ZURB – Why Procrastination Works

Why Procrastination Works by Bryan

June 29, 2010 in Business and Startups with 11 Comments

We all know that kid in school who waited until the last minute to write their report for school and still pulled out an A anyway. Why do some people excel when they procrastinate while others get burned?

We all really want to believe it's pure talent, but when you look closer at why procrastination works for some people, you start to understand that there are a number of principles that can be replicated. If you break down the technique, there are few key behaviors that might look like laziness, but instead contribute to the overall success of a project.

To procrastinate the right way, you need:

Very specific goals - When you know what you're trying to accomplish, you take much of the guess work out of the equation. Instead of thinking, "I need to put some time into the Harrison project," say to yourself, "I need to create five wireframes, 40 sketches, and write a two-page report." By being specific you set a clear, obtainable goal.

Very specific time frames - if you work backwards from an established endpoint, you know exactly how much time you'll need to put into a project. The more you know your craft, the easier it becomes to "wait til the last minute."

Visualization of a result - When you know "how many, and in what time frame," all of your thinking time can now be applied to a positive end result. Visualizing success is a key ingredient to a great outcome— it's a rehearsal that keeps shaping the solution.

A good enough result - Focus on a good result to get rid of risky ideas that may not produce any results. Remember that time limits how much needless, unfocused experimentation you can get away with.

When you put these principles together you end up with a replicable technique that creates results. At ZURB we call this timeboxing.

11 Comments

iamHenry says:

Phewww! I thought I was the only one. Glad I'm not alone.
rorschachdesign says:

At school my Executive Director always told me I was Mr. GSD...gettin S&*t Done. I wouldn't intentionally wait til the last minute, I was just really good at getting quality results under ridiculous time frames. I'm sure there are a good number of us out there...we just like to keep our secret, well, secret, but now the cat's out of the bag....
Tanya (ZURB) says:

This strategy works for the sort of person who's motivated and focused by a time crunch. Other people just hate it and fall apart.

An great essay (and concept), Structured Procrastination, is online here: http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/. (Read it, it's funny.) If you're a procrastinator (like me), take heart: it both legitimizes your personality and points out how to make it work for you. But in wittier terms than that.
zerogreen says:

...I'll think of some more reasons why this is true. ...later.
Alicia says:

I've always been one that works well under pressure, when in school, and now when working for myself. I don't mean to put things off, but it happens, and when it's time to get it done, I snap to it and tackle what I need to do. I could write pages the night before it was done and the reason a paper would turn out so good was because I didn't dwell on it or spend too much time re-writing. The same holds true with my designs. Less second-guessing happens because I don't have the time to do so, and I push, push, push because I have no other choice.
Eric says:

hmm, great post but let's agree to disagree ;)
Matt (ZURB) says:

This technique sometimes works with software engineering when used to help decide what features are truly important. As you get closer to the deadline you decide what you have time left to do and what is not really important.

However if you did a good job with the design and already trimmed out useless or expensive (high cost of development) features then setting an arbitrary date will only add unnecessary stress and most likely reduce overall efficiency. Look for other psychological motivators in this case to keep the pace up.
Dmitry (ZURB) says:

I find that if people avoid a task there is usually a reason why. They might not be motivated by the rewards of accomplishing the task. They might be dreading the process of working through the task. They might not be clear about the goals and outcome of the task. They simply might be bored with the task. Whatever the reason is - it's important to look deep and ask yourself - Why do I not want to do this? Timeboxing will force you to ask that question earlier than later.
Jason says:

@Dmitry: What you say about avoidance is true. Understanding that root cause for procrastinating is key to kick starting yourself or getting help to get it done. I am a procrastinator, and I've come to embrace it when it happens because of scheduling, not avoidance.

The principles you mention are good to keep in mind, and I've a trick to share as well: If I know something is due in two days (a proposal, deck, prototype or whatnot) and I haven't started it yet I spend an hour cranking through a first draft of it then sleep on it.

In that hour I avoid the blank paper/slide/screen writer's block, learn about the problem and develop an approach. It feels a million times better to come back against a deadline with a bit of something and some new ideas from my subconscious instead of a completely blank slate.

Ok, back to the work I'm procrastinating on now!
Matt says:

Wow and all this time I thought I was just a slacker when really I knew what I was doing the whole time!
irina says:

Excellent article! Thanks for the advices.

A creative person can get inspiration from most anything. The brain needs time to come out with something unique. (If the creative has nothing in mind already)

Same for a programmer. He can have a difficult task and nothing seems to work, a lot of time is wasted trying to find the solution straightaway.

The next day they wake up in the morning with the breakthrough idea. The brain is relaxed and problem fixed. This is why we put the low priorities first. Friedrich Nietzsche said that all truly great thoughts are conceived while walking. Other people think that the cigarette break, reading something fun, playing a silly game etc. These distractions make them feel relaxed and ready for that difficult task.