The Benefits of Procrastination

When you read this the gods of time and space will have shifted a dimension and we will be living and struggling in 2019. Since that event will occur in a few hours I feel compelled to produce something worth reading. My desire to do this is not immediate nor does it come from a blast of creative force spurred by the end of this year. I maintain a writing notebook, and in the section reserved for blogging ideas, I had noted for the end of the year a post dealing with procrastination as a valuable writing tool rather than an impediment or writer's bane. Knowing I would view this topic with a jaundiced eye I had marked it with an asterisk which told me I could not renumber or move the topic from first to the second or third idea. Considering the second and third topics were "My writing tools of choice" and "Why do I insist on writing 'xxx' number of words every day". I very much wanted to move this essay on procrastination to the last position but knew if I did so it would continue its journey down the list until it fell off. What writer starts the new year singing the virtues of procrastinating.

As a writer, I welcome procrastination as a valuable tool. Let us work toward an exact definition of procrastination from a writers point of view. It is not the time spent doing chores or spending time with your mate and your child. All of these are endeavors that need to be accomplished; they are valuable tasks not to be ignored. Procrastination is time spent not writing when you think you should be writing. You're human. Things happen. Your fingers touch the keys but nothing you produce fosters creative activity. Sometimes you feel you should write but your mind says no. Unless you are working under a deadline where something unpleasant will happen if you don't write,  try to listen to your need to write nothing. Rather than ignoring the need to create encourage your mind to be receptive to exploring ideas.

One of the most productive ways to use procrastination is to walk. I have two dogs one 14 pounds and the other about 8 pounds. I walk with them through my neighborhood and think about projects I am working on and projects I would like to develop. Walking is also a great way to think about ideas that can best be expressed from within a blog. Sometimes the things I see while walking, or fragments of conversations with another dog walker will trigger an idea for a post or a short story. Over the past month, I have had ideas for two stories, a new post, and one novel. Wherever I walk my iPhone rides in my left hip pocket. I use a note application called Drafts,  but even the most basic of note applications will let you write your ideas as they come to you while you walk. In one operation you have satisfied your need to not write and your minds need to experience unbridled creativity. Rather than walking you could listen to music or stare out the window. What you are doing is allowing your mind to act as a sponge for thoughts or images for processing later. While you may not be writing at that moment you are building the plots, the characters, and the motivations for your writings that will come. Prose flows with the ideas you build while indulging your need to do absolutely nothing.

In 2019 may you walk together with creativity and ability. I wish you all a productive, healthy and lucrative year.