Many of you know that I’ve been working on a lifestyle leadership ebook for several weeks now. I’m making progress, but it’s honestly one of the harder personal projects I’ve attempted – partially because I care so much about the subject.
In my experience, when you care intensely about a project, sometimes that passion can actually become fuel for procrastination. Caring is hard work, so you find ways to distract yourself. Cleaning out your desk drawers? Sure. Doing the dishes? Of course. Spending some time on the treadmill? Works.
Anything to get away from that big, scary goal you care too much about.
Note that these distractions aren’t actually bad in and of themselves. They’re all useful, productive, healthy activities.
In fact, some people even make a habit of distracting themselves in this way. They take on big, hairy, important projects, then use procrastination to fuel other useful work – like cleaning the house. If this sounds familiar to you, then you’re engaging in something called “structured procrastination.”
How does this work?
John Perry writes:
“Procrastinators seldom do absolutely nothing; they do marginally useful things, like gardening or sharpening pencils or making a diagram of how they will reorganize their files when they get around to it … However, the procrastinator can be motivated to do difficult, timely and important tasks, as long as these tasks are a way of not doing something more important.”
Therefore, by taking on tasks which “seem awfully important (but really aren’t)” and that “seem to have clear deadlines (but really don’t),” procrastinators can trick themselves into doing other, marginally important work.
On the surface, this is a pretty clever idea. Instead of fighting procrastination, you turn it to your advantage and look like a productive, busy person in the process.
But here’s the problem…
It’s still an excuse. It’s a rationalization. It’s still a trick to placate what Seth Godin calls the lizard brain and get out of fighting what Steven Pressfield calls The Resistance. Yes, we’re getting the dishes done, but at what cost? Yes, we may look like busy, productive, responsible people to the rest of the world, but are appearances really what we’re going for? Are “marginally useful things” what we’re really here to accomplish?
I don’t think so.
But what about choosing pseudo-goals that seem important, but really aren’t? Isn’t that a good way to push yourself toward other important tasks? This is all well and good (disregarding the fact that you’re lying to yourself), but what happens to your life goals? What happens to those dreams and ambitions that are more important to you than anything else? What happens when you can’t find a fake goal that’s more important than your real ones?
Structured procrastination teaches you to procrastinate on the most important task on your list … what if that task happens to be the one thing that matters?
Good vs. Great
Structured procrastination is a great example of how good work often crowds out great work. Keeping the house clean, staying in shape, making detailed plans, holding staff meetings – these are all examples of good work. They’re useful and even necessary at times.
But as Michael Bungay Stanier points out in Do More Great Work, if you spend all your time and resources doing good work, you won’t have any space left for doing great work – that is, the inspired, life-changing, status-quo-shattering work that you truly love. That, to me, is a big problem. Lots of people do good work, but only a few manage to do great work more than a few minutes a day.
How do you get out of the structured procrastination trap? Start by calling a spade a spade. You know in your heart when you’re doing something because it’s necessary and when you’re using something as an excuse. Don’t allow yourself to explain away excuses as “useful work.”
Second, realize that, in order to find room for your great work, whatever you believe it to be, you may need to sacrifice not only busy work, but also some of your good work. Those of you who are minimalists will find this a familiar concept – sometimes you need to eliminate something, not because it’s bad, but simply because you need room for something better.
Now it’s your turn. What do you think about the idea of structured procrastination? Is it helpful, harmful, or neither? How do you make room for great work in your life?
15 Comments on “Good vs. Great: The Case Against Structured Procrastination”
says:
I’ve had to clamp down on myself because procrastination (structured and otherwise) was getting the upper hand. Although it sounds painful on the surface, I’ve actually been getting tons more done and enjoying more free time since putting myself on a schedule and sticking with it. In a way, I’m like that little kid who rebels at rules and guidelines but secretly finds security within the framework.
Rather than just schedule ‘work,’ I break it down into 2 hours for communications, 2 hours for writing, 2 hours for projects, etc., and then I get more specific within that structure. Absolutely no procrastinating allowed for me these days :)
says:
Frameworks are very helpful for me too, but only when I’m the right state of mind, if that makes sense. If I try to impose an arbitrary framework on myself (overplanning, in other words), it tends to fall apart quickly. I do better when I start with a loose framework and build a natural work or life routine on top of it.
says:
Great post, but I can’t help myself. I have to pipe up and say that spending time exercising, even if its on the treadmill is a GREAT way to structure procrastination, because I am sure when you are done you’ll be energized and ready to go. But that’s what one would expect from a fitness pro.
