Procrastination is an inevitable human trait. We all do it at one time or another and approximately 20% of us chronically procrastinate. There has been considerable debate about the the validity of procrastinating, some saying it increases focuses, and helps people work under pressure, others saying it exhibits a lack of self control.
So which is it? Is it good, bad or indifferent? And how can you a tell if you are a chronic procrastinator. According to British psychologist Anna Abramowski,there are two types of procrastinators: passive and active. Passive is apparently the bad one – getting us stuck in uncertainty and failure to act quickly. Active, on the other hand can make us self reliant, autonomous and self confident and can lead to inspiration and innovation. Procrastination can also make us be more focused, more productive and make other things seem easier.
But procrastination can be a problem if it is your consistent approach to things regardless of what type of quality is required for a problem. Procrastination creates pressure which can ultimately lead to lower quality output. So if your project requires a considered, thoughtful approach over time, then procrastinating is not going to serve you. When quality is important in your end result, procrastination is ultimately not your friend. You might want to try a more thoughtful and startegic approach, planning your time carefully,
The take home message here is use procrastination strategically. If you have small creative projects that need tight, focused thoughts, then procrastination might just serve you well. If however you use procrastination as a consistent approach to problem solving, it is likely that it is affecting the quality of your output. At the end of the day, it comes down to what works for you. If you procrastinate often, you might need to adopt some strategies for avoiding procrastination. The bookshop has a number of study resources that can help you . How does procrastination work or not work for you?