We have all been there. You have something important that you need to do, you know you need to get it done, but you just do not want to do it right now, so you push it off for later. What do you do next, though?

Do you watch a movie or Netflix? Do you take a nap or have a snack? Or do you do something else that you've been pushing off? If you chose the last option, you may be a productive procrastinator.

What is a productive procrastinator? A productive procrastinator is someone who puts off one task to do another task they've been needing to do. I am just that.

For example, I have a 14-page essay due, but I also need to write a 3-page paper. The deadline for the essay comes before the deadline for the paper, but currently, I am writing the paper instead of writing the essay. Both tasks are very important, so technically I am getting something done, just not in the order that they should be done.

Productive procrastination is weird, though. At least, it is for me. I tend to feel guilty for not doing the work that is the most important, but when I get a different task done that I have been pushing off, I feel so happy that it is finally done. I think productive procrastination comes for me because I get so overwhelmed with everything I need to do that I decide to do the things that are easy so that I do not have to worry about them once I am done the main task. I can just be done with my work and relax.

Unfortunately, the relaxing part never seems to follow, probably because I have pushed off the most important thing until the very last minute, so now it is time to move right on to the next very important thing. Here we are once again, the productive procrastinating cycle continues.

If you're anything like me, this type of procrastinating is probably slightly annoying, but hey, at least you're getting stuff done, right? So, my question to you, are you a productive procrastinator?