Do you know the value of procrastinating? If you’re like most of us, the notion of procrastination raises the specter of slothful behavior impeding progress. However, research shows it’s often important to take your sweet time with creative projects. E.G. when people spent 5 minutes playing computer games before coming up with new ideas, their ideas were rated 28 % more creative than those who plunged right in. Steve Jobs and Frank Lloyd Wright were notorious procrastinators. The challenge is to find the balance between allowing play/delay time while not succumbing to perpetual postponement.
Here’s the tip. If you’ve been giving yourself grief about the web-surfing, desk-organizing breaks you’ve always taken before and during projects, it’s time to stop shaming yourself! Take a deep breath and breathe a sigh of relief. You’re okay. Yay! (Of course, if you find you regularly can’t get even important tasks done, you may need professional help to heal early wounds.)
Not only is procrastinating okay, it’s often a sign your ingenious intelligence is trying to get what it needs…no matter how wrong you make yourself. Pat yourself on the back for these small acts of insurgence; these ways in which you’ve obstinately refused to do what you think you ‘should’ do, but rather found yourself continuing to do what you needed. Consider the possibility that there is always some deeper wisdom operating within you…trying to get your attention through the loop tapes of woulda, coulda, shoulda. Feel what it’s like to trust yourself and let yourself be. ©
Penelope Young Andrade LCSW 858-481-5752 penelopeyandrade@gmail.com
Twitter @EmotionalRx
