I Can Do That Later

Yes, we all do it in some form or fashion but it can become a real problem if it continues. Procrastination.

What is procrastination? It’s putting something off till later when it can be done right now.

A lady told me, when I was contemplating retirement, that one of the good things about retirement is you can put off a chore till the next day if you don’t feel like doing it. Now, if you keep putting chores off to the following day and those chores start piling up, then what happens? A person can run themselves ragged trying to catch up.

For example, a student gets assigned a book report that is due one week from Monday. The student reads the book but puts off writing the report till Sunday evening – the day before the report is due. The report will probably be written in haste and may not be accurate.

Another example, family is coming for Sunday lunch. Everything is put off till Saturday, menu, housecleaning, organizing, etc. The lunch may not be enjoyable for the hostess because of lack of planning ahead of time.

The car needs an inspection. Before you know it, you get stopped by a policeman and receive a ticket for your negligence in not having the right date on the inspection sticker. Procrastinators are notorious for delaying car repairs or maintenance.

So, you want to start exercising, start a diet program, save money but you delay doing them?

Finally, many people put off doing their taxes till the very last minute for simple reasons as: 1) It is scary. 2) No money. Most tax procrastinators owe the U.S. Treasury money. 3) Habits are just hard to break. Some people just put it off until they absolutely have to.

How can we break the habit of procrastination? Don’t think of all of your chores as daunting. Give yourself a reward after a task is finished. Prioritize, make lists, create goals, make a schedule for that day and stick to it. Now, stop reading and get to work.