The Benefits of Procrastination
As I’ve mentioned before, when I was married to Susan she once told me that she was going to stay up late to complete an assignment for Sociology.
“Is it due in the morning?” I asked.
“No. It’s not due for three weeks, but I like to finish my work as early as I can.”
I was less than happy because I always preferred that we go to bed at the same time. And besides, who would want to finish an assignment as soon as they could? I’ve always followed the work/deadline rule — no deadline, no work.
Though I regard my attitude towards deadlines as being highly efficient, others might consider it procrastination (with negative connotations). So here is my rebuttal — the advantages of waiting.
- You may not need to do the job at all, and that will leave time in your life for something you enjoy more. Shortly before the end of the term for one graduate seminar, the professor, for personal reasons, canceled class, including the assigned readings and the term paper. Instead, he asked us to come to his office and tell him what grade we deserved. I received an excellent grade, and never had to study Sartre or Camus.
- If you wait until the last hour, or minute, you might find a better solution. Or a quicker solution.
- It’s exciting – will I or won’t I make the deadline? Some people use action sports to get their adrenaline stirring. I prefer the suspense of finishing a task with no time to spare. Whew!
- Waiting encourages creativity. When our American Lit. professor collected term papers at the beginning of class, I didn’t turn mine in. When he asked I said, “I thought the paper was due by the end of class, not the beginning.” He gave me a weird look, but accepted the paper after I completed it during our fifteen-minute break.
- Your spouse will be happier because you’ll have more time to spend with them. (This may personal to me).
These are five benefits. I’m sure there are more, but I have to stop now – I’m up against the deadline for this blog, which still has to be edited, revised, and posted. I also need a photo.
See you next week. I’ve never missed the deadline for my blog. Yet.
Alan