Procrastinator. A term not typically used to characterize motivated individuals. As a self-identified procrastinator, I have felt the onslaught of shame, worry, and feelings of inadequacy that are coupled with the activity. But procrastinating is a universal experience, so why do we demean ourselves when we partake in it? What if instead of viewing procrastination as a threat, we can hone it as a skill?

Looking up “procrastination” will prompt slight variations of the same basic definition: “Procrastination is the intentional act of delaying or postponing something.” This key word is intentional, as procrastinating is a conscious act.

Whether choosing to click on a random video about the power of introverts that spirals into a YouTube rabbit hole, or having to wait until it’s 5:00 p.m. to start homework–because starting at 4:46 p.m. would obviously be ridiculous– I know exactly when I procrastinate.

Now, as with everything, there is an optimal range for procrastination. I am not encouraging extreme procrastination, in which one exclusively relies on the habit, causing undue stress and anxiety.

Tim Urban, author and co-founder of the blog Wait But Why, stresses the perils of extreme procrastination if left unchecked, describing his own experiences in his TED Talk, “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator”.

Urban argues that a procrastinator’s mind differs from the rational decision maker due to the presence of an “instant gratification monkey”, which serves as a basis for the mechanism behind procrastination, leading to great unease, poor habits, and unhealthy stress.

While I do believe the instant gratification monkey is an example of procrastination’s consequences, I do believe minimal procrastination has its role in the productivity sphere.

In a New York Times article titled “Why I Taught Myself to Procrastinate,” the writer, organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant, details an experiment performed by a former student, Jihae Shin. She took a group of individuals and asked all of them to generate new business ideas, but some were told to start brainstorming right away, whereas others were told to play Minesweeper or Solitaire for five minutes. The results? The latter group’s propositions were 28% more creative than the group that was told to start right away.

The increase in creativity in the procrastinator group makes sense, for usually the most novel ideas don’t come to most people’s minds immediately. I will attest, I don’t immediately think of solid article angles the second we start brainstorming for the newspaper, but instead ideas pop up sporadically on random nights throughout the year.

Utilizing procrastination, contrary to popular belief, is particularly beneficial to those with higher workloads. Being in multiple AP classes, writing for the newspaper, and playing an instrument has kept me on my toes, and it would have been even more difficult to handle without the help of procrastination.

When crafting my daily to-do list, most days the amount of work feels overwhelming. But keeping track of deadlines and knowing what needs to be done that day helps break up my workload and make it more manageable.

Yes, this might mean delaying that English essay until tomorrow and instead focusing on studying math in study hall for the quiz that afternoon, however, it allows me to prioritize assignments and delegate tasks for certain days, increasing my overall efficiency.

I’ve noticed many students, including myself, stress over the fact that their study habits aren’t “perfect”, feeling engulfed in the volume of work to complete that it all seems to be too great an obstacle to conquer. Instead of focusing on perfection, allow yourself some grace and understand that some “imperfect” habits, such as procrastination, can actually be the gateway to achieving goals.

At the end of the day, procrastination is a tool. It’s not the be-all and end-all to success, but it is a component of innovation, time management, and goal-oriented behavior. Don’t fear procrastination– we all do it, it’s part of human nature. Starting now, allow yourself a little procrastination, and watch the benefits unfold.