Using Scheduled Procrastination
People always ask me how I manage to get so much done. Well, my secret is that I procrastinate — a lot.
The thing is, when I put off something I don’t want to do, my procrastination usually takes the form of random tasks that I call the “seeds” of freelancing success. I might procrastinate on starting an assigned article by following up on a few old queries. I might drag my feet on research by trolling through the Writer’s Market database for a trade magazine or two I can send an intro letter to. These things feel like time wasters, but they often bring work when I’m least expecting it.
I’m now trying to replicate my procrastination success in the area of health and fitness by prodding myself to procrastinate with health-related tasks. I set up my iCal calendar to send me randomly-timed reminders to do little health-boosters like drink a glass of water, meditate for 10 minutes, stretch, or do a set of pushups or crunches. I’m just starting this experiment, but I’m assuming that a procrastinator like me would love to take a break from working to do a downward dog or down a glass of water with lemon. Whether it’s freelance success or health, little actions add up!
Want to try scheduled procrastination? Set up a reminder system such as a digital calendar or a free e-mail reminder service (I like MemoToMe) to send you prompts to, say, brainstorm five article ideas, follow up on late payments, or send a thank-you note to an editor, a source, or another writer who has helped you in some way. Try to make the reminders randomly timed so you won’t expect (and dread) them.
I have to run. If you’re looking for me, I’ll be on my office floor doing crunches! [lf]
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Jan 11, 2007 Advice, Observations
Love it.
I have an assignment I’m needing to finish, a profile of woman who was a 1960′s icon, and I’m procrastinating. Anything you suggest I do so I can internalize my research?
I don’t know if “scheduled procrastination” really qualifies. I think true procrastination is kind of meaningless and lacking purpose. Once it’s scheduled by a memo, it becomes more like an interruption.
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I agree with your first part, though. Putting off dreaded chores or assignments often leads to some of my most creative work in other areas! (and occasionally even to a cleaner kitchen
Karen, why not sit down with a cup of tea and surf the internet looking for more juicy details on your subject? Or put the whole thing aside and write to 5 editors you’d like to work with/work with again?
Francie, as I do the “scheduled procrastination” for health more this week, I’m finding it’s not a negative distraction but a welcome bit of time off of whatever I’m doing. That may be because I’m not forcing myself to do the thing that pops up on the screen right then and there…for example, if I’m doing an interview or at Borders or otherwise busy or in the flow, I click the to-do off my screen and do it later if I remember (since I don’t want to do crunches in the Borders cafe). But if I’m surfing the web or answering e-mails or driving myself crazy over a difficult lede, I welcome the distraction and come back fresher afterwards.
I love this! It totally reminds me of writing papers in college. I’m one of those who has to “write” everything in their head first. So I’d procrastinate like crazy (all the while “writing” in my head) and organize everything in sight. CDs were in alphabetical order, clothes color coordinated in my closet, videos (remember those ancient things prior to DVDs) were sorted by genre. The nice thing is that I always got the paper done by the deadline AND everything was nice and neat!
[...] barely made sense. Linda from The Renegade Writer, one of my favorite blogs, suggests engaging in “scheduled procrastination.” In another post, she talks about the various mini actions you can take that are still meaningful [...]