Productive Procrastination

Last updated Feb 9, 2024

Productive procrastination is essential for our subconscious mind to process thoughts, closely tied to Intuition. This perspective from a Reddit Comment resonates with me:

People create art with whatever is at hand. Tweaking 2nd brains or note-taking functionality is just doodling in the margins in a different way.

Pro Tip: doodling and tweaking are frequently things your conscious brain does in order to let your subconscious brain ruminate the way it needs to.

Overstimulation is a significant factor. For instance, bad food, too much coffee, too much social media, too much phone, and not time to think or procrastinate your brain. All of these add up, and the outcome is the opposite of Deep Work or Flow, meaning we are constantly distracted, easily fiddling with our productivity system, watch another YouTube video, and tell ourselves we are researching instead of doing the work.

Many do not understand how important it is for our brain to wander, to not do anything at a bus stop, and just think or wander. I got to realize, now 37, that these times are when I get to start working and have all the good ideas because my subconscious was working in the background, and I, myself, could rest.

Tim Urban is also big on procrastination, which he and Ryan Holidays discussed. He says the same. He hates sometimes to procrastinate, but that’s how his brain works and where he gets some insights he wouldn’t have gotten without.

Tweet

At age 37, I realized that my most productive days are when I sleep enough and let my brain wander. Instead of checking SM, drinking coffee, and doing another YT for research, aka overstimulation, I do nothing.

Later in the day, I will have an insight I wouldn’t otherwise have.

Origin: Leaving Obsidian : r/ObsidianMD
References:
Created 2024-01-09