Procrastination Is Not the Enemy

Here are 7 ways to succeed while procrastinating (hint: it’s not all about maximizing productivity).

Procrastination has been my constant companion for as long as I can remember.

From the furious, tear-filled, caffeine-fueled term papers of my college days to the mountain of laundry piled in its hamper, mocking me right at this very second, I have succumbed to its mesmerizing pull and postponed handling my responsibilities for as long as possible.

In fact, I started writing this article because I’m procrastinating on the aforementioned laundry, which should have been done a week ago but will now wait just another day (or three) longer.

That’s right — I’m procrastinating by writing about procrastination. Call it irony, call it meta, call it one of the many ways I’ve learned to embrace what’s commonly thought of as a major impediment to any well-adjusted adult who values their agency and ability to contribute to this world.

But procrastination, in and of itself, is not the enemy.

To begin, I have a question:

I used to think procrastination was a dirty word. Successful people never procrastinate, I imagined, hating my easygoing and lazy nature. They never struggle with productivity. They’re responsible, mature, and always do what they have to do without delay or complaint.

Not feeling adequately productive trapped me in a cycle of negative self-talk, which only made me feel worse and guaranteed I wouldn’t get anything done in favor of burying myself in bed by 7 PM, wallowing in self-pity, never believing I’d be a functional adult.

To those adults playing life on the expert level, I say, keep fighting the good fight. Keep killing it at adulting. Keep being amazing at your routines and your mindset hacks and your 5 AM wake-ups with nary a snooze button in sight. Maybe in my next life, I’ll grow up to be just like you.

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