The Productivity Trap: Why Doing Things Too Quickly Can Backfire
A growing number of people are experiencing a compulsion to begin tasks prematurely, a phenomenon experts are calling “precrastination.” Unlike procrastination, where tasks are delayed, precrastination involves an urgent need to start things well before they are due, often at the expense of other priorities and overall efficiency.
Florentina, a subject of a recent report in the NZZ am Sonntag, exemplifies this behavior. Despite having ample time before a project deadline, she felt compelled to begin immediately, neglecting other pressing matters on her to-do list. “It’s like a drive, I want to start right away and get the most important thing done,” she explained.
Psychologists at Pennsylvania State University first observed this pattern over a decade ago. In a laboratory experiment, participants were asked to carry a bucket filled with coins to a destination. Two buckets were available – one close to the starting point and one further away. Despite the obvious inefficiency of carrying a heavier load over a longer distance, approximately two-thirds of the participants chose the closer bucket, seemingly prioritizing the immediate act of starting the task, even if it meant more effort overall. When questioned, participants stated they wanted to complete the task as quickly as possible, willing to accept increased physical strain to mentally “check off” the item.
A 2019 study at Washington State University reinforced these findings. Participants were asked to transport both buckets back to the starting point. The most efficient approach would have been to retrieve the further bucket first and then the closer one. However, the majority again opted to grab the nearer bucket first, adding to their overall workload. The effect intensified when participants were simultaneously asked to memorize a number, increasing their cognitive load.
Researchers found that the urge to precrastinate diminished when the task required greater concentration. When participants transported water-filled cups instead of coin-filled buckets, the need to avoid spills demanded more focus, leading them to choose the more efficient route. This suggests that the drive to precrastinate is strongest when tasks are less cognitively demanding.
According to Christopher Gehrig, a psychologist at the Helmut-Schmidt-Universität / Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg, precrastination manifests in different forms. “Functional precrastination” can be beneficial, helping to alleviate cognitive load by freeing up working memory. However, other types, such as “anxiety-based precrastination,” are linked to stress and avoidance, serving as a coping mechanism for overwhelming tasks. The most concerning form is “compulsive precrastination,” characterized by a rigid, driven behavior, such as an uncontrollable urge to tidy up regardless of other priorities.
Experts warn that chronic precrastination can negatively impact health, leading to stress, self-overload, and burnout. Florian Becker, a business psychologist at the Technical University of Rosenheim, describes it as a “perfidy of procrastination,” where individuals postpone their own well-being – health, hobbies, and relationships – by constantly attending to the needs of others. “Pracrastinators are always there when others call, they are the completion firefighters. Everyone knows: if I ask this person, it will be done quickly, they will take care of it,” Becker stated.
The tendency to precrastinate is also linked to multitasking and frequent interruptions. Individuals who constantly jump between tasks experience higher levels of psychological stress. The key, psychologists say, is to find a balance – addressing important matters proactively without rushing into things prematurely.
Approximately 22 percent of students submit assignments on the very last day, indicating procrastination. Conversely, around 22 percent submit them on the first possible day, suggesting a tendency towards precrastination, according to data analyzed by David Rosenbaum and his team.