My time in this life is precious – a beautiful gift that I’ve been wasting away. You see, I am a procrastinator. Webster defines procrastination as “to be slow or late about doing something that should be done; to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it.” Translated: “Tawnja doesn’t want to do it right now,” or “Tawnja doesn’t want to do it – EVER. Unfortunately, she must do it eventually.”
I know I’m not alone in this struggle. Most people procrastinate, even if just a little. Some avoid doing taxes, especially without a refund coming. Others get distracted by social media when they should be cooking or studying – that quick Facebook check that becomes hours of scrolling.
But here’s what I’ve discovered in my vast experience as a procrastinator: the deeper issues revolve around three things: the need to renew, the need to be perfect, and ultimately, fear. Today, I want to explore the first two and show you how they’re not always the enemies we think they are.
The Renewal Gift: Purposeful Procrastination
Sometimes we should take breaks to discover new insights. If we didn’t pause, ideas and revelations might be lost forever. Maybe it’s a few hours, days, or even weeks, but procrastination can be a tool for exploring anew.
Valerie Brown calls this “purposeful procrastinating” in her TED Talk. She explains that through our procrastination and doing things other than the task at hand, we actually “think about it. We mull it over. We weigh our options.”
Then suddenly, we get that spark of creativity.
A few months ago, I started a blog called “My Aha Moment.” I wanted to write a second blog about procrastination. Three months passed, and the culprit was procrastination itself. My blog was doing plenty of internal brewing, yet I couldn’t find the words to tell the story. I waited. I did all sorts of projects, except writing about procrastination.
However, the blog kept calling me. Quotes and ideas came while watching TV, taking my niece to swimming class, or doing yoga. Something was about to click – but would it be sooner or later? My friend had a conversation with me, saying, “You are planting the seeds.” I realized I was indeed planting seeds, and it was time to harvest.
This purposeful procrastination allowed my ideas to marinate and develop in ways that forced writing never could have achieved.
When Perfect Becomes the Enemy