Despite its positive-sounding prefix, the word procrastination has a bad reputation. If it’s said of you, you’re probably also called things like lazy, unfocused, maybe even useless. Procrastination is why I’m so late getting this month’s blog out. Procrastination is responsible for that growing pile of laundry in the corner of my bedroom (I’m pretty sure it’s going to start talking soon.) Procrastination is why my bathroom sink is still draining slowly. Procrastination is also responsible for some of the best writing sessions I’ve ever had, and for my learning French. So maybe it’s not as bad as some would have you believe.
Granted, waiting until the last minute to do something isn’t always the wisest decision. It certainly makes others (Mom, for example) wonder what the hell is wrong with you that you can’t just do things when they should be done rather than waiting until you’re rushed and almost out of time. Why can’t you manage your time better? Don’t you want that sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a task on time? Where is your ambition?
But when you’re struggling with that dreaded beast, Writer’s Block, procrastination can sometimes work in your favor. When you’re having issues with that scene, or a certain piece of dialogue that just won’t cooperate, why not put off dealing with it for a little while? Go take a walk outside, watch a little Netflix, browse around the haven of your local library and discover a new book. You could go people watch at the mall and make up character backstories for the people you see walking by. Maybe you’ll tackle that pile of laundry, or call maintenance about the slow drain in your bathroom. Sometimes I go so far as to clean the kitchen, vacuum the living room and put clean sheets on the bed.
Putting off writing can mean that all the other things I was procrastinating doing get accomplished. Procrastinating on chores almost always means that I get a lot of writing done. The give-and-take is part of a life-long relationship I’ve had with Procrastination. Sometimes, when I’m holding off working on my writing, it’s because I lack sufficient ideas to make the work worth my time. When I do other things instead of writing, I always keep the manuscript in the back of my mind, mulling over different possible solutions to my problem. Eventually I come to a conclusion, or I get inspired by something else I was doing in the interim. And while I was mulling, guess what? I got other things done that have been sitting at the bottom of my “to do” list for ages, and then I have the twice the sense of accomplishment.
Do not despair, dear reader. Procrastination can be used to your advantage, if you’re smart about it. Just be careful not to let it take control of you.
May the page-turners be with you.
Thalia Huntley 