Procrastination is a complex psychological
behavior that most people have had to deal with at some point in their lives.
To some prolonging what we need to do is a minor issue. To others it is a
primary source of anxiety.
When we think of procrastination we often think
of it in relation to time management. However research shows that most people
who procrastinate ‘often know exactly what they should be doing and when they
should be doing it, even if they do not do it’.
When we defer our actions we are often
remarkably optimistic about our ability to complete the task within the time
given, often reassuring ourselves that everything is under control and we can
always start later.
Procrastination could vary from deferring
changing the light bulb in your house, to not finishing that report that’s due
at the end of the month. It is not only individuals that fall prey to this
behavior but groups of people and institutions as well. Communities can
sometimes fall into a false sense of security about the need to improve their
condition, deferring it to the future. Even governments have been known to
procrastinate about implementing policies that can develop infrastructure,
protect the environment, improve health care, and enhance the lives of their
citizens.
At some point, the time for the tasks to be
completed lapses and the task has to be completed one way or the other. That
light bulb has to be changed, that report is due, those citizens are demanding
better service delivery and the environment is bearing the burden of a lack of
policy. When we find ourselves at this point we will be ‘making progress only
because we do not have any choice’ and ‘our back is against the wall and there
are no alternatives’.
In essence we avoid making a well thought out
choice or even making a choice in the first place. Furthermore we absolve
ourselves from committing to a desired outcome for our tasks. So when we are
called to account for what we have done, we can always hide behind the excuse
that there was no time.
The Bible in Proverbs 6:10, 11 “a little sleep
a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, so poverty will
pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity
will attack you like an armed robber.” We need to be aware so that we do allow
the have a habit of procrastination to overtake us. What are you avoiding
confronting? What are you deferring to the future?
