I was always waiting for my mom as a kid. "Be ready and waiting"... "do you know where we're going"... "are you prepared"... "do you have everything you need"... "are you sure?" She instilled a desire in me to always be early, that I don't even think she had. Oh, the expectations of a young girl, but that's for another post, my readers. This was a hard task I diligently worked towards, at first to make my mom happy and avoid unnecessary tears, but then as I grew because I thought it would make me successful. I'm still always at least semi-prepared, but being an avid learner, fond of daily word and weird facts that no one cares about (did you know a group of cows is called a murder... umm, why?), I've learned how to be more flexible with myself and procrastinate!
As a consultant, I've been able to apply this mental flex to my work, specifically with developing creative strategies. I listen, watch, do my homework, then let the information stretch, maybe do some somersaults. This process allows me to bend my once linear task into divergent ideas. Turns out I'm not the only one. Many successful people moderately procrastinate. In fact, in a recent study, those who let their ideas or tasks simmer in their mental juices before acting on them were found to be substantially more creative and have a better understanding of the tasks in front of them. But, like everything, with creativity, there is a balance. If you wait too long, you'll be seen as unprepared and sloppy, like you just unthoughtfully vomited all your thoughts into the world. And if you act too soon you might be missing an unexpected leap, a corner you didn't peek behind. Within this balance, whatever you planted (project, task, idea) is growing while you eat lunch, take a bike ride, read a book, sleep, into a beautiful blossom.
Procrastination has its limits though. This incubation period collects and collects, but will eventually burst at its seams, or create intense dissonance. At some point, you have to stop "thinking" and start doing. Your idea does not have to be perfect, most aren't at first. Mozart and Beethoven created hundreds of compositions before they reached their masterpieces. Elon Musk gave SpaceX a 10% chance of surviving, with the first three launches failing. But through his fear and doubt, he didn't give up. His goal was to at least bulldoze the area so someone else could come along and pave it. I think it is important to note here how potent passion is. They were so passionate about their ideas that nothing else mattered, there were no other options. You have to have a lot of bad ideas before you get the good one, and the mental agility that unfolds along this journey is the only way to get there.
The takeaway: (Mild)procrastination + passion + action (sometimes repeated) = SUCCESS!
If you're having problems with a specific task, walk away. But always come back. Go take a break and do something creative so your brain can relax. Like any muscle, it can become tense, and needs downtime. Then get back in the game, and score! Your first attempt might fail, that's what good goalies are for, but the more you hit, the better your aim becomes, and the more confident you become as a result. It's in this sweet spot you're unstoppable.