Friday, November 15, 2013

Can Procrastinating Actually Make You More Productive?




Procrastination-we've all been there. Maybe it's dreading writing that 12 page paper so you clean your room instead or having to run a bunch of errands, but you find yourself watching Toddlers and Tiaras for over two hours. No matter if it is productive or pointless procrastination there are many different forms of it. Fast Company wrote an article entitled "Why Procrastination Does Not Need a Cure-And Might Make You Even More Productive." This explains how prolonging particular activities is not always a bad thing. Believe it or not, postponing certain tasks can actually help you be more productive at times.

There are different types of procrastination. There are times where you don't want to do anything, do less important tasks first or start with the most important activity. Obviously, not wanting to do anything is a negative type of procrastination. This is in no way helping you be productive. A good type of procrastination is prolonging unimportant small errands, so you are able to accomplish large projects first. If you can focus all of your attention on completing the big task first you are more inclined to finish the smaller assignments because you feel as if you have accomplished a lot. This is a great way to trick your brain into getting all of the work done. You will be on a roll from finishing the smaller tasks that you'll be able to finally accomplish that long paper or study for your midterm. 

Procrastination can be beneficial or harmful depending on the situation. For example, watching TV to escape working on your research report is not an effective type of procrastination. Personally, I am an organizational freak. My desk is surrounded by various colored sticky notes that include times and dates of when certain tasks need to be finished. I always get so much satisfaction crossing off something that I have done on my to-do checklist. This gives me a drive to move on and complete my next assignment just as quickly. 

I tend to do a combination of accomplishing unimportant tasks first and doing priority tasks first depending on the urgency of when something is due. Usually, if I have a paper due tomorrow I will try to do smaller homework tasks first. This way when it comes time to work on my paper my mind will not be worrying about other things I need to get done. Then other times, I have a project that is so urgent that I know I won't be able to focus on my other tasks until this big assignment is finished first. 

Knowing how to procrastinate in an effective way will allow individuals to be more productive in the long run. Starting on large projects first can seem daunting and overwhelming, so working on smaller tasks can build up your confidence to finish that last big assignment. Strategizing your projects based on their urgency will help you create a meaningful to-do list making you believe there are important tasks that cannot be avoided. Understanding how and why you procrastinate can also help you learn how to effectively get things done. 

Learning how to balance procrastination in a good way and using time management skills are crucial for those wanting to pursue event planning careers. When coordinating an event it is imperative to plan out every step of the way and make different lists for what needs to be accomplished or ordered each week leading up to the event. Prioritizing tasks based on their importance and urgency can help people procrastinate in a good way that will allow them to still be productive. 


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