The Art of Productive Procrastination: Turn Avoidance into Achievement

Last month, I faced a major work deadline. I had to complete a report in four weeks, which was ample time for research, writing, and organization. But somehow, I was seized with the desire to redecorate my workspace. Hey, it's kind of productive, right? I'll be so much more productive in a fresh, new, ergonomic workspace. In fact, when you think about it, it's an investment for the future.

I talked myself into believing this, but even I can see what was happening, now, in hindsight. The report was an important one, which made me anxious to work on it, so I made what felt like the "logical" choice: starting an entirely different project to avoid it as long as possible.

Sound familiar? Have you ever received a significant project requiring substantial effort, only to suddenly feel compelled to clear minor tasks from your to-do list? Cleaning your desk, doing the laundy, learning French? All while secretly hoping your brain would magically complete the main assignment without you actually starting it? If so, you've experienced what I call "productive procrastination."

Let's be honest — we all delay important tasks. When we direct our energy to doing other tasks that are still kinda-sorta in the "productive" bucket, we feel less guilty.

But this approach can actually work in your favor, especially once you recognize the pattern and learn to use it strategically. Intrigued? Keep reading to understand productive procrastination and how to make it work for you!

What is Productive Procrastination?

Productive procrastination happens when we delay important (but not urgent) tasks while tackling less important activities that still contribute to our overall progress. This might mean doing extra research before starting that report, or temporarily setting it aside to handle more pressing matters like answering emails from six years ago, submitting an application for that pottery class you've always meant to sign up for, or stepping away for some exercise.

Procrastinators usually get labeled as lazy slackers, so you might think productive procrastination is just another "bad" habit to kick. But here's the difference: productive procrastination isn't as bad as regular, unproductive procrastination. It's not about falling into a three-hour TikTok rabbit hole. Instead, you're tackling genuinely useful tasks—like finally using that gym membership you've been paying for since 2022 — things that help you grow as a person.

So you see, master the art of productive procrastination and you'll actually get something worthwhile from your avoidance tactics! All you need is a game plan for doing it right.

Benefits of Productive Procrastination

Improves Knowledge and Skills

Choosing your procrastination time to improve your knowledge and skills is time well spent. Say you're delaying shooting a new video for your social media page. If you enroll in a short content creation course instead, won't that help you when you return to the video? In fact, it may even entice you to complete the task sooner, because you may be itching to test your new skills.

Improves Time Management, Prioritization

The closer you leave things to the deadline, the better you get at time management and prioritizing! Some people just work better under the pressure of time and can get it right when they don't have too much liberty to overthink things, and so all the procrastinator needs to do is (gulp!) let the time to deadline get closer.

Reduces Burnout and Stress

In today's life, work just leads to more work. The farther we push ourselves, the more stress we feel and the closer we get to burning out. Productive procrastination can help us slow down, find the balance between work and other parts of life, and improve our well-being.

More Creativity and Innovation

When you're Mr. or Ms. Productive and you tackle tasks immediately, you typically default to the conventional approach. But by being naughty and procrastinating a bit, you create space to think differently and generate more creative solutions. Using your procrastination time on activities that ultimately support your main goal can boost your creativity.

For instance, if you immediately write that report you're assigned, you'll probably stick to standard Excel tables and graphs. But if you spend some time learning Photoshop first, you might discover more interesting and effective ways to present your data. See how productive procrastination pays off!

Dangers of Too Much Productive Procrastination

Certainly, productive procrastination has a lot of pros to it. But indulge in it too much, and you'll start to feel the cons:

Important Tasks Get Delayed

If we start to practice productive procrastination for every important task, sooner or later, we'll miss deadlines. Not every task can be completed properly close to the deadline, and you don't want to learn this the hard way. Don't be tempted to try this with critical tasks!

Leads to False Sense of Achievement

You may become a master at using your procrastination time as motivation to learn new things, and improve your skills. But this may lead you to a bout of self-deception, where you feel everything is sailing forward, and you're getting so many productive tasks done, while forgetting the most crucial thing – the big goal is still unfinished! If you use productive procrastination as a strategy, make sure you're getting meaningful tasks done.

