Procrastination vs. Inspiration

I grew up thinking I was just a procrastinator. When a project was first announced I had a jumble of great ideas, then "pffft"... nothing until just before it was due. During that time all those ideas percolated in my brain and ideas formed, connections were made, thesis/antithesis/synthesis became clearer; and then at the last minute, in a flood of inspiration, it would all tumble out.

And because I didn't spend an hour a day on it, keep copious index cards, and have a proper outline at the ready, I was constantly berated as a procrastinator - a veritable four-letter word when you're in school.

Now, when I look back on it and analyze my behavior and thinking patterns, and I compare them with how I work today, I realize that in truth I wasn't actually procrastinating.

Some people are great at organizing their thoughts well in advance, and managing their thinking processes-their creative processes-on paper. Others, like me, do this in their heads. For me, I have to let the ideas sit and simmer for a while so that the various themes and threads can begin to come together into what I feel will be a good finished product. That's when the "inspiration" hits and I begin to produce.

Now, don't get me wrong... with certain things, like cleaning the bathroom, doing the laundry, or paying the bills, I can procrastinate with the best of them. But I've learned that procrastination is related to things I don't want to do! For things I want to do, it isn't procrastination, it's my thinking and creative process.

In time management it's important to know that all the rules, keys, tips, and tricks we create are really just guidelines to help us keep focused and not lose track of things. It is important to honor the way you innately do things and let your system adapt to your natural processes, not the other way around. (I guess you could say I'm a "form-follows-function" kinda guy.)

Once you identify your natural way of doing things—your native creativity patterns—then you can use your time management skills in ways to enhance them. And for those things that you truly are procrastinating over, your time management practice can provide a way to keep those under control.