Everyone has a habit of procrastinating, whether in life or business, or both. While some fear procrastination and avoid it like the plague, others thrive in the midst of it and crave the adrenaline rush that it brings. The individuals that embrace the thrill are students of, what is referred to as, active procrastination.
When you put off a task for some time and then you are suddenly faced with pressure to complete it in a condensed amount of time, you are actively procrastinating. As surprising as it may seem, adopting the art of active procrastination can actually lead to greater achievement; you are more likely to create valuable content, be more productive, and, overall, be more successful.
Here are some of the benefits that you can expect to arise when you embrace active procrastination:
Greater Clarity
In the face of active procrastination, you are able to achieve more in less time. When you have limited time to complete a task, you tend to focus on that task at a higher level. For example, when working on a project for days on end you are absorbing and processing a great deal of information and data, some of which is relevant and the rest of which is just noise. Rather, when you actively procrastinate and do finally get around to working on the project, your mind is fresh and you are able to complete it with clarity and confidence. You are able to filter through information at a higher level, sorting out only information that is actually applicable.
Increased Creativity
When you are in a time crunch or see a deadline quickly approaching, you will become more resourceful in completing the task. You will begin to think outside of the box for ways to help you be more productive in the limited time you have. Rather than spending time dwelling on challenges that are keeping you from completing a project, you will, more or less, be forced to focus on creating solutions. You will activate your innate creativity which will not only show in the types of solutions you uncover, but also in the quality of the content you produce.
Next time you are assigned a project or task with a defined deadline, don’t knock it out right away. Try putting it off for some time and exercise this idea of active procrastination. You may be surprised to see what you create and what the final product will look like.
