STRUCTURED PROCRASTINATION

 

We often hear that procrastinating is synonymous with being lazy.

But what if we can manipulate our procrastination to actually help us work better?

Dr. John Perry, philosophy professor at Stanford University and self-proclaimed procrastinator, observed that we still do many things when we procrastinate. Procrastination is just our way of not doing something more important that we actually need to do. It means we’re still productive even when we procrastinate.

From the realization, he proposed a unique idea called “structured procrastination”, which is basically the way we distract our mind to procrastinate on one thing by working on another.

So, how to practically execute structured procrastination?

First, we identify the things we need to do and make sure all of them are doable.

Next, put them into two groups:

Group 1 for things that actually have a clear deadline and really important, and

Group 2 for those which are daunting, vaguely SEEM to have a clear deadline and important (but actually don’t). Third, make a to-do list.

The most important part: put the things from Group 2 at the top of your list!

Then, put things from Group 1 at the third, fourth, and so on your list.

In my case, it would look like this:

1. Go to the car wash

2. Grocery shopping

3. Read content research materials

4. Drafting my next-week content

This sort of task structure can help us tackle the specific, doable tasks that populate the middle of the list. As we cross some tasks off the lists, the ones at the top of the list will also get done eventually. When? Well, when we do it as a way to procrastinate on new things we add to the list, of course :p

Yes, this idea indeed requires an amount of self-deception. But isn’t that what we procrastinators always do anyway? We already are making ourselves believe and commit to certain tasks with inflated importance and unreal deadlines regularly. So, why not use this “character flaw” to offset the bad effects of another?

So, are you interested in trying this idea?

Or do you have your own way to be productive in spite of your procrastination?

Kindly share your thoughts in the comment section!