Today distractions are constant, many people know that procrastination has experienced a large uptick. Procrastination has had severe effects on student’s lives, the most common manifesting in the way of missed school work and failure to study, as procrastination is the act of delaying with an expected cost. However, it has been found that procrastination does have a place in the creative process.
Many people find comfort in their procrastination as it often feels like doing so is avoiding unwanted labor and; as sophomore Lucas Spangler puts it, “I think the cause of my procrastination… is internal thoughts”
For similar reasoning, those who dive into work without hesitation are often looked up to, the ability to work being revered in society. Although, it has been shown that individuals who moderately procrastinate experience higher creativity than those who work immediately. This is due to the fact that the brain will be mulling information over in the background of one’s mind, which allows for more time to generate better ideas. Students that incorporate this method may find it easier to come up with answers and solutions.
Some, like sophomore Rachel Jung says she does, “try to tell people that I know of something I am going to do… so now that I have told someone that I am going to do it, I have to do it.”
Others may take a similar approach to topics or school subjects that they distaste. Some students may seek out a peer to talk to regarding the subject of their procrastination. The individual will then play the devil’s advocate and talk about why their procrastinated subject is interesting. While some may view this practice as lying to one’s self, it is a method that allows the individual to hear an argument of interest in their topic from a trusted individual, themself, often making the process of studying to feel easier.
The method of playing the devil’s advocate may open up into an outcome in which the individual finds a gap in their knowledge of the subject they may be driven to fill. Self generated curiosity, a desire to learn a subject without a particular outcome, is the antagonist of procrastination. Not all tasks though may be so easy to generate a curiosity in.
Some parents will attempt to solve this lack-of-interest issue in their children by rewarding them for their effort. This method may manifest in the form of money, a treat, or a vacation to somewhere if the student’s grades meet standards. While this extrinsic motivation approach shows a boost in productivity, it inspires quantity over quality in finishing work. Additionally, if the incentive is ever taken away, the student may find themselves in a worse place than they were originally in, not finding a reason to do their work. For this reason, a reward for an outcome is often worse in the long run compared to a reward for partaking in the process of work. In the example of the student, this may translate to an amount of money or treat given if effort is shown while the work is being done. This approach inspires the student to value the process of the work instead of its outcome and to generate their own joy in doing the task.
Like anything else in excess, procrastination can be very detrimental, though it may be leveraged as a tool if used in moderation for a better flow of ideas and thought. Getting started on an assignment or task may still be hard though, but if one can find interest in their subject, the pains of starting can be easily overcome. Alternatively, rewarding oneself during their work bouts will most likely draw the individual back for more. Tools exist to overcome procrastination that are as useful as leveraging procrastination itself can be.