Fighting the Procrastination Monster

Procrastination is a disease.

Not all diseases are created equally.

In African populations and those descended from Africans the incidence of Sickle Cell Anemia is much higher. It’s a painful condition caused by the malformation of the red blood cells. When they’re actively experiencing a crisis, their world comes to a standstill.

In rural African communities, children with the disease rarely make it to adulthood.

Carriers of the gene that don’t manifest the disease have the genotype AS. The A is the normal gene and the S is the sickle cell gene. Those afflicted with the disease have the genotype SS.

What’s strange is that both the carriers and those who manifest the disease have much lower incidents of uncomplicated malaria. It seems the Malaria parasite has trouble with their abnormal red blood cells and often leaves them alone.

Not all diseases are what they seem on the surface.

Could Procrastination be a blessing in disguise?

It’s been said we create our best work when it’s urgent.

When you have a deadline on the way, you’re firing on all cylinders to get the project done and save yourself. Your normal output is increased, your attention is focused, and you make fewer mistakes. It’s the best of both worlds.

You get to procrastinate and at the last minute reap the benefits of increased focused and productivity.

Urgency, when used correctly, is a powerful tool in your arsenal. Like people carrying the AS genotype, you get the benefits of protection without the negative effects of the disease. With all things, you can abuse urgency and transform it from AS to SS.

Instead of procrastinating enough to unlock your best performance, you procrastinate in a way that causes stress, reduces focus, and brings poor results.

How can we procrastinate the right way?

I have no bloody idea. Just when I think I know the answer, I lose grip on the balance between urgency and apathy. Before sitting down at my desk today, I avoided working for about 8 hours.

I watched a movie, caught up on some anime, and started a call I knew would last an hour. After that, I started cooking and squeezed in a short workout session. By the time I sat down it was 5 o ‘clock and I hadn’t done anything work related.

I pride myself on being productive, but there are some days when I can’t deal.

I’m human.

It was a few minutes after five and I owed myself 2000 words. I stared at the white screen of death for another 15 minutes before I started typing.

One word after the other. The next time I looked up, I’d written five hundred words of garbage. My thoughts were wandering, I couldn’t string sentences together, and my prose was weak.

I deleted it and started over.

This time, I was acutely aware of my looming dinner date. I had two hours to finish writing. I started again, but I was warmed up and the words started flowing from my head onto the white screen of death.

I created something coherent.

It’s a choice

I’ve got no idea how to ensure procrastination doesn’t turn into the most profound apathy. It’s something we’ll all have to fight a personal battle with.

You have to make the choice.

There are days you’d rather sleep until two in the afternoon and forget about everything. It happens. What sets you apart is the choice you make. Do you sleep until two or not?

It’s your ability to shake procrastination off at just the right moment and create a sense of urgency to improve your work that’ll win the fight. That’s how you know you’ve successfully beaten the procrastination monster.

Keep in mind, he’s a stubborn beast. Even when you’ve gotten the best of him, he’s going to come back. It’s a constant fight. Your only job is to go toe to toe with him one day at a time.

Yesterday is a memory.

Tomorrow isn’t promised.

Today, now, is the only moment we’re sure of.