demanding tasks, giving your mind a break from high-pressure work.
Additionally, completing smaller tasks while you’re procrastinating on bigger ones can boost your overall productivity and contribute to long-term goals.
When productive procrastination is self-sabotage
Productive procrastination can sneak up on you and become a bad thing, however, when it’s used to avoid urgent tasks and create a false sense of accomplishment. Checking off minor tasks can feel productive but leaves important work undone, leading to a busyness trap with constant activity but no meaningful progress, increasing stress, burnout, and a complete lack of work-life balance.
The trap of productive procrastination can be that if it distracts from your main goals, it can prevent significant progress and disrupt your workflow. Chronic procrastinators may find themselves habitually delaying important work.
Mastering the art of productive procrastination is essential for balancing work and life. It can help with time management and to get things done when used correctly, but it’s crucial to ensure it doesn’t become a way to avoid valuable tasks. Focus on using it to complement your main goals rather than as an escape from them.
Master the art of productive procrastination
Mastering the art of productive procrastination can turn your tendency to delay tasks into a powerful tool for achieving progress. Here’s how to make procrastination work for you instead of against you.
1. Have a main project and a side project
The real trick to making procrastination productive is to give yourself limited options.
I do this by assigning myself two projects: One’s the main focus area that I’m working on, say a book or a novel. And the second could be a smaller side project such as an article that, while still important, is easier on the brain.
When I’m procrastinating on one, I move to the other.
However, by keeping my options limited to only two projects, I remain focused and don’t lose out on progress with either of the two.
Another alternative is to have multiple small tasks and projects on your to-do list. When you’re procrastinating on the most important tasks, you’re still getting a lot of things done, smaller tasks that often get put off.
2. Have a daily to-do list
A daily to-do list is essential for staying organized and productive. Start by identifying the most important things. On my list, I include important projects that require a lot of focus alongside tasks that are enjoyable yet necessary, like brainstorming or doing a brain dump for an article. These activities are important but require less focus.
This mix of complicated and simple tasks helps boost productivity because it provides a break option when the urge to procrastinate arises. This strategy is particularly beneficial for individuals with ADHD by offering structured tasks and variety.
Set specific time limits for each task on your list. Once you reach these limits or complete the list, refocus on your priorities. This approach ensures you stay on track and maximize your productivity throughout the day.
3. Practice time blocking
Allow yourself some procrastination time by setting aside specific blocks of time and sticking to them. Don’t go over time; you need to get back to your main task.
For example, I’m supposed to be working on the Wordling weekly newsletter, but I’m procrastinating by writing this article instead. It’s still productive and needs to be done by the end of the week. By doing it now, I’m staying productive rather than wasting time. My important goals are still being met.
4. Divide big projects into smaller tasks
Big projects can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re prone to procrastination. The first, and most obvious, step is to divide it into smaller tasks. But take this one step further by choosing to work on a different aspect or step of the task when you feel the urge to procrastinate.
For example, let’s say you’re reporting a story on green building practices for a national newspaper. That one project itself can be split into several smaller tasks—researching statistics, emailing potential sources to set up interviews, conducting the interviews, outlining the story, writing the lede, etc.
If you’re procrastinating on putting together the outline, could you schedule some interviews instead?
5. Understand how you work with deadlines
If you’re not a natural planner and prioritization skills aren’t your strong suit, don’t worry—you’re in good company.
Personally, if there’s a deadline, I’m likely to procrastinate on it until the last minute. In the past, this meant spending the entire day stressing about it. Now, I tackle other specific tasks on my to-do list, ensuring the day isn’t wasted.
I’ll still get to my deadline eventually, but I haven’t spent the day procrastinating. I’ve been productive instead.
Understanding your natural rhythms—and working with them rather than trying to change who you are—is crucial to success as a creative. This approach helps reduce negative feelings around procrastination as well as negative self-talk.
Be cautious, however. Productive procrastination sneaks up on you and becomes pure and simple procrastination if you’re not paying attention.
But if you know you’re going to procrastinate before a deadline, having other important work to focus on prevents you from wasting your time. And you won’t get to the end of the day feeling shitty about yourself.
6. Maximize your creative peak
Identify your most productive times of the day and reserve them for your most important work project. During these hours, focus solely on your key tasks and avoid procrastination activities. By doing so, you’ll accomplish your critical tasks efficiently, leaving the rest of the day open for other activities.
7. Be clear about your goals
Listen, there’s a lot you can do that feels productive, without actually being productive.
Yes, redesigning your website can offer benefits and may attract a better quality of client, but if you’re spending your workday editing your website while a client waits for an article, you’re wasting your time and adding to your stress.
Only put priority tasks on your to-do list. While redesigning your website might need to be done eventually, it’s not a good example of productive procrastination—it’s just procrastination.
8. Distinguish between procrastination and needing a break
Recognize when you need a genuine break. Taking time off isn’t procrastination—it’s essential for your well-being. In my early years, I was always on and it led to burnout. Don’t make the same mistake. Know when to rest and take a break.
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Natasha Khullar Relph
Founder and Editor, The Wordling
Natasha Khullar Relph is an award-winning journalist and author with bylines in The New York Times, TIME CNN, BBC, ABC News, Ms. Marie Claire, Vogue, and more. She is the founder of The Wordling, a weekly business newsletter for journalists, authors, and content creators. Natasha has mentored over 1,000 writers, helping them break into dream publications and build six-figure careers. She is the author of Shut Up and Write: The No-Nonsense, No B.S. Guide to Getting Words on the Page and several other books.
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