Procrastinators Unite…….Tomorrow

pro•cras•ti•nate: To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness. To postpone or delay needlessly

Let’s face it, we all procrastinate. Whether it’s that big English paper due at the end of the week, or that presentation your boss wants by Monday. We’ve all gone through the process of putting a task off until later, especially if that task is unappealing to us. Being a teenager I deal with procrastination on a daily basis. I’ve often found myself in trouble for waiting until the last minute to do a chore, or not finishing a paper until the night before it’s due. Procrastination is something that everyone struggles with, not just teenagers, and it can be difficult to overcome.

I like to think of procrastination as a form of the “empty self.” The “empty self” is when we only focus on things that make us happy, and not on the world around us. It’s like thinking “I’m not gonna do that thing right now because it makes me happier to do it later,” or “Why should I do that now when I can do it in 2 hours? Is it that much of a difference?” (I’m guilty of thinking this way sometimes) This thought process becomes a never ending cycle of things getting done late or not getting done at all.

I actually find myself procrastinating right now as I am writing this blog. Rather than typing I was playing solitaire and checking on Facebook. Procrastination is like a thief, in that it always steals something away from us. My mom has a saying, “Procrastination will always rob you blind.” When we put something off until tomorrow, we are taking a huge risk because tomorrow brings its own set of problems and other things that need to be done. The next day is not guaranteed to any of us, and procrastination in itself is a big gamble.

A synonym for procrastination is laziness. What prevents us from doing things at a certain time? It is often because we are too lazy or comfortable to extend ourselves out of our comfort zone and get up off our butts and do it! Proverbs 10:4 says “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Procrastination and laziness will rob us of the wealth that God wants to supply us with, and will also deem us as irresponsible in His eyes. I don’t think that any of us wants God to think that we are irresponsible and cannot be trusted with the blessings that He has planned for us.

The thing is we can’t conquer procrastination by ourselves. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Isaiah 41: 10 says “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God knows the flaws that we all have to overcome, and He is there to help us every step of the way. I hope that this has encouraged you to begin to fight to overcome the spirit of procrastination, and any other bad habits that you may need to take care of to make 2010 a better and productive year for you. I’m working on it!


Peace Out!
Tovah


My next blog: Saturday, January 23rd, check you out then!

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Monday's blog: Sharon Dainels..."Women & Their Finances"