Last week was National Procrastination Week so naturally I am only getting around to writing about it now.

In my mind there are two types of procrastination: avoidance procrastination and productive procrastination.

Avoidance procrastination is pretty self-explanatory: why do something painful now when I can put it off to another time? . . . when it usually turns out to be more painful than just getting it done in the first place.

But I also believe in productive procrastination. In our email-popping, tweet-chirping, time-cramming busy lives there is a tendency to jump all over a task, get it done, and move onto the next thing. Check, check, check down the list.

But some tasks require thoughtfulness and some thoughtfulness requires letting an idea or problem percolate at the back of the mind. After years of working, I can actually tell what I am thinking about a task, while not consciously thinking about it – like bread dough being allowed to rise before baking. I’ve learned to trust the process and still make my deadline.

So in this Week After National Procrastination Week, I encourage you to put something off. You’ll be amazed at how brilliant you can be when you’re not trying so hard.