There are many procrastinators among us. In fact I would argue that we all tend to procrastinate in different areas of our lives. It makes sense, because we all prioritise different things and when it comes to doing things that feel like effort, well, that is rarely our priority.
The procrastination "techniques" we use however, can manifest differently for each individual.
Not following me? Kindly read on.
There are three types of procrastinators, according to yours truly:
The serial procrastinator will never do today what they can do tomorrow. And as you know, tomorrow never comes. Will they admit their fault? Absolutely not. Their main procrastination tactic is to make up an excuse and, in doing so, convince themselves that the excuse is 100% plausible.
The productive procrastinator knows that they have a tendency to put things off. This group has usually discovered a way to get at least half of their to-do-list done and is willing to admit to themselves that maybe they could have done more. They live in hope that they will get things done in a stress free way, but the majority of the time they rely on the pressure to hit and then, using all resources available, attempt to pull a rabbit out of a hat.
The procrastinator in denial is our last and final group. These lovely humans are so good at lists, and ticking things off those lists, that they constantly feel like they are being productive. They "don't procrastinate", they are just super busy doing other important things, which often results in supposed prioritising. In reality they simply do not have the time to get around to the things they feel like doing the least (i.e. procrastinating).
So what has this got to do with a kitchen sink?
Well when it comes to getting things done around our house, I hate to admit that my husband and I are both procrastinators.
David is a serial procrastinator. If there is something that needs to be done in our home, it's either happening tomorrow or he has an excuse for why it can't happen today. It usually takes a LOT of nagging for him to get around to changing a lightbulb.
David is many wonderful things, don't get me wrong, he just likes to leave house things for extended periods of time because in reality, it is not his priority.
So unless I am willing to nag or offer up an ultimatum, it would in fact be better to do it myself.
Meet the productive procrastinator. Moi. I recognise procrastination as a weakness of mine and somehow I always manage to get things done, but sometimes it takes a little more time than necessary.
This time it took 4 years.
When we moved into our house 4 years ago, the plugs in our sink leaked. Pretty much failing at their main function.
It was very irritating when we were washing dishes, but somehow that irritation didn't seem to result in any action by either of us.
It took someone new working in our home to bring to my attention how ridiculous it is that we still have plugs that leak. Four years and R120 later our sinks have stopped leaking.
When I think about all the water (read: money) wasted, dishwashing soap lost and irritable moods created due to our kitchen sink, it feels like a metaphor for my life.
The point is that our desired result was so easily achieved but we both just put it off. Dave made excuses and I just never got there.
Maybe in our minds we thought that buying new plugs or getting someone to fix the problem would cost money (a grudge spend) but if you really look into it, it was procrastination that put this little daily dilemma off for all those years!
When I think about all the water (read: money) wasted, dishwashing soap lost and irritable moods created due to our kitchen sink, it feels like a metaphor for my life. I am simply flabbergasted by the ripple effect that putting off the smallest little thing can have. It certainly wasn't worth waiting all that time to fix the problem and now that we have, it feels life changing!! All the reasons for delaying the inevitable were quite simply nonsense.
There is much to be said about ripping off the band aid. It is far easier in the short term to put something off than to act on it. But the majority of the time, the results are worth far more than the effort the action realistically required.
So here is my thought for the month of July:
We are mid way through yet another year and regardless of whether you made resolutions or not, it is the perfect time to start making sure this year will count. No matter what the last six months (or years) have held, this is your sign to stop procrastinating about acting on a dream that you have for your life.
You have an opportunity to rip off the band aid, take a risk, commit to a change, act!
Spend the proverbial R120 and watch what happens next.
Doing something that feels overwhelming might just change your life. Don't wait for tomorrow, for the pressure to hit or for all the other things on your list to be done. The opportunity cost is often far greater than what it takes to make things happen.
Spend the proverbial R120 and watch what happens next.
You might surprise yourself if you stop procrastinating and decide to follow your inner moonlight.
All my love,
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