Channel Your Procrastination to Become Your Superpower

You can’t change your personality but you can make it work for you.

When I sat down to write this morning, I was side-tracked by a question posed in a Facebook writers’ group asking what we would all be doing if we were not writers. I started thinking about my ambition to be a sign language interpreter and off I went on one of my non-writing tangents.

Half an hour later I realised I had learned 100 basic sign language gestures on YouTube instead of writing 100 words. Oops, I did it again.

But hey, here I am writing about it now.

Some of the most famous people of all time have been notorious procrastinators.

If you procrastinate as much as I do, you’re in good company: Bill Clinton, Leonardo da Vinci, Frank Lloyd Wright, Victor Hugo, Margaret Atwood, Douglas Adams, Naomi Campbell, and Mariah Carey were/are all known for waiting until the last minute to do things.

“We all understand the risk of being too late, but it’s important to realize there is risk attached to doing something too early.”

— Paul Vaden, author of Procrastinate on Purpose

Procrastination is not a problem, it’s a superpower.

Those of us who always procrastinate and hadn't booked our holidays in advance in 2020 were the least disappointed people when the pandemic hit and flights were grounded. We know last-minute arrangements can be the most dependable and likely not to be canceled.

We might put off organising things for days and days but when we do arrange an event, it’s spontaneous and fun. Flying by the seat of your pants can cause you to meet deadlines with flashes of inspiration.

If you can use your procrastination for a purpose, you can stop thinking of it as a problem and turn it into your superpower instead. Channel your tendency to let your mind wander and find places for it to land on that will generate future pieces of writing, for example.

Paul Vaden, author of Procrastinate on Purpose, will tell you that:

“While procrastination is normally associated with negative consequences such as being stressed out or late, strategic procrastination is a tool used by the ultra-successful.”

Prioritize your procrastination.

“If it needs to be done now, give yourself permission to protect: shut off your email, close the door, turn off your phone, and do the task.” — Paul Vaden

Chronic overachievers live under urgency, falling victim to the latest and loudest. They might have 10 items on their to-do list, and they’ll choose seven that are most likely to get done, believing that they’re operating in efficiency, says Vaden.

High achievers — the Richard Bransons and Warren Buffets of the world — focus on significant tasks, investing their time into things that pay dividends later. They know it’s not just all about today. They intentionally choose to complete one item, but it’s the one that creates a better tomorrow.

If you can’t ditch or delegate a task, ask yourself if it can wait for later. If not, get it done now.

Leonardo da Vinci took 16 years to complete his painting of the Mona Lisa but you can be sure he had some other projects on the go during that time.

One of the most famous procrastination quotes comes from one of the authors of the book series, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. “I love deadlines,” writes Douglas Adams, “I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.”

His editors booked him into a hotel for three weeks to finish the last book of his series or it might never have been completed.

You’re not a lost cause either, you just need to figure out how to channel your superpower.

Procrastinate purposefully.

If your tendency is to find escapism, escape into something educational. Something that you can turn into a learning lesson. Make your procrastination count for something. If you have to waste time, at least “waste” it in a more productive way.

When it’s time to decide what tasks need to be done now, filter your to-do list through a focus funnel.

As you put tasks through the focus funnel, it’s important to understand the distinction between important, urgent, and significant: important is how much it matters, urgent is how soon it matters, and significant is how long it matters. Decide your top priorities using this method.

Success isn’t about volume. There’s a big difference in waiting to do something you know should do, but don’t feel like doing, and waiting to do something because now is not the optimal time.

Waiting because you’re deciding to procrastinate on purpose can be considered the same as being patient for the right time and doing something more pressing right now. People who have reached an ultra-high level of success have mastered this without thinking about it.

Final Thoughts

I’m not making a full-time income from writing yet, but I’m on the way. And while I’m no longer putting off anything forever, I’ve learned to put some things off temporarily and productively channel my procrastination for good.

When I was supposed to be studying for one of my final school exams, I taught myself the whole of the Greek alphabet instead. I still remember the names for all of the letters. I probably passed the exam too, but I don’t even remember now. I don’t beat myself up about procrastinating anymore, but thankfully I’ve learned to prioritize.

Plus, I’m handy in a pub quiz, if the letters of the Greek alphabet come up in the questions! Always keep learning and don’t let procrastination be your problem, turn it into your superpower.

Remember:

• Prioritize, don’t postpone everything indefinitely.
• Be realistic about what you can achieve.
• Give yourself permission to do a task without distraction.
• Praise yourself for your wins.
• Complete the one item that creates a better tomorrow.

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