Everyone’s done it. Just the thought makes many of us wince, recalling the sleepless nights, unlimited excuses and inescapable pressure. We’ve all been taught since childhood that procrastination is the enemy of productivity and will always come back to haunt you. Doing it means you have poor time management skills and a lazy mindset, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that from the moment I began school to the day I graduated, procrastination worked. Every time.

Imagine the following scenario: the due date for your newspaper article was last Thursday. You asked for an extension and managed to push the deadline to the following Monday. It is now the following Wednesday. The pressure had been steadily building as you’ve tried to push the assignment to the back of your mind. However, it has now reached the point where you feel like you’re about to implode, so you finally manage to sit at your desk and open the Google Doc. Abruptly, amidst the anxiety, an unexpected, but familiar rush of creativity emerges. You find yourself in a state of zen, with words typing themselves down on the screen as you let the ideas appear. The tension suddenly doesn’t feel suffocating anymore, but it becomes a catalyst, propelling you toward your goal. All of a sudden, you’re already done, with time to spare.

The human mind thrives under pressure, so putting yourself in such a scenario only gives you another tool for the inevitable success you’ll bring. Working with such limited time will force you to work in new, efficient ways you wouldn’t otherwise think of under other circumstances. When doing homework, how often do you check your phone for texts, social media and other notifications? In a world with so many distractions, we commonly find ourselves working at a snail’s pace. Waiting until the last minute eradicates the temptation of getting distracted, since you no longer have the luxury of meandering during such a crucial time. Remember, this is not a mere act of laziness but a fundamental aspect of strategic time management. The sense of urgency that procrastination gives us allows us to sharpen our focus and fuel our determination to finish the task at hand.

From one procrastinator to another – I know you are a procrastinator at heart – just know that our ways are not ones of idleness or irresponsibility but evidence of the power of unconventional time management. So embrace the thrill and enjoy working under the pressure procrastination gives us.