The Dire Consequences of Procrastination
Why should you fight procrastination with all that you've got?
Here are some examples on how procrastination will lead to something frightening if you are too careless:
If I were to Procrastinate:
- Exercise, it would lead to obesity and hence high blood pressure or diabetes
- Studying for an exam, I would fail in my finals and repeat that college year or even delay my graduation
- Doing my regular checkup at the doctor's, a tumor would grow and develop into cancer
- Correcting a lazy habit, it would lead to a disgruntled boyfriend or girlfriend – who couldn't stand you anymore and breakup in a relationship
- Getting started on my new business, I would get nothing done and give up when I realize how little I've accomplished
- Renewing my driver's license, I might get caught by the police on the day itself when I am driving to get it renewed!
The list goes on, but you get the idea.
The fact is those activities seem like something small and insignificant in the beginning.
Later on, we will explore more areas on how destructive procrastination is and how to deal with it.
Example:
If you watch the show 'click' starring Adam Sandler, you will notice he plays a character who works day and night but is not willing to spend little time he has organizing his time. He always procrastinates spending time with his children until they are all grown up.
Lesson: Given a choice between family and work, work always wins. As his time spent away from his family accumulates, his kids are all grown up in the blink of an eye and all that he's got is a broken marriage and a burst artery.
The True Value of Time
Ponder with me for a moment.
You may have read this article before as it has been circulated around the Internet in various versions, but the message carry the same meaning:
The Value of Time
To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly divorced couple.
To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.
To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who has failed a final exam.
To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realize
The value of one-second:
Ask a person who has survived an accident.
Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.
If I were in the position of those men and women, I would feel such great loss because of the time and energy spent. This will help us realize the importance if time and help us to understand how procrastination will lead to many dire consequences (like the student who didn't pass his exam or missing the bus/plane)
What Other Problems Are Associated With Procrastination
Procrastination is associated with different symptoms. One of it is namely, delayed gratification.
Delayed gratification is the example of someone sacrificing the pleasures of the present in order for something greater in the future. Experiments have been done on various kids. They temp a child with a marshmallow telling them that if they are going to put that marshmallow on a plate. If they were to wait 5 minutes, they will be given 10 more marshmallows to enjoy.
A group of kids were tested. Some ate the marshmallow when the scientist turned his back. Others pondered at it expressing stress and eagerness. Others, after struggling for a minute, gave in and ate the marshmallow on the plate.
The kids who have expressed delayed gratification went on to become successful in whatever careers they have ventured into while some of those who ate the first marshmallow performed average in their studies or work.
The point is this: delayed gratification and procrastination are directly correlated with EQ or Emotional Quotient. You may have a high IQ, but a person with low EQ might not get things done even if he has a high IQ.
People tend to procrastinate things when they refuse to sacrifice the pleasures of PUTTING OFF something so they obtain the pleasure of doing something they like NOW.
Procrastination is also associated with perfectionism.
It is a tendency that happens with perfectionists because they won't do anything if they cannot do it 100% right.
Example:
John is planning to start a business. He has this fantastic idea that will earn him millions. He sat down and started planning for days. He wanted to get all the variables straight.
5 years later, his friend asks him how's business? He replied he never got started. He got paralyzed by many things. He felt the economy was unstable, lack of funds, needed that extra security from his time consuming job, kids were growing, etc…
Lesson: He kept procrastinating without jumping in. He refused to sacrifice the security of NOW for the future and kept waiting for the right time. Unfortunately, the right time never came and his ideas vanished into thin air and seemed like a distant dream.
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Stay tuned for more post dealing with procrastination.
Blessings,
Dr. Reggie Cochran Ph.D. DCH CPMA DD
"I became a World Champion in my field. I
can help you become a Champion in yours"
