Tony Williamson

Act decidedly and take the consequences. No good is ever done by hesitation.

- Thomas Henry Huxley

George Claude Lorimer, speaking about procrastination said, "Putting off an easy thing makes it harder. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible." There is more than a grain of truth to this statement.

If you have found yourself putting off important tasks for another time, you are not alone. Procrastinators work as many hours in the day as other people do and often work longer hours, but they invest their time in the wrong tasks. Oftentimes, they are unable to distinguish between urgent or important and routine tasks, and end up doing tasks without prioritising them.

Often, procrastinators are not aware of this flaw until confronted by those closest to them.

Over my many years of corporate life, I have been aware of persons whose desks are always overburdened by files, paper folders, pieces of scrap paper, or a hundred Post-it notes reminding them of things to be done. However, because these persons fail to prioritise, they end up doing routine tasks at the expense of urgent or important duties. This situation is not usually a problem of procrastination in itself, but one of disorganisation as well.

Let us consider a definition of procrastination. Procrastination, as defined by the Webster's College Dictionary, is to defer action; to delay or to put off until another day or time. A friend once told me that the dictionary gurus missed out one very important aspect when defining the concept of procrastination, which is, "because you don't feel like it". However, the corporate world would not agree that my friend's definition of procrastination is applicable at the workplace. What would an employee say when, upon not receiving his/her pay cheque, the boss said, "I didn't feel like writing cheques today?"

Why Do People Procrastinate?

Procrastination and disorganisation are integrally linked. Poor time management and the inability to prioritise are key factors which contribute to putting things off for another time. Individuals also put things off because they are waiting for the 'right' time or the 'right' mood to tackle the task at hand. Others might be bored by such tasks, might not have an understanding of what is required or are just avoiding things which are disliked or difficult. When you procrastinate, you might be under pressure, stressed or intentionally taking time out for yourself. Whatever the reason behind procrastination, it must be dealt with and controlled before opportunities are missed, your career is derailed, or worse.

Fear of the consequences or fear of the unknown is another reason behind procrastination. Those of us in the life insurance industry are well aware of the common objection to buying: "I need time to think it over." Many times they need the insurance but simply fear the unknown or the future. On occasions, they procrastinate because they fear the results of the mandatory HIV test. But as far as your health is concerned, the more you procrastinate, the worse might the outcome be.

It's important to recognise that you procrastinate and understand the reasons for it. Overcoming procrastination usually involves better organisational and time management skills; these can be learnt.

Procrastination has a way of ruling our lives if we do not bring it under control. However, it may not just rule your life, it may take it.

Then, as the saying goes, just do it!