Avoiding Active Procrastination: 3 Things to Avoid to Optimize Progress

Famous basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Don’t mistake activity for achievement.” This principle is crucial in business and life. It’s easy to fall into the trap of doing tasks that feel productive but don’t actually move the needle. Today, I want to talk about a concept I call “active procrastination,” which involves activities that seem like work but don’t yield real results. Drawing from personal and professional experience, I’ll outline three behaviors to avoid to maximize progress and productivity.

Avoiding ‘Junk Food’

Overconsumption of Content

One of the most insidious forms of active procrastination is overconsumption of content. In today’s world, we have unprecedented access to information. Books, YouTube videos, podcasts, and articles are all readily available. While consuming content is essential for learning and growth, it becomes counterproductive if it doesn’t lead to action. This is what I call “hyper learning”—consuming information without applying it.

Consider this: most of the world’s greatest achievements were made by people who had limited access to information. They acted on what they knew and learned from their experiences. Today, we have the “Library of Alexandria” in our pockets, leading to analysis paralysis. We spend so much time learning that we forget to do. To combat this, I recommend a one-to-one ratio of consumption to action. For every hour you spend learning, spend an hour applying that knowledge. This balance ensures that you turn knowledge into tangible results.

Junk Food Activities

The second form of active procrastination is what I call “junk food activities.” This isn’t just about literal junk food, although that’s part of it. It’s about indulging in behaviors that provide temporary satisfaction but don’t contribute to long-term goals. These activities can range from unhealthy eating habits to excessive socializing and even mindless content consumption.

Think about it: after a long week of work, it might feel good to binge-watch TV or eat a box of ice cream. While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying these activities in moderation, they shouldn’t be mistaken for productivity. These behaviors can be likened to junk food—they provide a quick hit of pleasure but offer little nutritional value. The same goes for activities that don’t align with your goals. To optimize progress, focus on tasks that directly contribute to your objectives and minimize indulgent distractions.

Avoiding Distractions

Side Quests

The final form of active procrastination is engaging in “side quests.” This term, borrowed from video games, refers to activities that divert attention from the main objective. In business, side quests can take the form of new, unrelated projects or tasks that seem interesting but don’t align with your core goals.

Imagine you’re playing an RPG game where the main quest is to save the princess. Along the way, you encounter various side quests—small tasks that offer rewards but don’t advance the primary objective. In business, side quests can be appealing because they offer a break from challenging tasks. However, they can also lead to fragmented focus and diluted efforts. The key is to stay focused on the main objective and tackle the hard tasks head-on. By doing so, you ensure that your efforts are aligned with your primary goals.

Action & Conclusion

What do these three behaviors—overconsumption of content, junk food activities, and side quests—have in common? They all divert attention from meaningful work. To avoid active procrastination, it’s crucial to focus on doing the hard things. Whether it’s writing that difficult email, having a tough conversation, or making an unpopular decision, these tasks are essential for progress.

It’s like building a muscle. The more you tackle hard tasks, the easier they become. Over time, what was once difficult becomes routine, and what is routine becomes easy. By consistently pushing forward and facing challenges head-on, you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.

To recap, avoid active procrastination by limiting content consumption to what you can act on, steering clear of indulgent distractions, and staying focused on your main objectives. By doing the things that yield real results, you’ll find that achievement becomes a natural outcome of your efforts. Remember, activity alone doesn’t equate to achievement. Focus on meaningful actions that drive progress, and over time, you’ll see significant results.