5 Steps to Boost Your Creativity by Procrastinating on Purpose

We all know those people who dive into assignments immediately and finish well before the deadline. I despised those individuals almost as much as I wanted to be like them. The ability to churn out finished products with discipline and vigor seemed to be a trait of the most successful people, but everything I dived into immediately was bland and uninspired. On the other hand, assignments I completed at the last minute were a whole different kind of useless: disorganized and directionless products of panic. My best work always happened when I put it off just long enough that I had time to put thought into it, but not so long that it was a pressure-filled race to the finish line.
This unintentional mentality all made sense when I stumbled upon Adam Grant’s TED Talk: “The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers.” One quality that the most creative people have in common is that they moderately procrastinate. They read and understand the requirements of an assignment, and then they do nothing at all until they have a seed of inspiration to tackle the challenge. Practically speaking, here is how you can set up camp at the procrastination station in an intentional way.
1) Understand the assignment criteria. Read the requirements thoroughly, and acquire a working vision of what the final product should look like

2) Take an extended break from your project (but not just any break). Don’t choose mindless time-wasters that block out your mental static, but rather those that allow it to flow and take shape. Try out some of the following activities in order to better hear your thoughts:
- Engage in physical activity — Being active increases blood-flow to the brain and reduces stress!
- Organization/decluttering — An organized home and workspace allow you to think much more clearly, and personal items have a fantastic way of sparking thoughts and memories.
- Personalize your workspace — Transform your existing workstation to include items that make you happy and encourage your creative mindset.

- Daydream — Cloud watch, people watch, gaze at scenery, and let your thoughts wander wherever they’d like! As a kid, you had the most off the wall, creative ideas, and they’ve been suppressed by “inside the box” expectations. Channel your inner child and let the ridiculous ideas flow.
- Talk about your ideas with a peer — There is a dual benefit to seeking feedback. You will be able to clarify your thoughts as you speak them aloud, and you’ll gain another helpful perspective from someone who isn’t in the weeds of challenge at hand.
3) Avoid These procrastination pit-falls:
- Indulging in too many technological distractions — This is the quickest way to stifle your creative thoughts and dry up the well of inspiration.
- Starting your project right before the deadline — rushing to finish something rarely propagates creativity
- Waiting for the “perfect” inspiration — “Waiting for inspiration is like standing at the airport waiting for a train,” Leigh Michaels. Epiphanies are a rare gift, and you cannot expect them to show up regularly. All you need is the seed of a decent idea to cultivate into a full-fledged masterpiece.
4) Dive back into production-mode! Once they’re out of your head and put into more tangible form, your ideas will likely look more cohesive than you imagined.
5) Leave enough time before your deadline to seek specific, targeted feedback. Try asking a peer, not to review the entire finished product, but rather the few parts that you’re least confident about. An objective eye can provide you with those last few polishes to make your work excellent.

For those of us who constantly pressure ourselves to start and finish projects immediately, we need to remember it’s not only okay to relax a bit, it’s probably the most beneficial thing we can do. Let’s learn to accept the procrastination portion of our creative processes! Then, we can be mindful and in touch with what works for us, and create our own work rhythms.