Physical and Mental Health Takes a Hit

Sometimes, procrastination is nature's way of saying you're doing too much, and need to give yourself a moment to rest. Simply filling the time with more tasks and activities will put your body and mind at added risk.

Eventually, There is More Stress and Pressure

The more you try to do with your time, the greater the stress and pressure you feel, eventually leading you to a burnout phase.

Productive Procrastination vs Structured Procrastination

Productive procrastination is also referred to as structured procrastination, but there might be important differences. If you're "structuring" procrastination, it seems to imply that you're building in some buffer into your plans. You know you're going to procrastinate -- so you schedule some time to do just that! (And this makes it the same as scheduling a break!)

If you're using "structured procrastination" as a mindful, deliberate strategy, that can be an interesting tool. For example, if you have 5 things on your to-do list, and your mind is rebelling against doing the most important one. If the way you work is that you don't fight this resistance, but allow your mind to feel a change by tackling one of the other tasks, till you feel ready to take on the important one, that's a win in all ways! Your to-do list is getting done while you're procrastinating!

In summary, productive procrastination is the broad phenomenon of getting useful things done while you procrastinate, and structured procrastination is a refined method to achieve that on purpose. Structured procrastination is a deliberate technique – it involves consciously planning your task list to exploit procrastination. In contrast, productive procrastination is a broader term for any instance of procrastinating by doing something useful. Productive procrastination can happen intentionally or unintentionally (sometimes you just drift into doing other chores), whereas structured procrastination is by definition intentional and structured.

Now that you understand productive procrastination and want to try and practice it more effectively, keep some tips in mind:

How to Procrastinate Productively, Effectively

Figure Out Your Important and Urgent Tasks

Productive procrastination is best practiced when you have the time to spare! Don't attempt it when you have urgent things to do. Write down your tasks in order of importance and urgency. Figure out which tasks may be important but not urgent, and you may be able to get in some productive procrastination for those. And again, don't try productive procrastination for priority tasks!

Prioritization is the Key Idea

When you create your to-do list, make sure to prioritize -- see what tasks need to get done first, whether they are big or small, and whether they can actually get done in the procrastination time you're giving yourself.

Engage in Creative, Beneficial Activities

The time you are "assigning" to procrastination needs to be spent wisely. It should not always be spent on marginally useful things. Hey, if you're going to procrastinate, let's try to squeeze out the maximum bang for your buck! Try to find activities that improve your well-being and skills, like taking a fitness class, enrolling in a short course, or picking up a new hobby.

Monitor Your Procrastination Habits

Try to identify which kind of tasks you tend to procrastinate on the most and see if there is a pattern -- if there is, you can plan your productive procrastination time around this. For example, if you procrastinate a lot while studying, set your study goals in advance so you're giving yourself buffer to get around to them in a reasonable amount of time.

Don't Get Carried Away

Not every task should be delayed, and don't try to squeeze too much productivity into your procrastination time either. Use it smartly to make sure you're doing things, not overdoing them. By embracing continuous learning, you can effectively develop adaptive behavior that helps you thrive in your goals.

If You Need a Break, Take It

Taking a breather is never a bad thing, so if you decide that there are times when you just need an unproductive break, don't feel guilty about taking it. Give yourself room and time to rest and energize for better productivity.

Get Accountability

Get an accountability partner or service to help you get productive -- even while you're procrastinating on your important tasks. For example, if you tell your accountability partner what your main task is and when you actually need to get started on it, they'll be there to tell you when you're getting carried away with your productive procrastination.

Productive procrastination with BaaS

Boss as a Service is here to help you achieve all your goals – no matter how you decide to approach them. Our bosses will help you identify your main tasks, create a plan to achieve them, and monitor your progress. If we catch you procrastinating, even productively, we're here to help you figure out why you're doing so, and how we can get back to the most important tasks!

Final Thoughts

Everyone indulges in procrastination, so why not make it productive instead of doing absolutely nothing? Find ways to spend the time improving your overall well-being.

Liked this blog? Check out some more here in the same vein:

• Growth Mindset Examples for Work and Life
• How to Alight the Perfectionism and Procrastination Cycle
• Systems vs Goals: Which Path to Choose for Success