Stop Procrastinating!

Nothing will ever be accomplished if all possible objections must be overcome first!

This year, like any other beginning of a new year we all have set out our resolutions and goals. However, like any race only few men will make it to the finish line. I strongly believe that this is not because we are incapable of reaching our goals but we waste time talking about them and procrastinating. A lot of us are fortunate enough to know exactly what we want out of our lives, only if we were not spending half of our time wishing for things to happen. You may have piled-up enough tomorrows to realise that at the end of it all you have actually collected a lot of empty yesterdays. Many successful people on the land are not necessary the most intelligent but they understand the importance of time and that dreaming is only effective when you are resting at night.

Having said all of that, I know that starting something significant is difficult. Whether it’s starting your own business, university, going to gym, starting a particular career, a relationship or just deciding on living a healthy life. However, in a moment of decision, the best thing one can do is the right thing, the next best thing would be the wrong thing and the worst thing you can do is doing nothing.

Maybe you still need to go back to school and complete that degree; maybe you need to lose/gain that weight; maybe you need to really stop smoking; maybe you know you shouldn’t be taking alcohol; maybe you are in the wrong career but are so comfortable because it is all that you know; maybe you are where you are because you are just afraid to be where you have never been; maybe you just don’t know how and when to start. Start by accepting that nothing will ever be accomplished if all possible objections must be overcome first. The most horrible thing about procrastination is that we put off major things and replace them with low priority actions.

On the flip side of the coin, could it be that procrastination isn’t always bad? One would argue, because some of the most impressive people I know are good procrastinators. Which then makes me believe there is good and bad procrastination. Like I said earlier, in any form of procrastination (good or bad) the worst thing you can do for yourself is doing nothing!

Good procrastinators avoid errands to do real work. There are three variants of procrastination depending on what you do instead of working on something – you could work on either 1) something important 2) something less important or 3) nothing. ‘Good procrastinators’ put off small stuff to work on big stuff. Errands are so effective in killing great projects and a lot of people use them for exactly that purpose. A housewife who decided to write a novel for example, will suddenly find that the house needs some cleaning. People who fail to write novels, they don’t do it by sitting in front of a blank page for days without writing anything. They do it by going out to get something they need while at it, meeting a friend for coffee, checking emails “I don’t have time to work” they say; and yes they don’t – they have made sure of it.

Lastly, the most dangerous form of procrastination is the unacknowledged one – because it doesn’t feel like procrastination. You may be getting things done, but just the wrong things.

What is the best thing you could be working on now? And why aren’t you?

Stop putting things off for the next day - Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week!

Until next time – stop procrastination.


Tamara Booi