The Truth about Positive Procrastination : Myth Vs Reality
The concept of positive procrastination has been gaining popularity, especially among procrastinators who are starting to identify themselves as productive or active procrastinators.
In this article, you will find out whether or not you meet the criteria of a positive procrastinator.
We will go through the concept of positive procrastination, the story behind it, its pros and cons, and the scientific debate surrounding its validity.
To learn more, keep reading!
Table of Contents
What is positive procrastination ?
Positive procrastination is a form of procrastination that is seen as helpful or at least less harmful than regular or “passive procrastination”.
Positive procrastination is defined as the purposeful and deliberate delay of tasks and projects to a later date or until close to a deadline, with the intention of
- Working on other (less important) tasks, or
- Working under the pressure and excitement of an approaching deadline
Now, the concept of positive procrastination, albeit controversial, is based on the assumption that there is a more productive way of procrastinating while rejecting the idea that all procrastination is harmful.
Origin of the concept (the funny story of Dr. John Perry)
This idea of positive procrastination was popularized by philosophy professor John Perry (a typical self-hating procrastinator himself), who wrote an essay in 1995 titled “Structured Procrastination,” where he talked about the use of procrastination as a tool to accomplish goals. He turned this idea into a book: “The Art of Procrastination.”
It all began when he recognized that, in contrast to how he had felt his entire life about procrastinating, he was typically very productive most of the time. He said: “Procrastinators seldom do nothing.”
According to Dr. Perry, “performing low-priority tasks becomes a way of not completing the higher-priority tasks.” Thus, the “structured procrastinator” becomes a productive citizen and can even acquire a reputation for getting a lot done.
The philosopher acknowledges that structured procrastination relies on self-deception, like most productivity tricks, he adds. He even sees it as an argument for not blaming himself for procrastinating.
The two forms of positive procrastination:
There are two forms of positive procrastination that are believed to have some benefit over regular or passive procrastination :
1. Active procrastination
The procrastinator actively and deliberately chooses to delay the task until near the deadline as a way to pressure and motivate themselves to work better and harder.
This type of procrastination is also called academic procrastination, because it is prevalent in students who are in the habit of delaying homework and projects until days before a deadline or an exam.
The main argument of an active procrastinator is that “waiting until you really have to take action can excite you, make you focus for an exceptionally long period of time, increase your productivity, and allow you to complete several days’ worth of work in a few hours”.
Active procrastination is also a characteristic of the “crisis-maker” type.
2. Productive procrastination
Also called structured procrastination, the productive procrastinator may delay important tasks to work on less important ones.
An example of this form of positive procrastination is when a student delays working on their class project but cleans their room instead. An office worker delays working on his important office management plan but still checks his emails.
The main line of defense of a productive procrastinator is that “getting something done, even if it is less important, is still much better than sitting idle and doing nothing.”
Active procrastination is a characteristic of the “over-doer” type.
Three pros and cons of positive procrastination
1. Three pros of positive procrastination
- Getting things done: productive procrastination helps you get things done, albeit at the expense of other more important things. But as opposed to passive (standard) procrastination, where you keep delaying all kinds of tasks, productive or structured procrastinators at least get some tasks done.
- Increasing efficiency: Some people are a lot more productive and creative when they are under stress or tension. You can feel more motivated and focused under the pressure of a deadline and can get a lot done in a short amount of time.
- Tasks may simply vanish: tasks that appear important at the time may become irrelevant over time, and may even vanish entirely. The desk job you keep delaying may be done by a colleague, and your room may still get cleaned by mom if you leave it messy for a long time. As one saying goes: “Never do today any task that may disappear by tomorrow.”
2. Three cons of positive procrastination
- Provide an excuse to procrastinate: even the philosopher who conceptualized the term “structured procrastination” concedes that it is a form of self-deception, a mere excuse to avoid the label of “procrastinator.” This excuse may make it difficult for the procrastinator to take action to address and overcome their maladaptive behavior.
- May lead to poor performance: delaying tasks to the last minute may jeopardize your ability to produce high quality results in such a short time. Especially since most people overestimate their ability to finish complex tasks in a short period of time.
Some studies have shown that active procrastination results in poor overall performance and is linked to dysfunctional motivational and behavioral characteristics. - May increase stress and anxiety: it is well established that passive procrastination is linked to higher levels of stress and lower levels of well-being. Positive procrastination may lead to the same consequences. Structured procrastinators may keep delaying important tasks until they become overwhelmed by them, as they only focus on urgent tasks, which is not a sustainable strategy and may lead to chronic stress and even burnout.
