Procrastination.  This is a good topic for this time of year, when we have lists of 100 things to do and we put off most of it!

PRO-crastinateDo a search on that word and here’s what you’ll get:

  • a couple of definitions
  • several websites devoted to the psychology of why we procrastinate
  • about 30 more websites by business coaches and productivity experts with tips on how to stop this awful time-waster

The general consensus is that procrastination is a very bad thing and we should do all that we can to conquer this self-destructive habit.

But how can I get rid of procrastination when it’s such a HIGH REWARD activity?

The best example of this major reinforcement is from English class in high school.  The term paper that I finished 5 days early got a B+ on the first draft and had to be revised and turned in again.  The term paper that I wrote in an all-nighter, starting the day before it was due, received an A on the first draft and I got to relax for a week while all the other kids did their revisions and final papers. (By the way, I had been doing the research all along, it was just writing the actual paper that I did at the last minute.)

For me, procrastination is like squeezing icing through one of those decorator tubes.  If you didn’t have something exerting pressure at the very tip, you wouldn’t get those fancy textures in the icing.  The pressure of the deadline squeezes out all the superfluous thoughts and distractions and allows hyper-focus with the very best ideas pushed forward.

mantra of a procrastinatorIt turns out a couple of experts are on my side!  The actor John Cleese of Monty Python fame gave a business talk at a convention I attended.  His most salient message was “Don’t make any decisions until you HAVE TO.”  He probably was not advocating for 11th hour, panic-time decision making, but he did have a good point about waiting as long as is reasonable in case more information presents itself.

Then there is this article by Adam Grant of the New  York Times, where he demonstrates (scientifically) the link between procrastination and increased creativity.  What’s so important–it’s not just a link, it’s a CAUSE and EFFECT!

Yes, procrastination CAUSES more creativity!

A lot of people think it’s the other way around– that creative people tend to be procrastinators.  After reading the research in NYT article, I’m convinced that procrastinators BECOME more creative people.  So embrace your bad habit!  It’s an asset!

What do you think about this?