Are You Actually Productive or Are You a Productive Procrastinator? - a podcast by Brandi Sea

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Season 3, Chapter 8























Today, we’re going to talk about productive procrastination. Although that may sound like an oxymoron, I promise it actually works!















































But first, let’s talk about what’s been inspiring me lately— the cattle brand my son made!He was learning about the Oregon Trail in school, and my husband, Kenny, helped him to create his own brand for his “farm”. They made it out of wire, heated it up on the stove, and burned it into a piece of foam. It just really inspired me to see my son learning about the different types of branding throughout history, and it’s not something we ever really think about anymore. But on to the meat of this episode—productive procrastination! Procrastination can often look like action, and that’s the basis of what productive procrastination is. Of course, there’s regular procrastination, which is just putting things off and not getting anything done. So, what exactly is productive procrastination? Productive procrastination is when you know you should be working on something specific, but choose to tackle another task that needs doing instead, even if that task may not be a priority. For instance: doing the dishes rather than working on a project with a looming deadline. Though the dishes do need to get done, nothing bad will necessarily happen if they get put off another day. Whereas, if you put off your project, you can potentially risk missing your deadline and upsetting your client. But what causes our brains to want to do this? Maybe it’s that you’re  burnt out, or maybe you don’t particularly enjoy the project you’re currently working on. And how do we combat the desire to productively procrastinate? The first step is to acknowledge that you’re doing it in the first place Next is to know what your priorities areThird, know what your goals areI find it helpful to make a list of my long term goals, as well as a weekly list of my immediate priorities and goals. That way, if I feel the need to procrastinate a certain task, I can look at my list and choose to do something else that may not be quite as high on my priority list, but still needs to get done. See—productive procrastination! You trick your brain into feeling like you’re procrastinating, without actually wasting any time. Then you can check things off your list, still be and feel productive, but also get the mental benefit of stepping away from the task you are procrastinating. Do you have your own tips and tricks to help with productive procrastination? Tell us in the comments below!Have a question, comment, or episode subject request? Send an email to brandi@brandisea.comLinks: ClubhouseWant to talk about this more? Head on over to my instagram and leave a comment or send me a message!You can also reach our team on instagram at @designspeakspodcast, @juliehaider, or  @realdakotacook.We’d love to hear from you!  Resources & Other Links: Special Music: Favorite Liar by The WrecksTheme Music: Design Speaks

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