Gina Elias | Procrastinators, unite!

The Benjamin Franklin Experiment | The perils and possibilities of putting off work

By Gina Elias 10/12/15 12:15am

When it comes to the virtue of “industry,” Ben Franklin’s language is clear: “Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.” This week I focus on procrastination, which to this day remains a frustrating but commonplace component of contemporary life.

After a quick Google search, I discovered that Franklin’s negative opinion of procrastination continues to be predominant today. The majority of articles I found, in sources ranging from The Atlantic to The Guardian, abounded with tips for minimizing time-wasting activities. Many psychologists and educators writing for publications like Psychology Today even medicalized it, talking about its “causes,” “symptoms” and possible “cures.” On a site called waitbutwhy.com, co-founder Tim Urban uses cartoonish images accompanied by an informal essay to try to convince his readers that “fake” procrastinators should be distinguished from those for whom procrastination is a serious and debilitating issue, a similar discourse to that which we use when explaining clinical depression versus run-of-the-mill sadness. On the other hand, my own personal experience has demonstrated to me that a controlled amount of procrastination actually increases my productivity. Taking a few breaks throughout the day for non-goal-oriented activities like listening to music helps me to rejuvenate so that I can face my next tasks with greater alertness.

I wonder what Franklin means by the term “useful.” Useful to whom and for what? Is it not possible that procrastinating is “useful” in the sense that it provides a mental break for us, a space for us to take some time off from the fast-paced tune of contemporary life to just be ourselves and develop our friendships, exercise or indulge in our hobbies? In this sense, procrastination becomes a way of resisting our status as cogs in the machinery of contemporary life, finding time to be ourselves as individuals rather than as tools employed in achieving the goals of corporations and other large organizations.

But let me return to Urban’s post. Though I procrastinate all the time, I always eventually find the wherewithal to stop playing 2048 and write my Daily Pennsylvanian column or study for my qualifying exams. Urban’s article makes me realize that I have no idea what it means for procrastination to be such a major issue in my life that it leads to me floundering in working toward my goals. Knowing that procrastination is a serious issue for many makes me hesitant to go against the grain of popular thought and speak in its defense uncritically.

So here is what I will say instead: Franklin’s argument is both extreme and a little vague. I am not convinced that there is anything wrong with taking breaks from work occasionally to relax and recharge. In addition to keeping us from feeling frazzled and overworked, caring for ourselves in this way can actually lead to greater alertness and productivity. Plus, as I argued above, procrastination may be a small way in which individuals can stake a claim for their self-identities in a professional world that often feels impersonal.

However, what about those who are procrastinating for one of the myriad other possible causes of putting off work? For some people, the advice to practice controlled procrastination ignores the fact that their very problem is their inability to resolve to keep a 10-minute break from becoming a five-hour one. It is important for people who have serious issues with procrastination to acknowledge their problem and seek help from professionals who have advice for helping them to overcome it. The Weingarten Learning Resource Center and the Graduate Student Center are great starting points, as well as many other resources available on campus and online. Each of us has different preferences about what works best in terms of how and when to meet deadlines. It is consequently up to each of us to be attuned to our individual needs and whether or not we are living up to them in our daily practice.

GINA ELIA is a graduate student from Hingham, Mass. Her email address is ginaelia@sas.upenn.edu. “The Benjamin Franklin Experiment” appears every other Monday.

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