The Power of Procrastination – Don’t Read This Now!
October 12th, 2007 | Michael Q. Pink
There are seven strategies that God built into the rainforest to deal with pests. You know… those things that consume our time, our energy, our peace of mind, and especially our concentration. After you Eliminate the unnecessary, Automate the mundane, Delegate the routine and Designate your own work load, you still have three other very useful options.
One of the ways rainforests fight off pests is a strategy called Delayed Greening. It’s where plants shoot out new leaves minus the green chlorophyll. They delay the injection of the chlorophyll, which makes the leaves green, because insects prefer green leaves instead of white or red. Plant leaves are most vulnerable when they are young and supple. The way this process works is that the plant develops the leaves until they are no longer as vulnerable, then they inject the green into the leaves. When the bugs come to dine, the leaves are no longer tender or particularly edible and they move on looking for easier opportunities.
There are many applications to this process, but I have found an interesting one I call Procrastination. Naturally you don’t want to procrastinate on important things, but I’ve noticed that when I am away for awhile and my email inbox gets ignored, many of the emails that I procrastinated on were no longer relevant. Procrastinating with my replies turned out to be a time saver. I chose the high priority emails and responded to them, but the doubtful ones that I procrastinated on, either went away or solved themselves. It seems the truly important things tend to find their way to the surface while often the impatient, pressing but annoying, unnecessary things tend to move on to easier targets if you procrastinate on them.
Want to be more productive? Try procrastinating on those things that are of doubtful importance while focusing on what’s truly important and strategic!
Until next time, be fruitful, then multiply!
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October 12th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Interesting spin on what’s generally tagged as a “negative” character trait. I wouldn’t have called it procrastination. I guess I call it waiting. But you are right. It is exactly procrastinating. Procrastination means to defer action or delay. And really that’s what we’re talking about.
It reminds me of when Jesus procrastinated for a few days when Lazarus was sick. Had he not procrastinated, He would’ve blown the miracle and missed the revelation He got of Himself and His own life purpose of dying and being raised from the dead.
One thing I purposely procrastinate on is reacting when I’m ticked off. Let’s say an employee does something or handles a client incorrectly, sends a bad email. Unless it’s a 911, I find that I am more level headed the next day to address the situation.
Right on Michael! Appreciate your insight and wisdom.
October 12th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Hey Paul;
I thought of the same example but didn’t have room to add it. Nice job! Thanks for seeing the article in the spirit in which it was intended! Blessings!
October 13th, 2007 at 10:34 am
a hearty amen…. a great insight with practical application. This also tends to “pesty”, the critical but unimportant, issues that they do not own our time. Thanks for a great thought
October 13th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Amazing! I have been doing this for such a long time and always felt guilty about not making a decision. One of those lessons I’ve picked up in the “mastering clutter” teaching through the years - DEAL with things right away! File it, throw it, or take care of it. Now, the very thing that was presented as a wrong is taught as a right! I can see how much this has helped my very busy life as an only parent of 4 busy children not be totally overwhelmed with all the things that cry out for my time and attention every day. Not to say that only dealing with the urgent is the way to go, but only dealing with the truly important. Then if something is “on the fringes”, a wait-and-see strategy can truly be an effective sorting tool!
I enjoy all the articles, but this one was especially freeing to this harried mom! God Bless your work!