Many of you probably know the Mark Twain quote: “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well”. While this is often used as a joke to support our procrastination in school assignments, work projects, or even cleaning our rooms, it’s pretty clear we shouldn’t take this advice seriously.
However, many of us end up living this out regardless of our intentions. We don’t necessarily mean to forget about things or put them off. Unfortunately, we probably all know that it’s almost always easier in the short term to leave this project or that responsibility for the next day. Or the next week. Or two weeks from now. It goes on and on.
That’s why we have deadlines for school, work, extracurriculars, and plenty of other things. They keep us on track.
But what about the things we don’t have deadlines for? How can we keep ourselves from procrastinating on those things?
Definitions
Before we dive into that question, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about procrastination. Procrastinating usually means delaying or postponing something which generally could be done right away.
When you read the title of this post, many of you doubtless thought of that one time you kept delaying that school project and then had to quickly do a boatload of last-minute work to make the due date. While of course school is a major area where we tend to procrastinate, it’s not the only area. And no, I’m not just talking about work projects or cleaning your room.
How many of you have had a goal, something you were passionate about, something you felt called to do, or even just a to-do list task? No outside deadline, no teacher or parent reminding you each day to finish. Just you trying to accomplish something on your own.
These goals that we make for ourselves, the to-do lists we write up, often have unsatisfactory results or are even completely unfinished because we procrastinate until we forget about it (or least try to tell ourselves it wasn’t worth it anyway).
Procrastination shows up in every area of our lives, and even though we sometimes only think about it in relation to our schoolwork, it’s often more prominent and detrimental in those non-school areas.
Why do we procrastinate?
Ask yourself the above question: why do you procrastinate?
Your answer is probably something along the lines of “because it’s easy”, “because it’s comfortable”, “because I have other things to do”, or maybe even “because it’s too small to be a big deal”. And while these responses can apply to schoolwork, those other desires and goals we have, even those things God calls us to do, often get pushed aside for the same reasons.
Because It’s Easy
It’s definitely easy in the short term to procrastinate, isn’t it? That task you’re trying to accomplish is hard. It’s going to take work. And frankly, you just don’t think you have the energy to do it.
But God has not called us to a life of ease. Often the things he asks us to do are the hardest things we’ll ever have to do. But it’s also always worth it.
And remember, putting things off doesn’t make them easier. Yes, today might be easier if you leave your task for tomorrow. But those to-do lists only grow and each day you put a task off, it will probably just seem harder and less desirable.
Because It’s Comfortable
Unknown things are uncomfortable. And if you’re procrastinating on something you’re nervous about or that you’ve never tried before, you know that it’s a lot more comfortable to stay in the known and reliable than the new.
My swim coach always says, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable”. In life, it’s natural to tend toward comfort. We don’t want to be forced outside our comfort zones. But sometimes, the best things in life happen when we reach outside that zone and walk out of it.
We’re going to be uncomfortable, so don’t put off things that aren’t comfortable for tomorrow. It’ll only be harder to step into uncomfortable situations the longer you stay in comfortable ones. Learn to be comfortable in those uncomfortable situations.
Because We’re Busy
We are a very busy culture. We have a lot to do, and we try to pack about 36 hours of activities into a 24-hour day. Our daily commitments often cause us to overlook bigger goals. But the thing is, if we really evaluate our days, we’ll find that we might actually be trying to drown out the hard and uncomfortable things with easy ones.
If God is calling us to something, are we really too busy for it? If we’re passionate about something, shouldn’t we be able to fit into our day? Maybe that means leaving something else that isn’t as important to us. You might give up that hobby that you’re not sure you like anymore or that sport that you’re just not finding joy in.
It might be hard to give something up at first, but you very well may find that the little bit of extra time you have can easily be filled with those things you were procrastinating on before. It might be uncomfortable to not have an excuse at first. That hard task may seem even harder when you really look at it. But aren’t we called to do hard things?
Because It’s Too Small
Sometimes, we procrastinate on activities because they seem small to us. At the moment, it doesn’t seem like this will benefit us or anyone else. If no one will care, is it even worth it? It just doesn’t seem like a big deal.
But sometimes those small things can end up with the biggest impact. Think about Ruth from the Bible. She did a very small thing of gathering wheat to feed herself and Naomi. It didn’t seem significant, but because of it she ended up in the family line of Jesus and was even the great-grandmother of David.
Another problem is that the task is significant, but we think we’re too small. Whatever you’re trying to do, you feel insignificant. You’re just not sure it will work. Will that leadership team really be convinced by you? Will your friend actually listen to your advice?
You’re probably familiar with the saying, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. While this may be cliche, there is still truth to it. Maybe it won’t work. But you won’t know until you try.
What have you been putting off? James 4:13-14a says, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.”
We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. If you’ve been delaying something, especially something that you think God wants you to do, reconsider your procrastination. Find a way to fit it into your schedule. Finishing that task might just make even more of an impact than you thought.
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