I don’t want to do what I don’t want to do. Simple as that.
Really, procrastinating is the most natural thing. Why would people not want to procrastinate? Who would choose to spend time completing unexciting tasks that they don’t want to do in the first place?
Growing up, I was always told that it is important to prioritize my tasks.
It was always, “The faster you finish the important stuff, the faster you can get to the fun stuff.”
I call B.S.
Have you ever set out a list of tasks with the most important (and most likely least desirable) task at the top? I have, and you know what happened? Everything else!
I get that procrastination is supposed to be this big bad thing, but really, It’s kind of great.
This quarter I submitted a paper three minutes before midnight, when it was due.
It’s not that the assignment was difficult, or was even going to be excessively time-consuming. I just didn’t want to do it.
It seemed stupid, and I didn’t have the want or the will to sit down and type out the regurgitated information my teacher was asking for. So what did I do instead? Everything else.
While I was avoiding the paper I, watched the entire second season of "Preachers Daughter" on Netflix, called my friend from back home, did all my laundry, cleaned my room, went grocery shopping, deposited my paycheck, answered e-mails, made a doctor's appointment, cleared my laptop desktop, organized the bathroom counter, bought shelves and assembled them.
After I had everything on my list done, I wrote my paper.
The key to being a successful procrastinator is to have a list. Do exactly what everyone told you to do growing up. Prioritize.
No one wants to spend their time doing things they don’t want to do, so do the things you want to do first. Watch, as the list gets smaller, the things that you didn’t want to do before becomes great things to do instead of the things ahead of them.
I’m always trying to find a way to procrastinate, to get out of doing those annoying tasks, and by doing so I’ve saved myself from lot of time spent doing things I don’t want to do. Over the years I’ve figured out that, really, procrastination is the best way to get things done.
Happy people spend time doing things that make them happy. With that flawless logic, it’s safe to say, happy people procrastinate.
