That Nasty Little "P" Word

Procrastination.

It’s the habit we just can’t quit. You can call it whatever you want to - delaying, postponing, preventing, slacking off - but to me, that nasty little “P” word has been embedded in my life as long as I could humanly remember.

Procrastination is like a drug that inhibits your senses. It gives you a temporary high when all the while does you more harm than good. To put more apt similes, it’s like alcohol, gambling, women or better yet, video games. But what makes procrastination different from all these is because it is not gained physically. It occurs right in your mind, that thick black bubble bursting from the cerebral wellspring, rendering you powerless from its all-corrupting influence. Doing the deed itself is almost as grave as when Eve took a bite from the apple.

How many times, no matter how we tried to be responsible, we always end up not doing what we’re supposed to do in the first place? That even if we panic with the work deadline, we succumb to our whims and manage to watch our favorite weekly television series. We put off that brain-damaging report till the next morning because we’re too tired or sleepy, well in fact we just can’t fathom the thought of doing it. That when a parent or superior tells us to do something, we are always ‘preoccupied’ with something peculiar at the time and in turn we forget what’s ordered. And even if want to talk so badly with a friend we haven’t communicated to for ages, we postpone it for the crazy reason “I’m afraid there’s nothing much to talk about.” Or, in the same line of thinking, we never come close to admitting to that special someone that we simply adore them because of the fear of rejection… and reciprocate that also to the ones who love us, since we risk sounding corny or contrived. We cancel off meetings and get-togethers because we don’t feel like spending time, money, and energy just yet. Or about ‘forgetting’ to help a person in need - be it someone we know or not - because we wouldn’t want to feel more victimized than he/she already is.

Oh yes, procrastination can range from the simple to the complex, from the lousy to the plain absurd, from the benevolent to the wicked. And I’m guilty as charged from these crimes I have wrought. There are countless other ‘proxy moments’ left for you to fill in, as I am too indolent to come up with more. This composition could have been written months ago, but I just couldn’t find the right frame of mind, the perfect time, the best pen and paper, the ideal inspiration, and so forth. Frankly, I was just being lazy.

Procrastination isn’t as deadly as AIDS or cancer, but just as debilitating to me and to everybody else. Failing grades, poor work performance, lost opportunities, severed relationships, declining health, natural and man-made disasters - no one cannot deny that procrastinating played in the game before these occurred. We regret it, rebuke ourselves for it, promise never again to it, forget about it, and do it all over again. We never learned much from our mistakes as histories are replete with all sorts of delaying tactics. It’s too darn irresistible.

We may want to attach the essence of procrastination to the adage “There is a time for everything”. But what about “Time is gold and you can’t turn it back”? I’m not being preachy here, but if we just accomplish the task at hand immediately, then it’s as good as doing the right thing. More often than not, the consequences will be incomparable to the “what could have been’s” we’ll face if we passed that moment by.

I believe that if procrastination is the root of all evil… or maybe just problems, then fighting it can be the secret to improved relations and progress. I know it’s hard to adjust, but if all of us can overcome that particular weakness, then perhaps the world will become a better place.