I've spent years feeling guilty about my procrastination habits until I stumbled upon a concept that changed everything: "structured procrastination." The term, coined by philosopher John Perry, describes how putting off one task by working on another can actually be incredibly productive. Last week, while avoiding my tax prep, I redesigned my entire workspace and finally launched that newsletter I've been thinking about for months. It got me wondering: what if procrastination isn't my enemy but rather a misunderstood creative force?
The Guilt-Productivity Paradox
We've all been there. The looming deadline, the important task we know we should be doing, and the strange magnetic pull toward literally anything else. For the longest time, I viewed this as a character flaw—a lack of discipline or focus that needed to be corrected. I'd set up productivity systems, try different time management techniques, and still find myself reorganizing my digital photo library instead of writing that important proposal.
But what if this isn't a bug in our mental software but a feature?
Stanford philosopher John Perry's essay "Structured Procrastination" suggests that procrastinators aren't actually avoiding work—they're just working on things that aren't at the top of their priority list. The key insight is that procrastination can be harnessed rather than eliminated.
My Accidental Discovery
Three weeks ago, facing the grim reality of organizing my tax documents (a task I despise with every fiber of my being), I found myself suddenly motivated to tackle my workspace redesign—a project that had been lingering on my "someday" list for months.
Instead of forcing myself back to the tax forms, I leaned into this energy. Eight hours later, I had:
Completely reorganized my desk setup for better ergonomics
Set up proper cable management (finally!)
Created a dedicated recording space for the podcast I've been meaning to launch
Drafted the first three issues of my newsletter
Built a simple system for tracking creative projects
None of these tasks were "urgent" by conventional standards, but all were valuable. And here's the fascinating part: the next day, with my workspace transformed and several creative projects underway, I found myself knocking out the tax prep in under two hours, with significantly less dread.
The Science Behind Productive Procrastination
It turns out there's solid psychology supporting this approach. When we force ourselves to do tasks we're actively resisting, we engage what psychologists call the "controlled attention network"—the part of our brain that requires conscious effort and depletes our mental energy quickly.
By contrast, when we work on tasks we're genuinely drawn to (even if they're "procrastination tasks"), we engage more of the "default mode network"—the brain's more creative, energy-efficient system. This is why ideas often flow more easily when we're technically supposed to be doing something else.
Research from Columbia Business School suggests that this kind of "strategic delay" can lead to more creative solutions. By allowing our subconscious to work on problems in the background while we focus on other tasks, we often return to the original challenge with fresh perspectives.
How I'm Implementing Structured Procrastination
Rather than fighting my tendency to procrastinate, I've started working with it by:
Keeping two to-do lists: One for "should do" items and another for "want to do" items. When I'm avoiding something on the first list, I intentionally tackle something from the second.
Setting up my environment for productive detours: I've created easy access to creative projects I can pick up when avoiding other work—draft blog posts, books I want to read for research, sketches for future projects.
Looking for the hidden message: When I find myself strongly avoiding a particular task, I ask why. Sometimes it's because the task isn't clearly defined, or I'm missing information, or I'm afraid of doing it imperfectly. Addressing these underlying issues often removes the resistance.
Scheduling "procrastination time": This sounds counterintuitive, but I've started blocking off hours specifically for working on whatever captures my interest. These sessions have become some of my most productive and creative times.
The Unexpected Benefits
Beyond just getting things done, this approach has transformed my relationship with productivity itself. The constant background guilt of "I should be working on X" has diminished. I've completed more creative projects in the past month than in the previous three combined.
Most surprisingly, the quality of my work on those "should do" tasks has improved. When I eventually circle back to them, I bring new energy and ideas that wouldn't have been available had I forced myself to grind through them initially.
The Permission to Wander
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of embracing structured procrastination is the liberation from productivity shame. Our culture's obsession with optimization and efficiency often makes us feel broken when our minds naturally wander or resist certain types of work.
By reframing procrastination as a different kind of productivity rather than its enemy, we can work more harmoniously with our natural tendencies instead of constantly fighting against them.
So the next time you find yourself avoiding that important task, consider: What are you being drawn toward instead? There might be wisdom in that pull. Your procrastination could be pointing you toward exactly what your creative mind needs at that moment.
And who knows—you might end up with both a redesigned workspace and your taxes done on time.
What do you think about productive procrastination? Do you have any stories of accidentally accomplishing great things while avoiding something else? Share in the comments!