Procrastination: Is yours Productive or Unproductive?
Brought to you by Joan Dower Kosmachuk,
Professional Organizer and Personal Life Coach

“It's when you're putting off doing that thing you're supposed to be doing that you can get the most stuff done.”
—Source Unknown

We all procrastinate at one time or another but most of us don’t like to admit it. Instead, we make up elaborate excuses for why one of our “to do’s” never gets “to done”. This feels better than admitting we are too lazy or too overwhelmed or simply don’t know where to begin so we put off starting at all.

Procrastination used to get a bad rap but it seems the tide has turned. Now, time-task management guru’s like David Allen say that procrastination can be your friend and new terms have sprung up like “productive procrastination” which is making even those who never procrastinated before wonder if they shouldn’t be.

What is “productive procrastination”? Well, as it turns out, this newsletter is a classic example. I sat down last week to work on a book I’m writing. I didn’t really feel like writing it (I wasn’t sure where I wanted to begin) so instead I looked at my list of writing projects and wrote a blog entry, a few articles, and now this newsletter. I even got the laundry caught up, my books balanced, and a backlog of emails answered. Yes, I’m procrastinating on starting my book, but look at how productive I’ve been in whittling down the smaller projects on my to do list. And, with the smaller projects completed my mind and space are clear for working on the bigger writing project. Productive procrastination any way you look at it.

So, if you’ve ever chosen to weed the garden instead of cleaning out the garage, or scrubbed the tub instead of repainting the bathroom, you’ve practiced “productive procrastination”. Most times it is unintentional but if you keep a good list of chores that that you can choose from on days when you don’t feel like doing the project you planned, you’ll be able to practice productive procrastination at both home and work with intent.

However, for every pro there is a con and if there’s a “productive” procrastination it stands to reason that there’s an “unproductive” procrastination.

Unproductive procrastination occurs when you procrastinate on the small things. You know those thoughts of procrastination that run through your mind, as you are about to set something down where it doesn’t belong? “I’ll put that away later”, “I’ll wash those dishes in the morning,” “I’ll pay that bill next week”, “I’ll sweep that up later” and so on.

Small chores left undone multiply and a series of small tasks create a lot more havoc when they’ve been put off. Whether it’s a cluttered room that needs tidying before you can clean, or a sink full of dishes with dried food, or late fees on unpaid bills, or front door dirt tracked all through the house, a small chore put off “now” becomes a much bigger chore “later”. These small acts of procrastination also set a tone and attitude for others in the household until everyone’s small acts of procrastination create one overwhelming mess.

So, by all means practice productive procrastination. It may just be that while you are cleaning out the garage you finally figure out why you’ve put off signing up for that next night school course.

But next time you catch yourself thinking “I’ll put that away later”, remember it’s a lot easier to put it away now. Unproductive procrastination is never productive.

If you struggle with unproductive procrastination, it may be time to call in a professional organizer or personal life coach. To hire the services of Joan Kosmachuk, please call 617-784-0707 or email your request to info@simpleeffects.com

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