Why do your important work when you can just do it tomorrow? Often, procrastinators get a bad reputation due to their pre-perceived laziness and unmotivated behavior, but that’s just not the truth. So, to the procrastinators who find themselves submerged in deadline-induced stress: you may be surprised to see that procrastination is ultimately the key to your own success.
Procrastinating leaves time for our brains to make more intelligent, informed, and creative decisions. Creativity is a key aspect of life. When thinking creatively, we’re able to undeniably concur with difficult tasks and bring us more ideas that lead to a more developed and provocative final product. When you’re in a rush, the brain works faster, lessening distractions and focusing on whatever you need to do. According to neuroscientist, Tali Sharot, when we’re put under pressure, our brains suddenly process information much faster. When we’re tackling the rush of deadlines, there is an imminent tension build-up, and as soon as the clock starts ticking, the adrenaline kicks in. When under this pressure, we can work more efficiently and effectively, creating impressive results when we endure pressure.
Immediate action is often driven by perfectionism, however, this can lead to both burnout and overthinking. Procrastination assists with emerging deadlines and forces us to simply complete the task rather than hyper-fixating on every little detail. This results in work that is both completed on time, more creative, and less restrained by over-analysis.
Procrastination makes us prioritize what actually is important. When deadlines begin to inch closer, we naturally focus on that deadline because it needs our attention. This shows us what matters the absolute most. This type of selective procrastination can make us more efficient and can also be more impactful in the long run by making us more creative and focused individuals. Of course, not all procrastination is good for all of us. For some people, the increased stress and anxiety of deadlines lead to the heightened daunting of tasks, creating a dangerous cycle of work, which can lead to guilt. Rushing to complete your last-minute tasks can also result in lower-quality work that may have just been submitted to get it over with. Work that could’ve been extraordinary and innovative, can become mediocre at best. Whether you love procrastination or hate it, we all do it. Procrastination holds both risks and rewards. Chronic procrastination can definitely lead to missed opportunities and intense stress. On the other hand, when approached with caution and mindfulness, procrastination grants creativity and prioritization. The key to procrastination is balance. You want to find the sweet spot between too much and not enough procrastination. If you can successfully decipher between productive and destructive, procrastination will be rewarding, and provide many benefits.
