Procrastinators have a reputation as loafers, laggards and lollygaggers. A bit harsh, believes University of California, Riverside philosopher John Perry, a self-described procrastinator who asserts that, unlike their reputation, most people who excel at postponing the inevitable actually lead productive lives by busying themselves with many tasks to avoid others deemed more onerous.
Perry calls it structured procrastination, a strategy of completing less-important tasks to avoid those higher on an individual’s priority list. He has written a self-help book for procrastinators, The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing .
