Confession: I Love Procrastination

As a somewhat successful PR person, this is an embarrassing thing to admit. I’ve always been a procrastinator. I’d rather squeeze a few more minutes out of being lazy, finding distractions, or indulging in guilty pleasures before I have to get to the task at hand. Even if I know I would be done with an assignment or job in an hour, or a half an hour, and I could continue with my distraction after that time, I’d rather keep away from the work until the last possible minute.

And here’s the thing – I love it.

I love not getting out of bed until I would be late with one more minute spent under the covers. I love combing Pinterest for decor ideas before going out in the cold for lunch. I’d rather keep answering emails and reading the news until I have to start writing that press release. I love it. To me, that feels like balance. It let’s me feel like I have control over my schedule.

If you haven’t guessed, it’s a false-sense-of-security kind of relationship. And it’s cyclic.

Bills go unpaid. Deadlines are missed. This leads to more stress and more of a feeling that I “need a break,” which in turn leads to more procrastination. I know, it’s insanity.

So each day, I have to remind myself not to procrastinate. I have to remember that while momentary pleasure may feel like I’m “getting what I want,” I’m actually never really in control of my schedule and this is a mirage. Hard work will pay off, including with time off and easy days at the office.

How do you avoid procrastination?

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