Embracing the Procrastinator Within

Procrastinator seems like such a dirty word. I've been sitting here trying to find a good definition for the word or one that at least makes me feel more comfortable about my own habits of procrastination. “A person who delays or puts things off — like work, chores, or other actions — that should be done in a timely manner.” First I found this definition and felt like that wasn't so bad. Then I found “to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it, because you are lazy, etc.” I definitely didn't want to think of myself as lazy, and for the most part I’m not. Juggling a full-time job as a Career Counselor, freelance resume writing, and a career coaching practice is a lot of work, one that requires discipline and motivation.

At work my colleague and I took a workshop on Competing Priorities and the best description I heard of myself was as a “Necessity Thinker” as oppose to a “Possibility Thinker” A necessity thinker is someone that is motivated by the due date and flourishes during those last few minutes before a project is due. I often find that a due date sets a fire under me. "Possibility thinkers" plan ahead and generally have preventative measures or extra time built into their plans.

Image By Stuart Miles, www.freedigitalphotos.net

I often wonder what it is about that sense of urgency that spurs me into action. I have decided to embrace my tendencies of procrastination or my being a “necessity thinker”. I believe there is something very valuable in knowing how you work best.
For one, it allows for realistic planning on my part; if I know that a due date is going to spur me into action then I can start from there and work backwards when creating my project plans.

Also, I often see the whole picture or imagine the final result in my head. From that point I can then work through the minor details, and I know that the minor details can be where I need the most support. Knowing what is needed to support you in accomplishing your goals and what your strengths and weaknesses are, can help your productivity, and can put a stop to negative self-talk regarding your work style. Once you embrace how you work best, you can put a realistic plan in place for increasing your productivity.