The cost of procrastination

Posted by Isaac on June 8, 2014 · 51 Comments 

Do me a favor, think about your day, did you have a plan that you defferred for a later day instead of today? Okay, maybe you are better than most, think of this past week, did you move something to later in the week and did you do it the? We could do it for the month and year but really what’s the point, you have already caught where I am going right?

I learnt the hard way, scratch that, I learnt the toughest way possible never to procrastinate again. I am 34years old now, I have been married for 7years, had a son for 5yeara now so I am really in a place where Procrastination is no longer an option and also in a place where I have learnt well. I do not look back with regret, oh no, I look back happy to learn so that I do not repeat the same mistakes twice.

I was fortunate to meet a family that took me in as their own just after I had landed in England. I was treated like a son and behaved like one, I was in a good place. I hated school then, I wanted to work and make money, I could have gone to law school or done numerous other courses but I thought I had all the time in the world, yes I procrastinated another year to yet another year. I thought I had the luxury of time, my friends were having fun and I was going to miss out so Procrastination became a good excuse.

Years went by, time was no longer my friend, when I stopped to check where I was, when I stopped to reflect it was too late, now time was not my friend. I was dating and getting ready for marriage, I was now so preoccupied with other things that my education was suffering, I had to do something. I am not a bum no, I am just not what I would have become had I gone to University when I was first offered the chance, now I get to study and help my kid with his studies. It could have been one of us studying now but because I procrastinated, I get to have a full plate now.

You are likely going to end up doing later what you deffer now so really what is the point of postponing? May make the mistake of thinking that they will have more time later, how funny. What makes you think that all of a sudden you entire calendar will open up years later when it is tight now? If you have a plan, work it.

It is wise to have a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly then a 3yr plan after that. Live with deadlines and definable goals, never push goals to a later date unless they are reasons that really compell you to do so. Do not make excuses for procrastinating, if you have to give yourself the speech, do so. Do not let things go when you catch yourself procrastinating. Be accountable to yourself.

Filed under Anatomy of Success, Life's Matters · Tagged with delays, failure slow, Isaac Madengu, Procrastination, success