Procrastination

BY MICHAEL REISIG –

I would have had this column done a lot earlier, but I accidently picked up a book a friend gave me, and before I knew it I’d lost a half-hour, and then I felt I should eat a little something, you know – to keep up my strength, and then, when I settled into my computer, the dog wanted to go for a walk … So here it is – noontime – half the day is gone and I don’t know how it got away from me…

Procrastination – one of the devil’s favorite playthings. It’s the nemesis of mankind. It’s sly and unassuming at times. At other times it attacks your sense of propriety, or wiggles into your self-confidence and erodes it. And there are times that it is simply the best friend of the lazy and the indolent. The author Don Marquis said, “Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.” I think he had it right.

Don’t let the list of “little things” grow until it has become an intimidating, red-eyed monster, and don’t let your desire for perfection become procrastination. Take care of the little things while they’re still little things. I know so many people who have this proverbial room where about 80 percent of their motivation and productivity is stored. They just can’t quite seem to find the combination to the lock. (Oh well, I’ll find it tomorrow).

Procrastination is the archenemy of ambition – they battle continuously in most people. There are those who have beaten it and are the masters of their own destiny. There are those who struggle with it daily, wallowing in indecision – vacillating, and fluctuating, and second-guessing themselves into a mire of indecision that can ultimately be a fatal ailment. We have to remember that, like any other disease, vacillation can take its toll on happiness and success. The writer Matthew Burton, once said, “Procrastination is the seed of self destruction.” Each time we win the battle against procrastination we become a stronger person, a more powerful self – because we have recognized the difference between patience and indecisiveness and we have crushed the seed of self-destruction.

It’s an insidious thing, procrastination. It diminishes who you are without providing the normal empathy from friends and family that a good old-fashioned disease would provide. You can never draw any succor for being a victim of this ailment. No one cares about your excuses, no one pities you for your failure, and no one is going to coddle you for your laziness.

Here’s the most frightening truth about this “failure to step up” thing: One day you’ll wake up and discover that you’ve run out of time – time to do the things you always wanted to, let alone the things you should have. You’ll look around at the disarray in your life and wonder what happened.

I’ll leave you with this thought: “Yesterday you said tomorrow. Hey! What’s wrong with today?”

About Author

Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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