Let’s normalize procrastination

 True confession: I procrastinate. 

Right now you’re either connecting with that or silently judging me. 😄

If I have two weeks to create something, I’m not really getting my butt in my seat until about two days before. Why? Because I do my best work at the last minute. Always have. 

What makes it work for me is I think about a project a lot leading up to a deadline, so by the time I sit down to work on it, I have plenty of ideas that I’ve been editing in my head. But I don’t put pen to paper until the deadline is looming large. 

Lots of people do this and see it as a character flaw. I spoke with a client recently who was beating herself up for procrastinating. “I had tons of time to do it,” she said, “so I don’t know why I waited so long!” As we talked, it became clear that this is always how she’s worked. The only negative about it is feeling like she’s “supposed” to be completing things well before every deadline. 

Here’s the deal: you can accept this as your work style. This is what I suggested to my client, because if it works for you, what’s the point of feeling bad about it?

My most recent procrastination was this week, as I prepared for a three-day retreat for my Inner Circle. Did I have several weeks to work on the content and agenda? Yup. Did I get started about three days before my clients arrived? You bet. The end result was awesome - a nice mix of connecting, strategizing, planning and fun. My clients were satisfied & happy, and so was I. 

If you leave things to the last minute and you’re able to create the end result you want without making yourself crazy, then procrastinating is your work style. And that’s totally fine.