You’re procrastinating all wrong
We have all had our bouts with procrastination. Whether it was in school, finally getting to that essay… the evening before it is due. Or at home, putting off that load of laundry, sewing up that hole, or that project that you know would inevitably bring you joy and relief… once finally started, let alone completed.
The word procrastination has been tossed through the dirt and thrown around as though it is a negative word we can’t seem to shake. No matter how much you accomplish and no matter how successful you become, there’s still that lingering fear that procrastination will win the war.
But what if we’ve been looking at procrastination as a hinderance rather than a tool we can use to help. If we know that we will always battle with procrastination, shouldn’t we instead figure out a way to use this battle to our advantage?
That’s why I decided to come up with a plan to use it to help me make my newly improved skeleton schedule, rather than trying to fight off every time. I mean, would you get angry every time you got a flat tire, or would you understand that eventually everyone gets a flat tire and it just means you need to be prepared for one?
So I’ve already mentioned my idea for a skeleton schedule in this post, but essentially it’s a basic outline of your day. If you’re like me and are not working from home and need to fill an entire day (after day after day), it might feel very overwhelming trying to decided how to fill it, especially if you try to decide on that day.
What a skeleton schedule does is give you an outline of the day while still allowing you the freedom of filling in the gaps. Less decision fatigue = more freedom.
So I’ve come up with a little trick that uses procrastination to your advantage instead of allowing it (and the follow up guilt) to take over.
What I did was broke up my grand list of things I want to get done everyday into 3 separate lists: List A — Productivity, List B — Entertainment, and List C — Education. So now in my schedule where I have blank slots of time, I inserted either A, B, or C as options of things to do.
For example
The below is part of my skeleton schedule, from 730 to 1030 I have nothing specific planned:
450 — wake up
500 — make coffee
515 — start writing
630 — yoga
730 — finish writing, go for walk, or workout
Choose something from List A
1030 — Lunch
Choose something from List A or List B
THEN choose something from List C
OR Workout
OR catch up with friends/family on the phone
1600 — Dinner
1645 — Go for walk
1800 — Sunset
Choose something from List B or List C
1945 — Two kiwifruit (to assist with sleeping)
2000 — Nighttime routine
2100 — In bed reading/writing 3 things I’m grateful for
I know that the mornings are my most productive time, so it would make sense to do something productive during that time. It’s most likely to get done in the morning or not at all. So I have the option of doing something from List A during that time.
What does my List A look like?
List A — Productivity
Update Resume
Update LinkedIn
Write article(s)
Call about unemployment/benefit
Clean room
Reorganise drawers
Sew up holes in clothes
Finish Laundry
So now, what’s really great about this is there are things on this list that I consistently put off doing and do something else instead. And what is procrastination if not putting off what you need to do, to do something else? So there are plenty of things on the list that I don’t want to do, so I still feel like I’m scratching my procrastination itch by NOT doing so many of the things on that list — which is the trick.
After lunch I do something from List B — which is entertainment or List A. After I choose something from List C — which is Education. I normally enjoying watching part of a movie or some TV after I have lunch. I normally feel pretty accomplished by this point, so I don’t feel any guilt in taking some time to relax.
List B — Entertainment
Watch movie/tv show
Scrolling through social media apps
Sudoku
Word search
Play video game
List C — Education
Read book(s)
Listen to audiobook/podcast
Read article(s) on Medium
Learn a new subject on Khan Academy (for example)
I choose to combine taking a walk and listening to an audiobook/podcast. This is a great pairing strategy I have incorporated into my life since first hearing about it nearly 5 years ago. Now, I find it difficult to listen to an audiobook or podcast without walking. The only exception I make is when travelling in a car. For example, during my cross country (NZ) road trip I would listen to audiobooks (hey, technically I’m moving!).
And while reading could be considered a form of entertainment, I decided for myself I would put it in Education because I’m currently reading a biography and self improvement book, both of which can be used to add to my life in some way.
You’re more than welcome to split the lists out differently if you feel like 3 lists don’t work for you. Create more variations and move them to a time of day that works best for YOU.
If you have any suggestions on how to make this list even better, please feel free to comment below!
Happy procrastinating to you all!
