Putting off an unimportant task to work on an important one isn&#x27;t procrastinating. It&#x27;s prioritizing.<p>The best bit of this essay is the last 5 paragraphs, how to work on big things:<p>1. Break it down into fun small goals and experiments that get you in the right direction but offer their own reward.<p>2. Let desire and interest pull you to certain activities at certain times. You&#x27;re not a computer working through a todo list. Let serendipity happen.<p>I find having a to do list pushes me to do nothing. The thought of working through it is just too depressing. Letting desire and interest lead me means I&#x27;m usually doing SOMETHING. Often quite useful things it turns out.<p>When I look back over the first 15 years of my career I did my best work when I had no to do list at all.