Procrastination – the repulsive, terrifying state that all teenagers are unfortunately too familiar with. It can hit at any time – one-second you are studying for that French final and the next you are deep within YouTube watching “The Adventures of Whale Man 1.” It is ingrained within the minds of students all over the world that procrastination is the opposite of productivity. But what if it wasn’t? What if procrastination was actually a good thing?

According to John Perry in his book “The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging, and Postponing,” we will live happier lives if we learn how to manage delay and procrastinate well. He outlines several ideas regarding as to why procrastination is actually beneficial.

First, there are two types of procrastination: active and passive. Although passive procrastination is still considered laziness (for example, watching Netflix instead of working on homework), active procrastination assists in getting more work done. This is because a structured procrastinator will put one task off but in its place do something else productive, like cleaning the house. This achieves more work than doing the one original task and ‘calling it a day.’

Procrastination also leads to creativity. When assigned that impossible English project, delaying it often leads to simply inventing a new way to tackle it. Perry argues that all inventions were essentially created by “someone who was supposed to be doing something else.”

Finally, procrastinators are known to make better decisions. While putting off making an important choice, procrastinators are actually gathering information. Perry makes the point that “true wisdom and judgment comes from understanding our limitations when it comes to thinking about the future,” as opposed to snap decisions. The most prominent Greek philosophers would generally sit around and think all day, as they believed that procrastination was essential for problem solving.

So the next time you put off studying, don’t stress! Distance yourself from the challenge and you will be on your way to becoming a world famous philosopher.