Everywhere we read that procrastination is a problem that must be addressed but in fact it may not always be a problem. Even the most rigorous of us occasionally procrastinate and - even if it may sound paradoxical - it brings certain advantages.
Greater creativity
Many people do not show their best until they fall under the stress of approaching deadlines. This was confirmed e.g. by a recent study by NASA whose engineers worked better the shorter time they had.
Higher productivity
In order to avoid certain obligations, we usually focus our attention on other tasks from our to-do lists and finish them exceptionally quickly. Before we get into the situation where it is no longer possible to put off the task, we have fulfilled much more things.
Save time
Sometimes we procrastinate because our intuition tells us that working on a task would be just a waste of time. And some tme later we learn that we were right.
So, how to tell when procrastination is good or bad? Start by thinking about what tasks you procrastinate. Then ask yourself the reason why you do it.
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Do you think that you're not good enough for the task? Try to delegate it. If it's something that you really should be good at, work on your development in this area.
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Do you find the task boring? Again, try to delegate it. Investing in someone who will do the tedious work for you so that you you can work on more important projects could pay off.
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Do you want to avoid dealing with an unpleasant client? Consider whether such a client is worth it and if it would not be better to invest your time and energy in more comfortable working with someone else.
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Do you feel overloaded by our tasks? This is a normal feeling. The key is always to take the first step and plan the next, you do not have to do everything at once.
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