Creative Procrastination
Deliberately procrastinate on low-value tasks to protect time for what matters
Creative Procrastination flips the traditional view of procrastination on its head. Since you can never do everything on your task list, you are always procrastinating on something. The question is not whether you will procrastinate but what you will procrastinate on. High performers deliberately procrastinate on low-value tasks. Low performers unconsciously procrastinate on high-value tasks.
The method introduces the concept of posteriorities as the complement to priorities. A priority is something you do more of and sooner. A posteriority is something you do less of and later, if at all. You can only get your time and life under control to the degree that you discontinue lower-value activities. For every new commitment you take on, something old must be completed or dropped.
The most powerful word in time management, according to Tracy, is "no." Warren Buffett's stated secret of success is simply saying no to everything that is not absolutely vital at the moment. Creative procrastination is the discipline of thoughtfully and deliberately deciding exactly which things you are not going to do right now, or ever.
- Everyone procrastinates. The difference between high and low performers is what they choose to procrastinate on.
- You can get your time and life under control only to the degree that you discontinue lower-value activities.
- For you to do something new, you must complete or stop doing something old. Getting in requires getting out.
- The most powerful word in time management is 'no.' Say it politely, clearly, and often as a normal part of your vocabulary.
- Apply zero-based thinking regularly: if you would not start this activity today knowing what you now know, it is a prime candidate for abandonment.
- List all current activities and commitmentsWrite down everything you currently spend time on, both at work and in your personal life. Include recurring meetings, habits, subscriptions, social commitments, and any ongoing responsibilities. Be thorough.
- Apply zero-based thinking to each itemFor each activity, ask: knowing what I now know, would I start this again today? If the answer is no, flag it immediately as a candidate for creative procrastination or outright elimination.Pro tipBe especially critical of activities you continue out of habit or because you once committed to them. Sunk costs should not drive future time allocation.
- Set posterioritiesExplicitly decide which flagged activities you will do less of and later, or stop doing entirely. Write these decisions down. A posteriority list is just as important as a priority list.Pro tipFor each posteriority, decide whether to abandon it completely, delegate it, or reduce it to a minimal level. Be specific about what "less" means.WarningDo not confuse creative procrastination with avoiding hard work. The tasks you procrastinate on should be genuinely low-value, not just uncomfortable.
- Practice saying noBegin declining new commitments that do not align with your highest-value activities. Say no graciously but firmly. Remember that your dance card is full and every yes to something new is a no to something already on your plate.Pro tipA useful phrase: "I would love to, but I am fully committed right now." This is honest, polite, and does not invite negotiation.
- Redirect reclaimed time to your frogsUse the time freed up by creative procrastination to work on your highest-impact tasks. The entire point of stopping low-value activities is to create space for the work that truly moves the needle.WarningDo not fill reclaimed time with new low-value activities. Guard this time fiercely for your most important work.
A friend of Tracy's was an avid golfer who played three or four times per week, three to four hours each time. After starting a business, getting married, and having two children, he continued the same golf schedule. The time on the golf course caused enormous stress at home and at the office as he fell behind on both professional and family responsibilities.
When asked his secret of success, Warren Buffett replied simply: he says no to everything that is not absolutely vital to him at the moment. This is creative procrastination practiced at the highest level. Rather than trying to be involved in every opportunity, Buffett deliberately passes on the vast majority of deals and commitments to preserve his time and focus for the few that truly matter.
Tracy developed the concept of Creative Procrastination after observing that most people procrastinate unconsciously on their most important work while staying busy with trivia. He drew on the idea of zero-based thinking: asking yourself, "If I were not doing this already, knowing what I now know, would I start doing it again today?" If the answer is no, the activity is a candidate for creative procrastination. Tracy also cites Warren Buffett's approach of saying no to everything non-essential as a model for deliberate non-action on low-value activities.