Many people know procrastination very well from being a student and experience it again when they start working. We know that we have a major task in front of us, but we postpone it until the last minute. We can't force ourselves to start working on the task sooner. We would rather do something else, often something which is much less important, but more fun.
Carrying out minor tasks instead of important ones is called procrastination. It is generally understood as something negative - a signal that we are lazy, we lack interest, we can't organize our time and work, and we are unprofessional. However, nothing is purely bad and procrastination is no exception. The positive sides of procrastination were described on Fastcompany.com.
More energy
The fear of not being able to finish the task on time is a very powerful motivator. The level of adrenaline in our bodies increases as the deadline approaches. Adrenaline relieves pain and restores energy which makes the task easier to fulfil in the end.
Better focus
When we do something at the last minute, we are suddenly able to focus perfectly on the task at hand and it is much more difficult to distract us. We stop looking at our phones, e-mails and other distractions until we're done.
Work faster
Since we don't have much time left, last-minute tasks are often completed very quickly. As a result, we spend significantly less time working on them than if the deadline were not so close.
Enjoy other tasks more
When postponing a difficult or unpleasant task, we can manage other, less serious, obligations on our to-do lists fairly quickly. We also enjoy working on these tasks more.
Lower expectations
Thanks to procrastination, we can learn that not every project requires 150% performance. Postponing work until the last minute is not a bad strategy when it comes to routine activities or even more complicated tasks you have already mastered and know how to do, but you lack the motivation to do them.
You know there is a problem when you procrastinate no matter what the quality of the result is expected from you. When we do things at the last minute, we are under pressure and it can be expected that the results will not be the best. Therefore, if the highest priority of your task is quality, start sooner rather than later.
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