Hint: It depends on why you’re doing it.
What if procrastination isn’t just some gremlin that possesses us for hours on end, only to depart when it’s gobbled up precious time? What if procrastination, in moderation, can be good?
Given our productivity obsession, anything that diminishes productive time should be axed, right? I certainly thought so; Interrupting Interruption and the Art of Refusal is one of my favourite chapters from The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss.
It was only when I started writing my debut novel that I realised how non-linear the creative process was. In school, I never had problems churning out assignments or preparing for exams; I could always visualise the time I had and alter plans to finish on time.
Writing a novel was a very different story. I nearly gave up because of plot problems several times and yet, as long as I continued to ruminate, I also continued to make progress (in fits and starts). I wasn’t meeting any of the deadlines I’d set for myself but, surprisingly, the novel was getting better.
Unbeknownst to me, I was benefiting by procrastinating on finishing my novel. My ideas were getting more creative and my story was evolving.
Productivity versus creativity
In his book, Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, Adam Grant recounts the story of how his former student, Jihae Shin, helped him recognise the value of procrastination for creativity.
Jihae Shin, professor at the University of Wisconsin, conducted experiments where she tasked people to come up with business ideas. Participants were randomly allowed to work on the task right away or after playing a game for five minutes. Surprisingly, independent raters considered the procrastinators’ ideas to be 28% more creative.
The games weren’t the cause of the creativity boost, however. Playing games before being told of the task, didn’t boost creativity. It was only when participants were told of the task then made to put it off, that they engaged in divergent thinking, having had the time to move on from their initial, more conventional ideas.
According to Grant, procrastination allows our minds to wander, improving our chances of stumbling on to more unusual or novel ideas.
Procrastination is a productivity curse but a creativity blessing.
“You call it procrastinating. I call it thinking.”
— Aaron Sorkin
Procrastination may not be the devil, we’ve been lead to believe, after all.
Procrastination and writer’s block
I decided to put this theory to the test with my writing… Continue reading on Medium.
Into the Unknown 