13 Best Practices of Procrastination
Have you ever procrastinated on a big project? I know you have. I love to get things done, but sometimes I don’t want to do what I need to do. At the same time, I don’t want my time to go to waste. I like to be a productive procrastinator.
Instead of writing this, I’ve been procrastinating. Just kidding! Really though, if you’re going to procrastinate you can at least get something done. My wife and I were brainstorming one day how to get things done when you don’t really feel like it. Make a moratorium on mindlessness. Do something useful with your time. This list is a sort of work-in-progress, but here is our list of best practices of procrastination.
- Work on something FUN! But not video games.
- Reward your hard work on the RIGHT thing with a little procrastination. Work for 30 minutes, play for 10.
- Spend time with family. Definitely better than wasted time.
- Take a walk through a park or nature preserve. It could boost your creative juices for that project you should be doing.
- Exercise. A good workout is scientifically proven to increase your productivity and stamina.
- Strengthen your mind. Go to iTunes U or the MIT Open Courseware. I really like Covenant Seminary’s “Worldwide Classroom” and BiblicalTraining.org.
- Pick something else on your todo list. You do have a todo list, right?
- Make a todo list (if you don’t have one).
- Do something nice for your wife / husband. — “Well, honey… I didn’t get the lawn mowed, but I built you a bird feeder instead!”
- Take your kids out so your wife can get some much needed rest. Plus, you’ll probably get ice cream (you softie!).
- Put the finishing touches on your last procrastination. It’s that extra 10% that really makes your work better than everyone else.
- Keep your Project list and Someday / Maybe list up to date. There could be something on there that you’d rather do.
- Stop procrastinating and do what you have to do! Define what success looks like for your project and get it done. As Zig Ziglar once said, “Do what you have to do when you have to do it so you can do what you want to do when you want to do it.”