Monday Musings: Virtues of Procrastination

In general, I do not procrastinate. As a student, I usually worked on projects and papers in advance, and I rarely put off studying until the night before. Running late tends to make my heart race and panic set in, so I prefer to not put myself in that position.

However...

In this very busy season of life that I am in, sometimes procrastination is the only option. I'm not even sure it should be called "procrastination"--it's just prioritizing the urgent and important before other things. And sometimes the important things can be hard to prioritize, like bedtime talks or reading with children. I can picture a to-do list in my head a mile long, but I know that the 20 minutes with my children is far, far more important.

So, I put some things off. Maybe I skip a day of laundry, or leave a few dishes piled in the sink. Maybe I put off returning something because I need to work through my lunch hour. I don't replace shoes that desperately need replacing because I don't have the time to shop for a new pair.

What I've discovered in my resulting procrastination are some fun surprises. In my delay to purchase new shoes, I stumble upon a sale email with just the perfect pair. Even more frequently, an item that I thought was lost is suddenly found, and my procrastination has saved me money and time! Or I discover that I really don't need some item that was on a postponed shopping list.

Most importantly, when I step away from those bedtime conversations and realize how much my family needed our time, I am reminded of the importance of this procrastination. So, as you too find yourself feeling always a little bit behind, take comfort in putting things off until tomorrow knowing that there may be some hidden virtues.