Why you need to procrastinate more

It's time procrastination got a rebrand.

For too long it's been seen as something bad, something to be avoided. But no one talks about its positive qualities.

We’ve been conditioned into being constantly busy. Or being seen as busy. After all, nobody wants to be considered lazy.

But our survival as a human race is due to our ability to procrastinate. Our ancestors learned to conserve their energy as they never knew where their next meal would come from. They delayed springing into action as much as possible.

So much so that humans literally evolved to have ‘lazy bones’.

But in this productivity-obsessed world, people often view procrastination as an empty practice: the lights are on but no-one’s home. In reality, procrastination - delaying action - can be an opportunity for a whole lot of thinking, pondering and contemplation that often gets missed:

• Which is the best strategy to follow?

• What are the possible pros and cons of each one?

• What resources are needed? 

• What are we taking for granted?

• What don’t we know?

There’s much to be said for doing the ‘heavy thinking’ beforehand rather rushing into action.

In the 21st century, we’ve become addicted to busy-ness and productivity. An industry of planners, alerts and morning routines has emerged to coax into believing we can squeeze 27 hours into a 24-hour day.

Yet despite modern technology, we have less free time than ever before. Our quality of life suffers as a result.

Procrastination could be the solution. 

For many it already is. Look how it adds quality to a project:

• Spending time assessing different strategies means being able to tweak your approach should the commercial environment changes.  

• Perusing the different products available leads to an awareness of available alternatives should you need to change suppliers

• Challenging yourself to identify assumptions can help you identify potential pitfalls down the road.

And all achieved when the brain is calm and open-minded, rather than clouded with panic. 

But it also depends on your personality and how your relate to time. Some people like to be organised, develop a list and get on with the job straight away. Others will instinctively consider their options (after an initial flurry of activity) and only commit to action once the deadline is looming over the horizon.

Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages. Knowing which style you favour helps you to recognise blindspots and how to overcome them:

• If you prefer an organised approach, you’ll enjoy setting out a plan of action, ticking steps off as you go. You may come unstuck if something major happens and you suddenly need to change tack overnight.

• If you’re more spontaneous, you know that you’ll always get the job done, even if it means burning the midnight oil towards the end. This is fine if you’re working solo. In a team setting, you need to proactively communicate to maintain morale and momentum.

In an ideal world, you’d have both types on a team. One to push to get the job done, and the other to constantly contribute original alternatives to improve it.

Living in a constant frenzy is unsustainable. Understanding your personality type and how you prefer to approach life helps you identify your blindspots and work more effectively.

If you’re interested in finding out more about your strengths and blindspots, consider booking yourself onto Insider Intel, our 1:1 personality diagnostic. research shows that people with increased self-awareness live more fulfilling lives and earn more than their peers. Until 7 December, you can get $200 off with the code BFINTEL200.