How Procrastination Can Help Your Career - The Muse

How Procrastination Can Help Your Career - The MuseHow Procrastination Can Help Your CareerTiming is everything.We treat procrastination as inherently bad, but all it means is delaying something, so why are we so quick to criticize the practice? Yes, it can be terrible and stressful if you always lazily shake off your responsibilities until the last minute. But there are also plenty of situations when you might want to hold off on things for good reason, whether thats waiting for a sale before you make a big purchase or looking at the weather forecast before you head out on a weekend camping trip. Your professional world isnt exempt either. Here are six ways that you can use procrastination to your advantage in your career, plus five ways it can really set you back. If You Want to Expand Your Network1. Procrastination Helps if You Want to Keep Your Options OpenIts OK if youre slower with choosing and RSVPing to fests if youre doing so intentionally. Quality over quantity applies here The meetups you decide to attend should only be ones youve chosen thoughtfully and that youre positive will add value to your life. Take your time signing up for a networking breakfast you only feel meh about if its the first option you got for the upcoming weekend. (Chances are, you wouldnt be missing out on that much anyway.)Holding off on filling up your calendar with just fine events will allow you to have some flexibility when an exciting last-minute opportunity pops up, and itll save you from cancelling on someone last minute. 2. But it Hurts if You Dont Prepare BeforehandYou want to put your best foot forward when meeting new people, and that means knowing how you want to present yourself when you talk about your career, your hobbies, and your life. Practice your elevator pitch so youre prepared with something to fall back on you can choose in the moment whether or leid you want or need to use it. Moreover, make sure you have a solid, clear plan for people to follow up with you, whether thats printing out business cards beforehand or deciding if you want to give out your social media information.3. Procrastination Helps if Youre Refocusing Your CareerWhether youre facing a major career shift or working on rebranding yourself, its hard to network effectively when you dont know what youre aiming for professionally. Consider this How will you be able to determine which relationships are worth building if youre leid sure yourself what youre looking for? Of course, networking shouldnt be entirely self-serving- you dont want to wait until you absolutely need something to start cultivating meaningful relationships that can get you closer to your goals. Its a two-way street, so waiting until you can clearly communicate where youre at will make you that much more valuable as a contact. While you figure out what you want to do next in your career and with your life, it can help to take a breather and hold off on connection-building events. Once youre more self-a ware, when you do meet new people, youll know who to look for and how to present and position yourself for success.4. But it Hurts if You Dont Follow Up QuicklyBeing slow to reach out to new contacts can mean the difference between your next dream job and a missed opportunity. Meet an industry professional who really impressed you at that LinkedIn event last night? Dont take longer than a day or two to follow up with her and strengthen your new relationship otherwise, you risk losing her interest or worse, being forgotten entirely. And its not just worst-case scenarios at stake. The best way to show your enthusiasm is by expressing how your common interests and shared values make the connection a no-brainer, and by doing so in a timely manner.If You Want to Find a Job5. Procrastination Helps if Youre Adding Value to Your ResumeHalfway through with a marketing class or programming certification? If its a big enough value change in your resume, it might be worth it to wait until you s ee the whole program through before you send out applications with the new information on your resume. Likewise, if you just started working on a new skill that would really make your application stand out, hold off on going after the job until you have the the anecdotes to convince your interviewer that your tangible experience makes you the best person for the position. But, if youre in a year-long program thats wrapping up next week, you should always go with your gut on whether or not youre ready to have a conversation about your new experiences. You only get one shot to really impress the hiring manager, and you want to be as appealing as possible. 6. But it Hurts if You Wait Too Long (at Any Point in the Process)Whether thats submitting your initial application to the job posting or sending in a thank you note after the interview, you dont want to miss any of these important steps. If you do, youll not only appear unenthusiastic, but youll also risk being passed over entirely. As Muse writer Kristen Walker says, hiring is a much more emotional process than most of us believe. This added emotional value to any prospective new hire is also known as the human factor. You can easily bring that quality to the table and use it to your advantage with some good timing and enthusiasm, even if youre not 100% qualified for the job posting in mind.7. Procrastination Helps if You Have Other Loose EndsIf youre in the middle of a project at work or have a big trip coming up, consider holding off on your job search until after youve cleaned up other time-consuming things in your life. While its not the end of the world to tell a potential employer that you have an upcoming vacation planned, too many moving pieces all at once can be problematic and distracting in the midst of a search. Applying for a position the day before you leave for two weeks in Costa Rica isnt a great idea. Take some time to tie up your loose ends at home and at work, and youll feel so much better once youre no longer splitting your time and energy between multiple big-ticket items.If You Have a Lot on Your Plate8. Procrastination Helps if Your Responsibilities Require CreativityStressed out about how youre going to come up with the next big idea? Forcing yourself to be creative on a timeline almost never works. The good news is that procrastinating- doing something else while you brainstorm or letting your mind wander during mundane tasks- can help you come up with awesome ideas. Dont sweat it if you dont come up with the next Facebook today, and just remind yourself that with some patience, inspiration will surely hit you.9. But it Hurts if Youre Being Relied OnIf you need to send deliverables to a co-worker for him to meet his deadline, itll hurt your relationship (and maybe even your reputation) if youre the reason hes pressed for time later. Dont put off something because you believe his deadline is in the distant future- you have no idea how much time hell need once he has the work from you. If its something easy (but perhaps boring or tedious), the inclination to put it off is totally natural. But itll feel even better when hes thanking you for being prompt getting to your piece of the project. 10. Procrastination Helps if You Want to Figure Out What MattersWhat you procrastinate on can be a sign of what you do and dont care about. Putting responsibilities off until you absolutely have to prioritize some and perhaps ditch a couple of items could provide clarity for how youre spending your time. If procrastinating gets you to let go of mindless activities that always make it on your to-do list but dont add any value to your life or help your work flow, embrace it. In the long run, itll save you time, and thats what matters. 11. But it Hurts if Youre Already BehindIf youre already in hot water, resist the urge to procrastinate further- it could be a form of self-sabotage. That sense of Im already doomed, so whats the point? could be keeping you fro m delivering great results, even if it does end up just being a fraction of whats expected of you. Plus, digging yourself deeper would only mean more work later, so your future self will definitely thank you if you shave off some of that while you totenstill can.You dont have to (and shouldnt) do everything with a sense of urgency. There are so many situations in which slowing down is just what you need. Understanding why youre procrastinating is the key to knowing if youre doing it for the right or wrong reasons. And that distinction can mean the strategic difference between getting ahead and falling behind in your career.Photo of man procrastinating courtesy of Tom Merton/Getty Images.