Don’t Be Put Off By Delaying
December 1st, 2019
I used to think I was a procrastinator. It was an idea I’d picked up somewhere because I was always putting things off. I still do, but now I call it scheduling, not procrastination.
If I have an issue with procrastination it is for two reasons:
a) It is essentially a judgement or criticism. Nobody looks up to a procrastinator; you don’t hear things like “She’s a great procrastinator, it’s my ambition to become like her”.
b) I don’t want to be made to feel bad because I decide to put off until tomorrow what I could do today.
The proverb says “Procrastination is the thief of time”, I think the opposite is true; putting things off actually buys you time. I don’t know about you, but when I put something off its generally because I’m doing something else instead. It’s not as if I just sit and stare into space instead of doing my chores.
As with so many proverbs, there’s another that contradicts the first: “Look before you leap”. Taking time to deliberate allows you to verify your instincts, and you may find out that what you’ve been putting something off for valid reasons.
3 Responses to “Don’t Be Put Off By Delaying”
Thank you for introducing me to this. He closes with “Studying the nature of our own reluctance can be a strangely illuminating”, a great thought.
Very interesting perspective on delaying action. I do agree that there are definitely times when waiting to make moves is the best form of action to take. For instance, there’s quite a difference between habitually putting off things you know to do or that need to be done versus refusing to rush into something that might cause you to shipwreck if you don’t carefully and strategically take your time in acting. Thanks for the food for thought.
Thanks for your affirming insight, and for the lavely phrase “that might cause you to shipwreck if you don’t carefully and strategically take your time in acting”. Much appreciated.