Productivity
Good and Bad Procrastination
paulgraham.com
Productivity
7 min read → 75 sec
Procrastination splits into three types, and the useful kind is delaying errands to work on more important problems. Big work needs long uninterrupted time, strong interest, and tactics that help overcome fear and distraction.
Good procrastination is avoiding errands to do important work
Doing one thing always means not doing others, so procrastination cannot be eliminated
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Three kinds of procrastination exist
01
Doing nothing
02
Doing less important work
03
Doing more important work
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Type C procrastination is good: avoiding errands and small tasks to do more important work
Small stuff is work with zero chance of being mentioned in your obituary
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Real work often needs long uninterrupted time and the right mood
Delaying errands can raise total output
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Interruptions cost more than their duration because they split the surrounding work time in half
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A couple interruptions a day can make hard problem-solving impossible
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People who do real work usually accept annoying others by refusing errands and synchronous demands
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Some errands disappear if ignored, but others like mowing the lawn or filing tax returns get worse
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To-do lists often hide type-B procrastination, getting many things done while avoiding the most important work
The most dangerous procrastination is unacknowledged type B, because it feels like productivity
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People often use errands like cleaning, shopping, coffee, and email to avoid hard projects
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Richard Hamming's test has three questions
01
What are the biggest problems in your field?
02
Are you working on one of them?
03
Why not?
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Big problems are harder to start for three reasons
01
Rewards are distant
02
Failure feels costly
03
The work is frightening
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Big work often requires tricks to begin
01
Start with smaller pieces
02
Grow gradually
03
Share the load with collaborators
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Startups may be most productive at the beginning because no one is there yet to interrupt founders
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It may be better for founders to be overworked than interrupted by office routines
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People doing their best work will inevitably leave many errands undone, and should not feel guilty
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The best way to handle procrastination is letting delight pull you toward ambitious work you enjoy
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