I really do like the part about knowing in your heart because I do believe we sometimes need space away from what we are working on. It provides valuable perpective and room for creativity. Other times though, its like kilometer 36 in the marathon… you’re so close… but yet still have significant work ahead, and you really have to push through it.
And Jean, I’m a rule rebel to :)
says:
I really think the difference lies in the heart. If you know in your heart that spending some time doing physical exercise is what you should be doing, then absolutely go for it. I know, for example, that taking short, relaxed walks often gets me in the mood to write.
On the other hand, I know in my heart when I use exercise (or any other useful activity) as a way to get out of doing something important. That’s when I have to force myself back on task.
says:
Hey Jeffrey – thanks for the shout out. And best of luck w. writing that ebook. Just keep at it, my friend. This is when you need that resilience.
says:
Thanks for the encouragement, Michael!
says:
Best line: When passion becomes the fuel for procrastination.
I’ve experienced this before, for sure, and have found the most effective strategy to wake up early in the morning and promise myself it’s going to be THE very first thing I do, no matter what. Then, once I’m engaged, it’s hard to rip me away. To get engaged, though, is the initial challenge, because your mind overwhelms you with thoughts of, “What if it isn’t good enough?” which can be daunting as hell.
Nice points here, Jeffrey.
says:
I know exactly what you mean. When I get into the flow of writing, I can go for hours and hours – and love every minute of it. But the hardest part is getting myself to wade into the flow of work in the first place. I’m always reminding myself, “Remember, once you get started it’s easy to keep going – so hurry up and get started!”
says:
I noticed this one day and gave it some thought. Although I didn’t know it had the name ’structured procrastination’.
It seems like a great idea in theory, but your arguement holds up well. Afterall, who doesn’t want to do great things?
-@JoshuaGuffey
says:
I really liked the idea of structured procrastination when I first ran across it. Turn procrastination into a virtue instead of a flaw? Yes please.
But the more I looked at the idea, the more I realized that it was wrong for me – at least if I was concerned with doing something remarkable, instead of just being a dutiful (even productive) member of the status quo.
says:
I think the procrastination also arises when we feel that we need to mull over something for a bit before taking action. For example, I’m also starting a ebook and I find myself postponing work on it because I don’t yet have a clear definition for the purpose of the book. I keep telling myself that one of these days I’ll come up with the perfect purpose and direction for the book and I’ll snap into action.
The truth of the matter is, action itself is necessary to figure out the purpose and direction. Making mistakes, changing direction, and discovering roadblocks are all part of the journey. We can stare at the top of the mountain all day contemplating the best route to take and looking for all the places to avoid, but without even starting the climb, it’s impossible to reach the top.
says:
“The truth of the matter is, action itself is necessary to figure out the purpose and direction.” This is probably the most important thing I’ve learned in the past year. With the exception of very black-and-white issues (“Don’t touch a hot stove; you’ll burn your hand), there’s no substitute for actually doing it.
I used to spend far too much time planning and speculating and waiting for the perfect inspiration to strike, which meant that I got a grand total of nothing done. Now, I’ve learned that as long as an idea seems reasonably valid, the best course of action is just to give it a trial run and find out how well it holds up.
says:
I’m with you on this one. The “trial run” is at least some form of action toward the greater goal. It’s a variation on loving the process. Thus we see the dual nature of great things, both as a goal and as an action.
says:
Jeffrey, this is a great post and one of my favourite arenas because I think it ties in with momentum so intricately. Procrastination is momentum killing but I love your take on it. Re-routing our procrastination to work on our great stuff. I agree with Sarah about exercise. It’s a great way to take a break from the great work and yet still be working on it, internally while you energize externally. I haven’t been running enough this week and I can feel it, inside and out. Great post, now back to my great work…after I do a couple of errands. Shoot! I blew it already.
says:
In my perspective ’structured procrastination’ is nothing more than a mental ploy to sidetrack you from what you ultimately know you should be doing.
I can’t see this mental avoidance tactic as being considered “strategy”. Instead, it’s really just a clever method of your subconscious to pull you away from doing what you ultimately know you should be doing.
Anyways, that seems to be your point in this post. Enjoyed.