Can procrastination be good?

That last-minute panic as a motivator? Maybe…maybe not!

Most of us decry it, deny it, or defy it, but still continue to see procrastination as the bane of our lives.

But did you know..?

Researchers now suggest that wasting a bit of time here and there can actually be good for us! When it’s used correctly, they say it helps us think creatively (like Calvin?) and make informed decisions.

After all, historically speaking, it wasn’t until the Puritans came along hatching such catchy ditties as “a stitch in time saves nine,” that procrastination was vilified.

So…here’s three ideas we can try to make procrastination our friend:

• Be an active procrastinator. When faced with an impending deadline, do we find ourselves running inessential errands? Stanford professor John Perry in his book “The Art of Procrastination” tells us that if we had done the dreaded task first, we might have called it a day and not accomplished anything else. So it may see like we’re being idle, but by knocking out some of those extra to-dos, we might well be building momentum toward our ultimate goal.
• Trim the fat. Tight time frames can force us to be pretty ruthless, so waiting until the 11th hour (like Calvin?) might sometimes help because then there’s only time to tackle the most pressing elements, letting inessential details and busywork fall by the wayside. (though this might be tricky!)
• Change a bad habit. Author Zdavko Cvijetic tells us in his book “The Ultimate Productivity Cheat Sheet” that we should postpone that negative behavior until tomorrow. For example: if we are cutting back sweets and want ice cream or chocolate chip cookies, we can tell ourselves I can have it tomorrow. If we do that for a few days, we may find it easier to make progress on our food goals.

So, have you ever used any of these ideas to make procrastination work for you? Do you have any other ideas you can suggest?