There is a little demon that plagues the best of us. It’s called “procrastination.” It may not be part of our lives all the time, but occasionally to some of us, it makes itself known. Procrastination is just a matter of putting things off. “Don’t do today what you can put off until tomorrow,” is one of its favorite phrases. We know what must be done and why, and we know the consequences of delay, but perhaps we can let it go one more day.
That’s where the problem lies. Letting things go one more day leads to immeasurable problems in many areas of life. Let’s take, for example, a bill that needs to be paid. There is money in the bank and that bill sits atop a stack of other bills. This particular bill, though, is a priority. The due date is just five days away, and paying this bill late will mean a late fee on top of the bill. A late payment can affect the credit report. Still, we can’t bring ourselves to just write the check we need to write! Why? Procrastination has a firm grip on us at this point.
From another perspective, suppose we’re procrastinating on turning in an assignment for a class. One day late means the loss of a point or two on the final grade for this class. We’ve got our research finished, our outline done, and we’ve gotten lots of good ideas for the direction our paper will take. So what’s stopping us? Is it the idea that we won’t do a good enough job on the paper? Will we not be able to make the grade we want when all is said and done? Procrastination is at work here. We know we should be getting down to business, but it’s not happening.
In both these examples, we know there is an urgency. There is a deadline. The more we think about it, the more exasperated we get and the more we procrastinate. There is a rush, of sorts, that occurs when we face a deadline that’s closing in on us. It is much like the rush of adrenaline when we are living somewhat “on the edge.” Some of us seem to need that rush. Even when that bill is nearing its due date, paying it at the last possible moment provides the rush. It’s dangerous to operate this way, but we realize that – it adds to the excitement.
The classroom assignment may be a case of procrastination for another reason, instead of, or in addition to, feeling a sense of living on the edge. We may fear not being able to produce a paper that results in a perfect grade, so we put it off altogether until the very last minute. Or we accept a lower grade for turning it in late. We’ve let procrastination win out and we’ve fed our perfectionism demon in the process. Very often, procrastination and perfectionism go hand in hand. People who fear success or failure often have unrealistic expectations of themselves, and procrastination ultimately becomes a way of life.
Obviously, being prone to procrastination is not a good way to live. Always leaving important matters to the last minute amounts to feeling a certain amount of continuous stress, which is harmful to the mind and body. If it has gotten a hold on you already, you may be noticing a tendency to delay matters that are extremely important and must be handled on time. There may be some bills piling up, or you may have gotten into a bit of resignation about lower grades. Relationships may be suffering for lack of communication if you are delaying phone calls, visits, or letters. Your home may be in need of significant repair if you’re putting off maintenance. None of these situations are desirable. There are ways to change this behavior.
If you cannot bring yourself to do the most important things on your priority list most days, it’s time to change the behavior. You can try to organize and prioritize, starting each day with the most important items on a list you’ve made of “Things To Do Today.” If you’re beyond this phase and need help with making changes in your life, consider informal counseling with a trusted friend or family member, or your clergy person. If you don’t have someone you can trust with this problem, seek formal counseling with a reputable counselor. An experienced therapist will have methods and approaches to help you correct your tendency to delay, and in the process of counseling, you can achieve a life without the chaos and worry caused by procrastination.
