Procrastination - Five Negative Results

Time Management Guide Part 16

So, are you a procrastinator?

Procrastination is simply the habit of putting off for tomorrow what you can do today.

Does it ring a bell? The fact is that nine out of ten of us have this habit. We tend to postpone jobs and tasks. And procrastination is the villain, the unsuspecting sneak that upsets every plan connected with time management.

The interesting thing about procrastination is that we tend to put off only those tasks that seem unappealing to us.

If the task is boring, or monotonous, or involves too much hard work, then it stands a very good chance of getting postponed.

It is not because of the lack of time that we do not do the task. On the contrary, we might have plenty of time to do it but we tend to postpone it and justify ourselves saying that we do not have the time for it.

Take for example a visit to the dentist. How many of us go for monthly checkups to the dentist? The answer would be almost none. The reason is pretty simple. Since childhood, dentists have been associated with physical discomfort.

Similarly there are some jobs that we put off for tomorrow, a tomorrow that never comes.

However, there are some problems that arise out of procrastination that are detrimental to time management.

Five Negative Results of Procrastination

• A feeling that a job has been left undone is bad for our morale

• Unfinished jobs leave a lot of clutter which affects our efficiency

• Putting things off means jobs accumulate and needless panic can set in

• Procrastination may be synonymous to some people with laziness and lack of interest in the job

• The job becomes more unpleasant the more you postpone it

The chances are that you will be busier tomorrow than you are today. Most of those jobs that we procrastinate are the-sooner-done-the-better kind. And the sigh of relief that escapes from our lungs once the job is done and over is worth it.

All it takes is some will power. Make up your mind to do a task and then do it while your mind is still made up.