Procrastination is the fine art of never taking on today what you can put off until tomorrow. I am a master procrastinator. How about you?
The trouble is, deadlines can pile up. Time flies. And once you're on the treadmill of always waiting until the last minute, well, it's hard to step off.
Scripture tells us not to worry about tomorrow, but that should not be taken as permission to procrastinate all the time. Why? Because Scripture also tells us that we should avoid anxiety and stress, and while procrastinating might seem like a good idea at the time, it leads to terrible anxiety as the deadline approaches, or worse, as several deadlines loom and seem to collide while you scramble to meet them all.
Procrastinating is not only a source of anxiety, it robs us of pleasure and the ability to think clearly.
When is that report due? Tomorrow? Uh-oh, no, it's due in a couple of hours, and I haven't even started writing it yet. And as I begin writing it, I realize that I need to get some information from someone else, and I have to get it now. Which means putting some pressure on someone else, who is either busy or unreachable in time to meet the deadline. And ultimately leads to hard feelings all around when it could be avoided by employing a little self-discipline and starting early enough to get it done.
Leaving for an appointment without allowing adequate time can lead to aggressive driving and other bad things, like road rage or a traffic citation for driving too fast, or worse, an accident. Again, all could be avoided by leaving five minutes earlier.
Procrastination can also lead to internal anxiety that affects your health, things like high blood pressure and sustained stress levels that weaken the immune system. Why create an unhealthy situation? Our bodies were not meant to live in a perpetual fight-or-flight state.
Most of all, procrastination can lead to an inability to find peace of mind, relaxation or quiet time. It's not the only thing that can rob us of the opportunity to regenerate spiritually and physically, but why abuse yourself this way?
That's a question I frequently ask myself, unfortunately. As I said, I am a master at procrastination, and it's not something I'm proud of.
God wants to give us peace of mind -- he wants to give YOU peace of mind, and ME peace of mind. But when we procrastinate, we rob ourselves of the chance to complete a task or fulfill an obligation on time, we often find that we don't do the best possible job in the end because we're rushing or feeling panicky, and we also give up the opportunity to get the most benefit from our actions. We may also affect the peace of mind of others who are affected by our inaction.
So don't do what I have done, do as I say ... wait, that's backward, but in this case, it's more a matter of learning from my mistakes.
Yes, I procrastinated and am writing this blog entry at the last possible moment. Almost. I could have waited until the 11th hour, but instead I've put it off until the morning before. Which is an improvement.
Give yourself and others a blessing by starting your tasks or trips early enough to avoid the problems that can arise from procrastination. If you are looking for a bad habit to give up for Lent and forever, this is a great one to tackle.
Not only will you find a little bit of Earthly peace of mind, you will also be better able to spend time with God, because you won't be living in a state of panic over everything.
Peace
Susan
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