How We Usually View Procrastination
In productivity circles, we typically view procrastination as a negative force that keeps us from doing what we want to do. We try to devise strategies to help us fight against procrastination.
Just a year ago, in June 2024, I published a post titled “How to Overcome Procrastination.” While I acknowledged some positive aspects of procrastination, I viewed it primarily as a negative that must be forcefully overcome.
However, I’ve recently changed my perspective. I’ve learned that procrastination can be a positive and tell us a lot about ourselves and what we want to do.
A Shift in Thinking: What Is Procrastination Trying to Tell You?
Sometimes, procrastination is trying to tell us something about ourselves. Instead of being something to overcome, it’s something to learn from.
Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s book Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World offers a fresh perspective on procrastination. Rather than viewing procrastination as an enemy to defeat, it encourages us to treat it as a meaningful signal indicating a mismatch between our rational aspirations, emotional needs, and practical skills.
The book recommends adopting an attitude of curiosity toward procrastination to uncover its root cause and adjust our approach accordingly. By doing so, procrastination becomes an opportunity for self rather than a source of self.
Three Key Questions to Ask
When we recognize that we are procrastinating, LeCounff recommends asking questions about three areas:
1. Is the task appropriate? (Head) By asking, “Is the task appropriate?” she’s asking if this is intellectually the best task for us to do. Perhaps we’re putting it off because the circumstances have changed since we initially listed it, and it’s no longer an important thing to do. It may be that instead of worrying about it and blaming ourselves for not doing it, we should decide not to do it.
2. Is the task exciting? (Heart) This is a question of the heart and emotions. Is this something we’re interested in? Are we curious about this? Is this something that we find exciting? If not, perhaps it’s not something we ought to be doing.
3. Is the task doable? (Hand) Do we have the appropriate skills to do this? Perhaps when we look at this job we realize that we don’t have the necessary skills to complete it. We either need to ask for help or gain additional skills before we can complete the task.
From Self-Blame to Insight
This reflective method helps us shift from unproductive self-blame to self-understanding and can offer both explanations and practical paths forward. Sometimes, procrastination might signal that the task at hand doesn’t fit your context, even when something seems aligned, prompting you to consider whether the system or environment, not you, is the true obstacle.
Anne-Laure Le Cunff also highlights that procrastination isn’t just a struggle between your present and future self, but is more accurately described as, “poor teamwork between our emotional and our rational selves”.
Importantly, “Tiny Experiments” says procrastination often reveals what interests you. Instead of fixing procrastination, we can investigate what we tend to do when procrastinating. Those activities might point to our innate curiosities and help us recalibrate our goals in a more authentic direction.
This perspective turns procrastination from a barrier into a tool for greater alignment and personal growth.
A Zen Monk’s Surprising Approach to Procrastination: Rats and Sheep
Recently, I ran across another approach to procrastination similar to Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s. While it uses different imagery and descriptions, it takes a similar learning approach to procrastination.
In his book, I’ve Got Time: A Zen Monk’s Guide to a Calm, Focused and Meaningful Life Paul Loomans titled one of his instructions, “Become Aware of Gnawing Rats and Transform Them into White Sheep.” He defines “gnawing rats” as “tasks that eat away at you under the surface, demanding your attention and not getting it.” In other words, tasks we are procrastinating on.
Looman advises, “Tell yourself you don’t have to do the task right away. You’re only going to get acquainted with it. You can then identify the reasons for your strained relationship with this task”. He suggests we ask the following questions:
• What do you know and what do you know how to do? How would you start?
• What don’t you know? What knowledge do I lack? What resources do I need?
• What do I need help with?
• What am I apprehensive about?
Answering these questions can help you identify the reasons for your strained relationship with this task. These questions can help us understand procrastination and why we delay working on something. They can also help us to know what to do, so you can complete the task in the future.
You’ve likely noticed that these questions touch on the same topics as Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s “Head, Heart, Hand” approach. Both prompt us to probe why we’re procrastinating and learn from it.
Don’t Fight It—Learn from It
Procrastination isn’t just an obstacle to conquer—it’s a teacher. When we listen to what it tells us, we can make wiser choices about where to focus our time and energy.
The next time you notice yourself putting something off, pause and get curious. What is your procrastination trying to reveal? Instead of blaming yourself, start asking better questions. Is this task right for me? Am I excited by it? Do I have what I need to move forward?
Don’t fight it. Learn from it—and let it lead you toward what truly matters.
AI Note: I wrote this blog post myself, using my own words for the initial draft. I used AI only to suggest headlines, section headings, and improvements to the text.
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