Precrastination
Precrastination is the tendency to start or complete tasks as soon as possible, even when doing so costs extra effort, just to get them off your mental plate. The term was coined by David Rosenbaum and colleagues in 2014 after participants repeatedly picked up a nearer bucket and carried it further than necessary. It is the mirror image of procrastination, and both seem driven by the discomfort of holding an open task in mind.
| Field | Cognitive psychology |
|---|---|
| Key researchers | David Rosenbaum, Edward Wasserman |
| Related concepts | Zeigarnik effect, cognitive load, working memory offloading |
The original study
Rosenbaum, Gong and Potts (2014, Psychological Science) asked people to carry one of two buckets down an alley. Most chose the bucket closer to the start, which meant carrying it further. Participants explained they wanted to get the subtask done, suggesting people pay a physical cost to reduce the mental cost of remembering a pending task. The effect has since been shown in pigeons too (Wasserman and Brzykcy, 2015), which points to a deep mechanism rather than a human quirk.
Why it matters for procrastination
Precrastination explains a common trap: answering trivial emails immediately while the important report waits. Clearing small tasks feels productive because it releases mental tension, but it can be procrastination wearing a busy costume. The fix is the same in both directions: decide what actually matters first, then let task order follow the decision rather than the itch.
Related
Frequently asked questions
Is precrastination the opposite of procrastination?
Structurally yes, one delays tasks and the other rushes them, but they may share a root: both reduce the discomfort of an open task. Procrastination avoids the task, precrastination dumps it early, and both can produce worse outcomes than well-timed action.