Twins' Mom's thought-provoking topic this morning, just a few minutes after LadyM:
Anti-Procrastination Wednesday
The secret of my incredible energy and efficiency in getting work done is a simple one. The psychological principle is this: anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn’t the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.
-Robert Benchley
The quote highlights the concept of productive procrastination, where individuals avoid their most important or overwhelming tasks by busying themselves with other, less demanding, but still productive, activities. Benchley's humorously illustrates the tendency to tackle other tasks as a way to avoid a daunting main project, suggesting that a to-do list with multiple projects can lead to getting more done overall.
Structured procrastination is a productive paradox where you do useful tasks to avoid doing more important or urgent tasks. It involves ordering your to-do list by urgency, then completing less critical but still valuable tasks to gain a sense of accomplishment, all while postponing the major, high-priority items. This strategy uses your inherent tendency to procrastinate as a force for good, transforming a potential flaw into a tool for effectiveness. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
How It Works
1. Create a prioritized list: Identify all your tasks and arrange them from most to least important.
2. Identify tasks to postpone: Recognize the large, critical tasks that you're tempted to avoid.
3. Engage in productive avoidance: Channel your procrastination energy into lower-priority, but still valuable, tasks that are on your list.
4. The "productive pressure" cycle: Completing these smaller tasks provides a sense of progress and satisfaction, which can sometimes even create enough momentum to tackle the larger, more daunting tasks.
Key Characteristics
It's not doing nothing: Unlike typical procrastination, structured procrastinators are actively engaged and productive; they are simply delaying different tasks.
Leverages self-deception: The strategy relies on a certain amount of self-deception, as you convince yourself the tasks you're doing are important, even when you're really just putting off something else.
Can foster creativity: Sometimes, delaying a large problem can allow your subconscious to work on it, potentially leading to more creative solutions when you do address it.
It's a recognized strategy: The concept was notably popularized by philosophy professor John Perry in his 1995 essay on the topic, and later a book, "The Art Of Procrastination".
(From AI response to structured procrastination)
even more.
Happy birthday, blessed!!!