There are a number of articles and blogs out there warning freelancing professionals of the world about the pitfalls of procrastination. They tell you that your work suffers, clients get irritated, and things fall apart. Get things done early, they claim, and your entire working life will improve!
While this is important for many people, it’s not a universal truth. Some people simply work better with a little pressure applied. While I would love to be one of those people who gets everything done as quickly as possible, the bottom line is that I am a mad-rush-at-the-end-procrastinator. Oftentimes, my work is better and I get an absolute adrenaline rush from it.
Being a procrastinator doesn’t mean that your work or your mental well-being has to suffer. In fact, when done correctly, procrastination can actually work for you. Here’s how.
Don’t underestimate the time it will take to finish. As long as you have a reasonable understanding of how quickly and efficiently you work, you should be able to finish all of your work in your allotted time frame. This is true whether your allotted time frame is in the first few days of the project or the last few days. The problem with procrastination comes in when you think the project will take less time than it actually does. That’s when all-nighters and panic set in. I always overestimate my completion time, even when that completion time is set aside the night before the project is due.
Clear your schedule. If you know you will be procrastinating a big project, make sure you have nothing else on your plate except the work at hand. Get your kids out of the house, make sure your favorite television shows won’t be on, and send your spouse out for the night.
Keep the next day clear, too. Even though I thrive off of getting my work done at the last minute, it usually makes me pretty burnt out. It’s a good idea to clear the next day so that you have time to recuperate.
Don’t let clients know you’re procrastinating. Turning an assignment in two minutes before midnight on the day it’s due is a pretty good indication that you’re not functioning as a professional. However, turning things in around 10 am on the due date signifies that you have a handle on things. The client doesn’t have to know that you were up at 3 am to work on it – they simply see that things were turned in at the promised time.
Don’t worry about it. If you sit and stew about the fact that you really should be working on that project right now, you’re defeating the purpose of procrastination. If the project is on your mind at all times, you might as well be working on it. True procrastination requires you to adopt a carefree attitude. Yes, you should be working on the project, but you’re not. Enjoy your time instead - otherwise there’s no point.
Don’t let your work suffer. If you are the kind of person who needs to let your work sit for a few days before you go back to it for editing or revisions, procrastination probably isn’t for you. There simply isn’t time for excessive overhauls or agonizing decisions in the procrastination world. It only works if, like me, you get a project done and immediately wipe it off your slate.
Don’t procrastinate when there are unknowns. If you are relying on the contributions of someone else or you aren’t sure about the content of any portion of the project, it’s not a good idea to procrastinate. You can only control what you can control. I find it best to do part of the project ahead of time or to procrastinate only when I’ve done similar projects before. I don’t procrastinate when I know I might have questions or concerns.
Cultivate the skills. I consider procrastination to be a learned skill. I started learning how to do it in high school and have continued developing in that area for a decade. It takes a keen understanding of yourself and your ability to work under this kind of pressure. Some people will never be able to procrastinate, and that’s fine. But if you can juggle all of your responsibilities and juggle them well, I think procrastination doesn’t have to be a negative thing.
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This is easily the best post I’ve ever read on procrastination, and I’ve read many. I’ve even written a couple myself.
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Brief Announcement
It´s so great to read a post on the positive side of procrastination. I´m a last minute worker myself, which really used to bother me. But then I realized that it´s just the way I work and I do things better that way.
Thanks for this!
While I understand what you’re getting at here, I just don’t quite agree. It seems that you’re saying, if you manage your time right, then you should have plenty of leisure time to enjoy. You call this enjoyable leisure time “procrastination”
Unfortunately, this is not my type of procrastination. I wish it was! Mine is the gnawing-at-the-gut, where-did-the-time-go, I-haven’t-gotten-anything-done-that-I-meant-to, or-hoped-to-do type.
Also, some researchers have found that many procrastinators think they work better under pressure, or are more creative at the last minute, but actually are not. I’m not saying that’s the case with anyone else here, but It appears to be the usual refrain of the procrastinator.
I do appreciate your different perspective on the subject, though! Thanks for the well-written and well thought out article.
Chris’s last blog post..Words from beyond the blog: My daily Twitter digest for 2008-03-29
Melissa - Thanks for those kind words!
Genesis - I’m glad others find a positive side to procrastination. I actually consider it to be the most cost-effective use of my time. If I do a project early, I hem and haw and make unnecessary cosmetic changes for days. If I do it at the last minute, I get it done as quickly as I can without sacrificing quality. The first option can often add hours onto my projects!
What an interesting take on the topic of procrastination! I’ve always been one of those people who is ridiculously early in getting anything done (sometimes a blessing, sometimes a curse) but I can absolutely see how procrastinating helps some people do their best work. I think your tips for making this tendency work in your favor make a lot more sense than trying to fight your natural inclination would!