Scientific debate around the concept of positive procrastination
There is controversy around the concept of positive procrastination. For instance, many researchers argue that active procrastination is not procrastination at all and should not be viewed as such. They call it “purposeful delay”.
As opposed to standard or passive procrastination which is a form of self-regulation failure that results in tasks delay with negative consequences on performance and psychological well-being, active procrastination is viewed as a deliberate delay that is purposeful and usually results in positive outcomes.
According to research, active procrastination is linked to favorable outcomes including higher grades, improved performance, better health, and mental well-being, which is in opposition to the unfavorable effects usually discovered in studies on passive procrastination.
Another 2015 paper by Mohsen Haghbin, who established a typology of six different types of delays, showed that active procrastination can be viewed as a combination of purposeful and arousal delays rather than procrastination.
Scientific data supports the claim that, contrary to procrastination, active procrastination is actually an active or purposeful delay and exhibits traits of adaptive types of self-regulatory systems.
A 2019 study comparing the effects of active and passive procrastination questioned the construct validity of active procrastination as a form of procrastination. It was shown that “active procrastination does not contribute to behavioral delay,” as opposed to passive procrastination.
The current findings demonstrate that, although active procrastinators delay tasks to the same extent as passive procrastinators, they resemble non-procrastinators more than passive procrastinators in terms of their ability to manage time, self-efficacy, coping mechanisms, and their outcomes.
My opinion
So, is positive procrastination a thing?
I have a problem with both words that make up the concept of “positive procrastination.” Two questions arise.
Is it positive ?
My problem with the word “positive,” is that it implies that procrastination can be an adaptive and productive behavior. This is counterintuitive because the main component of procrastination is self-regulation failure, with detrimental behavioral and psychological consequences. It is like saying positive depression or positive PTSD. The word “positive” just doesn’t fit.
Is it procrastination ?
A growing body of research is showing that “active procrastination” and procrastination may be two entirely different processes. They differ so much that active procrastination is more linked to non-procrastination than to procrastination. Many researchers prefer to talk about purposeful delay rather than positive procrastination.
So, I think that “purposeful delay” is a better term than “positive procrastination”, as it doesn’t create confusion around the maladaptive nature of procrastination.
And even if we agree that positive procrastination is a form of procrastination, I still think it constitutes a maladaptive behavior that results in negative consequences, although it may be less problematic than passive procrastination.
For example, a student who purposefully delays a project until days before a deadline may also suffer stress and poor performance.
Another example of a structured procrastinator is an office clerk who keeps putting off important projects and only does urgent and less important tasks. This person may still be at high risk of poor job performance and burnout.
So, even if we consider this positive procrastination a milder, more benign form of procrastination, we still need to address it as a problematic behavior.
Takeaways
Positive procrastination is the deliberate and purposeful delay of tasks and projects with the goal to perform better under the pressure of an impending deadline or to finish other less important tasks.
The idea of positive procrastination is based on the belief that there are productive ways to procrastinate.
John Perry, a philosophy professor, popularized the concept of productive procrastination in his 1995 essay “Structured Procrastination,” which explored the use of procrastination as a technique to achieve the desired goals.
Positive procrastination can increase productivity and boost efficiency and creativity according to some studies, but it can also result in stress and poor performance according to other studies.
The concept of positive procrastination is controversial, and according to many researchers, positive or active procrastination is not procrastination and should not be considered as such. It is better referred to as “purposeful delay.”
Even if positive procrastination is viewed as a milder, more benign form of procrastination, it still needs to be addressed as a problematic behavior.
◉ Life-Changing Procrastination Stats, Trends and Facts 2022
https://thrivemyway.com/procrastination-stats/
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About the author
My name is Sam David. I am the founder of "Proactivity Lab," a website that provides comprehensive strategies and resources for understanding and overcoming procrastination.
The website's resources are the culmination of more than 20 years of research and experience, during which I embarked on a long and gruelling journey of study and self-discovery.
Being a former procrastinator myself, it took me years of investigation and numerous trials and errors to gain a clear understanding of the underlying causes of procrastination and the most effective and scientifically supported strategies to permanently conquer the vicious cycle of procrastination.
I would like to share my knowledge with you, for free.
