“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens, David Copperfield
If you’re anything like me, then you’d be quite familiar with the practice of putting things off until tomorrow, only to find that tomorrow doesn’t come so easily. Some would go as far to say that this wishful tomorrow is but a fantasy land that has no existence except within our lazily hopeful mind. For many, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” are the famous last words. Tasks, projects, goals and dreams are brought to nothing by this very thought day after day.
Our Brain Likes To Take It Easy
Many take the title of procrastinator, of whom most all would call themselves the master. We laugh and joke about procrastination, mostly because it’s a well developed habit to a good lot of us, unfortunately. Relaxing and neglecting certain responsibilities is often too easy to do. It’s been a long day, that doesn’t take too long, it can wait. Regret then fills the mind when one rushes to complete any number of tasks that should have been taken care of earlier. Even the smallest life decisions are brought into account as the pile of “tomorrow’s” tasks is mocking you. We’ve all been there.
Procrastination is something that a certain crowd might wear pridefully, others shamefully, and for some it’s a little bit of both. There are most certainly negative outcomes as we’ve aforementioned and will elaborate upon, but there is also some upside to putting things off. To the “masters” -it’s an art.
The Pros
So how is procrastination good in any sense? On the surface it seems to be the lazy man’s way of life, but us lazy folk are smarter than people give credit for. Although the habit may cause issues, certain side effects are indeed seen as beneficial. As Bill Gates once said: “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.”
Habitual procrastination instills within us creativity, quick thinking, as well as efficient action. When we deny our leisure time access to a project, especially one that requires a little imagination, it’s do or die come time to get this thing done. With little to no time to edit or think twice, the procrastinator must not only act creatively and quickly, but they must be efficient and accurate. This is another positive effect: Detail orientation -Every little thing counts! Time is done for thinking, it’s time to just do it when it comes down to it. The result of constantly putting themselves under pressure gives the procrastinator strength in high stress/ chaotic situations.
Absolutely wild how a brain can think about something so much with high levels of apathy and dread, to go and flip the switch to knowing exactly what needs to be done, no matter how articulate, and doing it then and there. It’s almost as if we procrastinators have some sort of survival instinct when it comes to completing certain tasks last minute.
The Cons
Looking past all the good that procrastination may do to our minds and abilities, it’s important to keep in mind the fatal traps. Pride, laziness, regret, compromise in other areas of life. The list goes on. Procrastination steals the priorities of the day.
Those who can relate to feeling accomplished in having “mastered” procrastination, are usually those who say “Imagine what we could have gotten done if we started sooner…” This is where procrastinators can get prideful in their ability to get things done quickly. The comparative effort between an early bird and a procrastinator boosts the confidence of the latter, especially when the results are of similar quality. It’s easy to forget the lost sleep, peaked levels of stress and high blood pressure that the waiting game can bring when you’ve completed the mission. It’s almost like a runner’s high. The mind and body have been tried and exhausted in a race against time and the result was victory- I think there’s a high to that thrill for sure. “Phew. I did it!”
Sure, procrastinators may be able to get things done quickly, but the reverse side of an efficient and creatively put together project is one that is executed with no imagination in the midst of a chaotic mess of thought and effort. For some, it doesn’t bring out or produce good qualities, it does the opposite. Some who practice habitual procrastination find a new excuse every day, bring a half ass attitude to life and are always looking for the easy way out. Just as continued pressure brings strength, and motion stays in motion, continued rest usually brings more rest.
When things then get piled up, compromises are made to make up for lost time, to fix the issue now after you had so much time. This is where overwhelming stress, high blood pressure and regret come in. Frantically going through past and present life decisions, wondering now if the future can carry all that you’d wished, now that time is running out. Time received today ought not be taken for granted- that time may not be there tomorrow, at least not for what you could’ve done today. Don’t look back at your life and regret, do!
Don’t Think So Much. Do!
Wherever you are in life, there’s things to be done, and goals to press towards. Do! Know your goals, know your time, know what the consequences of your actions today will be tomorrow. Getting things done makes it easier to do more and live more!
If procrastination is something that has caused regret and pain in your life, don’t procrastinate on the continuation of life and moving forward. Procrastination can indeed kill dreams, but it also leaves room for life to be lived outside of our daily tasks, bringing the taste of adventure to what needs to be done. I wouldn’t recommend leaving things for tomorrow, but if you can handle the pressure, do what you’ve got to do!
As we continue to look into investing all the time, this is something to address! Discipline is key to success, and our time is precious, so be disciplined in the management of it. Think and continue to grow. To the procrastinators out there, we salute you, but we don’t condone your actions. Thanks for the read!
