Productive Procrastination

Productive Procrastination is when we should do a task, but instead of doing it, we do everything else; instead of just doing nothing, we do productive things like learning something by reading a book, listening to a podcast that is related to the thing we need to do, or cleaning our room.

Productive Procrastination is essential for our subconscious mind to process thoughts, and it is 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 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 use, and no 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, watching another YouTube video, and telling ourselves we are researching instead of doing the work.

Many do not understand how important it is for our brain to wander, to Daydream, not to 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.

Jason Fried said procrastination is a tool to know what you clearly want to do and don’t want to do something. If you like something, you’re just going to do it; if you don’t, you don’t want to do it. So there must be a reason; use it, find out why, and change something.

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

My realization with distraction

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. My Tweet

The 5-step formula for perpetual Procrastination by Tiago:

1. Wait for perfect conditions
2. Avoid breaking tasks into small steps
3. Ignore small wins
4. Let fear dictate your actions
5. Focus on everything at once

Without any procrastination, there is no Creativity. As Tiago Forte writes, “Goes Hand in Hand with Procrastination”; see more at Goes hand in hand with Procrastination.

To me, productivity needs creativity:

• Slow Productivity

Origin: Leaving Obsidian : r/ObsidianMD