Reading time: 1.5 min

I won an award by procrastinating. 

I wrote a thesis in 7 days while taking pharmacy classes and working on my side commitments. The first day was outlining, and the last few days were spent writing. I procrastinated for a few days in between.

2 months later, I received an award for the paper.

This is how I wrote a thesis in so little time and maintained high-quality writing:

1. Leverage your subconscious mind by procrastinating.

On the first day, outline your paper and the general points you want to research or discuss. Then procrastinate for a few days. When you return to work on the paper, your unconscious mind will have devised plenty of ideas for whole sections for you.

By first priming your subconscious mind, you can make it work for you while you do anything else. 

All you have to do now is put thought to paper.

2. Capture relevant thoughts from your conscious mind.

Whenever you think of an idea or come across a relevant resource or research, note it down. I prefer digital notes since they are accessible anywhere from a phone. Place them together with a relevant folder/tag. 

When you sit down to work, you'll find a treasure trove of points and resources to work with.

You just have to organise them into a paper.

3. Procrastinate to maximise the use of Parkinson's Law.

Parkinson's Law dictates that work (duration) expands to fill the time allotted. By procrastinating between your first day (outlining) and the last few days (of writing), you minimise the time available for writing. You will literally have forced your future self to work faster.

During procrastination, you can rest, play, capture ideas from your conscious mind, and have your unconscious mind do more thinking for you.

By the end, you will surprise yourself with how much you can vomit onto paper in just a few days. 

Related:

• Productivity by Procrastination - Tapping into the Unconscious Mind