The Power of Procrastination – Amadi Gray
The small cursor flashes accusingly out at me from the screen of my laptop as I sit sipping my drink. I glance over, notice, consider whether beginning now will be at all beneficial for my wellbeing. My hand closes over the screen of my laptop, and I push it shut, banishing the harsh white light of the blank document – “Later”, I say. “I’ll just do it later”.
Now, with fewer than 15 minutes before I must publish this article to your eyes I have finally sat down to type. Ironic, no? That the author an article bemoaning the horrors of approaching deadlines and of drifting thoughts should suffer so terribly with the very same affliction? It certainly would be, had this article been a cardboard cutout motivational essay about eating your greens and taking opportunities; certainly, well-intentioned messages to be sure, but as also futile as could be. No, instead, today I propose that allowing yourself to be slightly more scatterbrained could be the key to the greatest success in your own life. Trust me, I’m an expert…
The most efficient way to become efficient is to stop being…
Disorganised? No, in fact, I’d argue that if you’re interested in chiselling yourself into a machine that can hound through work in no time then the best way to do that is to rob yourself of the opportunity to waste time. The best way to do that is of course – to waste time. Confusing? Put it this way; procrastination creates pressure, and pressure breeds efficiency by necessity. The most organised people never experience this, they live in what could readily be described as a fantasy land; the intense focus on organisation progresses their lives with a predictability that renders them hapless to deal with situations that require snap decision-making skills. Procrastinators will never have this problem. Procrastinators become familiar with pressure – they make it their friend. They learn to expect it’s presence in everyday life, they use it to increase their own efficiency, and they don’t find the prospect of forcing seemingly overwhelming tasks into short time frames daunting. Procrastinators learn to control panic. They become more used to the flow of adrenaline and other stress hormones and manipulate their presence into being powerful motivators instead of distractions.
A master procrastinator will be more prepared for the turmoil filled, dynamic world away from school than anyone who prides themselves in meticulously planning every aspect of their life.
You’ve got 5 minutes to solve this problem…
People who have never indulged in procrastination have never been particularly incentivised to look for innovative shortcuts to problems, great or small. Why would they? Everything is planned out anyway, with so much time it seems practically laughable to try and bypass the norm.
Procrastinators don’t see life that way. The shortcut route is strongly incentivised for them, and this gives creativity and ingenuity a place to really flourish. Ironically, prioritisation becomes easier – a person who spends much of their working time under pressure will be far more keenly aware of the time certain tasks take them, and therefore in what order they must be performed in, than someone who rarely has need to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses to complete a task.
It’s not all positive – Laziness helps no one
Should you choose to take up making free time your hobby, it is important to be aware of the fact that there is a very fine line between procrastination and laziness. A procrastinator thrives off of the rush of being under time pressure and enjoys the ways they can exercise their creative side to solve the problems that they create for themselves. These behaviours are healthy and productive and can make individuals far more capable than even the most organised student. However, lazy people are simply looking for a way to avoid doing work. They will be discouraged – rather than motived – by deadlines approaching, and will not find creative solutions to problems. Don’t be lazy and claim that you were procrastinating – the distinguishment between the two is as clear as night and day.
Procrastination is the path to prioritizing what you need to know and retaining it for the time period in which you need to know it.
What are you waiting for? Start procrastinating today!
Ray Bradbury
If They Give You Lined Paper, Write The Other Way
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