Procrastination is often seen as the enemy of productivity, something to constantly fight against in order to make progress.

But it can be a powerful tool because it carries information. In particular, it gives you valuable insights into your true motivation.



The Popular View





In Tim Urban's writing (and TED talk ), there is an Instant Gratification Monkey which prevents the Rational Decision-Maker from staying on track. Above is a fun illustration that is effective in getting his point across.

Some productivity gurus and psychology professors may even go so far as to call it self-harm . And Dr. Fuschia Sirois puts it this way: “People engage in this irrational cycle of chronic procrastination because of an inability to manage negative moods around a task.”

Maybe these are valid points if we frame procrastination as the problem to avoid. But I want to provide an alternative view.



What Makes You Feel Alive vs What is "Productive"

Being productive optimizes for the quickest path to getting to a presupposed destination. Maybe the end goal is exactly what you want, in which case, work hard and get there. But that is often not the case.

I can't tell you what you want in life, but your "procrastination" can tell you what you don't want. Learn to listen to it, it can help you tune to the signals that matter to you, to notice opportunities that are otherwise hidden.



Unhelpful Labels

Another issue I see with the popular view of procrastination is that the labels of "productivity" and "instant gratification" come with a negative connotation. It is as if the only alternatives to doing the tasks at hand is playing video games and eating junk food.

Steering away from your destination doesn't mean giving in to pleasures. It could very well mean arriving at a more worthwhile destination or discovering new places that you are not even aware of.



What You Really Care About

You can claim to care about doing something. But your actions speak more clearly. If you don't have time for it, it simply means it is not a priority for you.

And in most cases, that's OK!

Life is short. We all have a limited amount of precious time in this world. If you don't care about doing something, why force yourself? Make time for things that matter.



Inspiration is Perishable

Sometimes, a good reason to act immediately when inspiration strikes is that it is perishable. Capture that moment, feel the intensity of the ideas flowing through you, act on them, and create.



There is so much noise in our daily lives. It is easy to get dragged along by the momentum of life, by the rhythm of modern society. Procrastination is an important line of defense, to say "wait, maybe there is something else I would rather do", to take back control of our lives.