I’ve been really busy for the last, I don’t know, seven or so years, and I’ve been trying to pin down why. I’ve identified a few different factors that lead to my constant scrambling, which, in no particular order, are…
- Wasting time on social media/texting/phone checking when I should be getting shit done
- Taking on too many projects
- Keeping my schedule intentionally full so I can harness the extra energy that comes from being productive
Number 1 is clearly terrible and I’m actively trying to eradicate any lingering control that social media and my phone have over my time, while Number 2 is a mixed blessing, since more projects = more opportunities. Number 3, though, can be pretty beneficial, since I feel better and more productive when I’m busy instead of bored.
This leads me to today’s topic, which involves a different kind of procrastination: The kind where you use your time productively, but spend it on the wrong things.
Procrastination is a Multi-Headed Hydra
When people talk about procrastination it’s often code for spending too much time on Youtube or scrolling through Instagram. Other times it involves too many video games, too much Wikipedia, or mindlessly staring into space—activities that, though they may be fun, pretty much exist on the exact opposite end of the productivity spectrum.
Other times we procrastinate by doing things that are fun and rewarding, but aren’t exactly work—things like reading books, cooking amazing meals, spending time on hobbies, or socializing. While we often do these things because we’re avoiding some bigger task or project, the time doesn’t feel wasted, since we got something good out of it in the end.
Then there’s the procrastination I’ve been noticing in my work routine, which pretty much goes like this:
- I have a big, often intimidating project to work on.
- I have a lot of little things I also want to get done.
- Instead of setting aside time for the bigger project, I work on the little things instead.
This has been such an easy trap to fall into that I’m pretty sure it’s been affecting me for LITERALLY YEARS.
Big tasks usually include stuff like novel writing, large editing projects, and anything involving research or applying for things. The small stuff is everything else: Japanese study, editing gigs, picking up groceries, pumping up the tires on my bike, posts for this blog, and washing dishes—stuff that I can do quickly, easily, and without a lot of hassle.
Because I’m doing a lot of things I still feel productive and accomplished at the end of the day. The problem, though, is that I catch myself doing these little things because I’m not sure how to approach the bigger ones, making it that much easier to put them off until later.
That magic phrase, put them off until later is how you know you’re actually procrastinating. It doesn’t matter what you’re spending your time on, so long as you’re not working on the project you really want to be working on.
And productive procrastination is an elusive enemy indeed.
What Have You Been Doing About This????
Since I’m in a list mood today, here’s three tactics I’ve been using to combat too much productive procrastination…
1. Schedule Set Time for the Big Projects
One really helpful thing I do is to schedule time for bigger projects in advance. For example, I might decide on Monday that I want to spend Tuesday afternoon working on the novel and start mentally preparing. If I know that I’ve set aside this set amount of time to work on the novel, that time becomes special, almost sacred time, so I’m less likely to waste it on smaller tasks like going to the post office or cleaning my shower drain.
2. Keep the Little Things Under Control
Another really helpful tactic has been keeping my To-Do list as short as I can. Having fewer little things to do means I’m less likely to get distracted by them and gives me fewer excuses, so I’m more likely to set aside those bigger chunks of time. Of course, the downside is that I often have to spend a LOT of time getting those little things done if I want to keep a short To-Do list, thus placing me back in the productive procrastination cycle.
3. Gauge How I’m Feeling
By far the biggest thing that’s helped, though, is considering my mindset on any given day. Is this a day where I’m prepared both mentally and physically to take on a bigger project? Do I have a million other things I have to take care of? Or do I even have a large enough chunk of time to delve into something substantial?
The answers to these questions change daily, so I find it helps a lot to track how on top I am of things (again, my new whiteboard system has helped with this immensely). When my life feels clear, I can tackle the big stuff—and when it’s not, I stick with the little stuff.
Final Thoughts
Productive procrastination is a lot better than, say, the kind where you spend six hours watching speedruns of Sega Genesis games on Youtube, so it’s worth harnessing to your advantage when you don’t feel like taking on something bigger. That’s good.
But, you also have to be careful of falling into the trap of doing too much productive procrastination so that the big projects get left undone forever and you’re stuck taking care of little things for all eternity. That’s bad.
This week I’ve been thinking more about how to harness productive procrastination to my advantage while also keeping my bigger priorities clear. It’s a hard battle for sure, but as always, being aware is a great big enormous step in the right direction.