Beat procrastination!

How to stop procrastinating immediately

How to stop procrastinating

These are some of the advertising copies that have showed up to me on different social media, and I suspect that the algorithm is trying to tell me something.

It is rare the occasion in which I "click" these types of ads.

Unless it's a Buzzfeed quiz to find out which Sailor Scout I am depending on my favorite food.

The reality is that the punitive tone attributed to the habit of procrastination particularly bothers me. Procrastination is defined as the action of postponing activities or situations that must be addressed. My perspective is that beyond being a laziness issue, that is just the tip of the iceberg of many reasons that we ignore at first glance.

Procrastination is a millennial habit, in ancient Egypt it was known as the ability to "wait for the right moment", and ancient civilizations such as the Greeks and Romans appreciated the simple act of procrastination because it gave more value to contemplation.

Stories say that Leonardo Da Vinci took 16 years to complete the portrait of Mona Lisa, it is said that it took him that amount of time because he considered that something was missing in his piece, so in the meantime the result got to him he started working on other projects. He learned about proportion and light and thus perfected his work to reach the result that we know worldwide.

There are dishes that we leave to marinate to achieve maximum flavor satisfaction. What would happen if we applied the same principle to our ideas?

One of the things that I appreciate about my work is that I can surf through different topics during the day, it is a very dynamic exercise in which I find myself "jumping" among topics, maybe there is a task that I don't know how to solve, but there are others that I can, and while I discover how to solve a riddle, I dedicate myself to others. Jeremie Bacon, CEO of Imagineer Technology Group mentions that this practice helps to keep the mind awake.

Pablo Picasso mentioned that creativity found him working.

Tadashi Hamada tells his brother Hiro that if he finds himself stuck in a challenge, he always has to look from a new perspective to solve his problems, in the Pixar movie Big Hero 6.

And the American psychologist and TED speaker, Adam Grant, invites us to take advantage of the fact that our minds wander when we procrastinate, as this gives us the freedom to come across unexpected and brilliant ideas and mentions that:

"If you're a procrastinator, the next time you're wallowing on the dark playing field of guilt and self-loathing for not getting started on a task, remember that the right kind of procrastination could make you more creative."

Two important concepts of this phrase: one is that psychologists do have a name for that dark field of guilt and self-loathing that they call "precrastination" which they define as the need to start a task and complete it immediately, people who experience this situation suffer putting off tasks and only link their happiness to productivity.

The second concept that I rescue from the phrase is “correct procrastination”, for me it represents the act of putting aside my own stubbornness of wanting to solve the puzzle i’m working on, go make myself a cup of coffee, play with my dog and return back to the puzzle just to realize that the missing piece was always under the table.

The challenge is that we must not remain static and/or inactive.

Singer/songwriter Joan Baez, who has collaborated with musical legends like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and more, has this powerful quote that personally is my secret weapon for motivation:

"Action is the antidote to despair"

A moderate level of procrastination prevents anxiety from stifling creativity. My perception is that procrastination should not be punished or judged because it can be the tip of the iceberg for deeper and more complex issues such as anxiety, depression or personal situations that we are unaware of, nor is it the enemy of productivity or hussle culture, that requires to always give your 100 in everything you do as a constant demand.

It is important to mention that there are techniques to improve our time management, such as mobile applications like Sensa.health, which very punctually points out that procrastination is not a matter of laziness, but of emotion regulation.

And there is the Pomodoro method, for which you only need an alarm clock, work intensely for 25 minutes and rest for 5 minutes, each period symbolizes a pomodoro and 4 periods have to be completed. The benefits of this technique is that it improves mental agility and decreases interruptions, even if you propose a pre-commitment like, after completing a pomodoro I'm going to reward myself with something.

In a similar way to this dynamic, I add and verify that resting while I am doing an exhausting activity such as running helps me to take a "second breath" and complete that distance that I still have to finish.

Finally, the next time a task or a project seems intimidating, remember the different approaches that can serve as ways to approach the subject. First, you have to avoid perfectionism because that adds a stressful and unnecessary tone to the exercise, you must have the opening that you probably won't hit the mark in that phase of ideation, you have to give your mind  space to "wander" or contemplate like the ancient Greeks did, you can also start from the simplest to the most complex or you can start it and leave it pending or resting for a moment and then return. I personally confirm that resting sometimes fuels hope and motivation to achieve my goals and if an aged tequila tastes better in that state, why should my work turn out differently? :P

This article was translated by @ross.gspr

Disclaimer: The views expressed are personal opinions of the authors and do not reflect the views of affiliated organizations. The information is for informational purposes only and not intended as professional advice.

Aranda, M. (2022, June 29). Nunca des el 100. . . dijo mi hermana. Nunca Des El Cien ®. https://nuncadeselcien.com/blog/nuncadesel100

Milstein, A. (2022, June 8). Why You Should Procrastinate. HANABI. https://hanabi.asij.ac.jp/opinion/why-you-should-procrastinate/

Vozza, S. (2019b, September 19). 3 times when procrastination can be a good thing. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90406363/3-times-when-procrastination-can-be-a-good-thing

Economy, P. (2020, February 6). Here’s the Counterintuitive Reason Why Adam Grant Says You Should Procrastinate More. Inc.Com. https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/heres-surprising-reason-why-adam-grant-says-you-should-procrastinate-more.html

Grant, A. (2016, January 21). Por qué aprendí a procrastinar. Https://Www.Nytimes.Com/Es/2016/01/21/Espanol/Opinion/Por-Que-Aprendi-a-Procrastinar.Html. Retrieved July 10, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/es/2016/01/21/espanol/opinion/por-que-aprendi-a-procrastinar.html

Aranda, M. (2022, June 29). Nunca des el 100. . . dijo mi hermana. Nunca Des El Cien ®. https://nuncadeselcien.com/blog/nuncadesel100

Milstein, A. (2022, June 8). Why You Should Procrastinate. HANABI. https://hanabi.asij.ac.jp/opinion/why-you-should-procrastinate/

Vozza, S. (2019b, September 19). 3 times when procrastination can be a good thing. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90406363/3-times-when-procrastination-can-be-a-good-thing

Economy, P. (2020, February 6). Here’s the Counterintuitive Reason Why Adam Grant Says You Should Procrastinate More. Inc.Com. https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/heres-surprising-reason-why-adam-grant-says-you-should-procrastinate-more.html

Grant, A. (2016, January 21). Por qué aprendí a procrastinar. Https://Www.Nytimes.Com/Es/2016/01/21/Espanol/Opinion/Por-Que-Aprendi-a-Procrastinar.Html. Retrieved July 10, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/es/2016/01/21/espanol/opinion/por-que-aprendi-a-procrastinar.html