Productive Procrastination

In order to stop productively procrastinating (doing the easy thing instead of the thing you know you need to do), you don’t need to be more focused or disciplined or have more structure.

 

You simply need to scale (or scaffold) the thing you need to do.

 

 

Imagine you have a weight lifting plan.

You get to the gym. You glance at your plan and it says, “deadlift 350lbs”

You approach the bar, add the plates, you get set, breathe out to tighten your core, push through your feet … and nothing happens. 

It’s way too heavy.

 

Instead of simply taking plates off to decrease the weight, you see it as a sign that you can’t deadlift.

And because you don’t want to feel bad about not being able to deadlift, you pick something easier like accessory work (shoulders, calves, and abs). 

At least you’re doing something!

This is productive procrastination.

 

And the solution is the same as in our gym example.

You need to stick with the thing you planned and take the plates off until you can actually lift it. Meaning, plan the smallest part of the big thing you want to avoid, continuing to make that plan smaller and smaller and smaller until you actually feel like taking action on it. 

 

WITHOUT JUDGING YOURSELF OR YOUR ABILITIES:
 

“It shouldn’t be this hard.”

 

Yes, it should. 

 

 Just like if you could’ve lifted the 350 lbs you would have done it. If you could have done it as planned, you would have done it as planned.

 

Just like no amount of struggling against the 350lbs that you can’t lift will make you stronger to lift that in the future. No amount of struggling against projects that are too big will get you to take action on them sooner (this is why you stay stuck in the last minute loop – you never develop the skills needed to take action earlier).

And just like no amount of accessory work will build up your strength to the point of being able to deadlift 350 lbs, no amount of productive procrastination will help you actually build up the skill of getting started early on those big, intimidating projects.

What will make you stronger in the future is to make the weight lighter. And what will allow you follow through faster, easier and earlier on is to use your procrastination as a signal to make the thing you need to do easier.

 

Remember: the end game isn’t that you can put a whole project on your calendar + finish it in one sitting.

 

The end game is:
 

– you can actually sleep through the night instead of losing sleep worrying about that project you should’ve done already
 

– you feel confident and capable instead of freaked out that they’re going to find out you aren’t qualified or good enough

 

– you know how to make ALL of your work feel approachable so work stops piling up
 

– you actually get it done, before the last minute and without working crazy hours to knock it out so you can have a life outside of work again

 

– you don’t have to rely on adrenaline to do the things so you can actually work at a steady pace instead of wiping yourself out and needing days to recover, and forever staying stuck in the last minute cycle

 

Stop trying to lift 350lbs (stop putting whole projects on your calendar)

Make it easier until you can lift it (make it smaller until you WANT to take action)

 

This is how you stop productively procrastinating.