p. 12 | Procrastination

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Apr 14, 1904

Procrastination

There is hardly anything more destructive to effective work and high accomplishment than a habit of “putting off” disagreeable tasks. This postponing-of-the-disagreeable habit is also demoralizing to character. It produces superficial work and superficial living.

There is something lacking in the quality and solidity of character of a man who is always shirking disagreeable duties, sliding along the line of least resistance, and just trying to do those things which are agreeable and easy. It is

struggling with difficulties, with boldness and determination, that gives stamina to character and backbone to life.

A man who has been accustomed from boyhood to plow straight furrows regardless of obstructions, who will not swerve a hair’s breadth from his purpose, and who will not go around or over but through obstacles, has a solidity, a substantiality, about him that is not found in a man who stops when he finds a hard place, and drifts along the line of least resistance. It is struggling with the difficult and wrestling with obstacles that give nerve and stamina to character.

A habit of always taking up the most disagreeable duties first, when possible, takes the drudgery out of a task, and gives a delight to life which is never experienced by those who postpone distasteful or dreaded duties.

There is a sense of triumph which comes from the consciousness that you have mastered what discomposed you and was obnoxious to you, and that you have conquered what seemed difficult, and have got it out of the way.

A man who shirks unpleasant duties and goes around obstacles has a sense of inferiority. He has a sort of contempt for himself, his cowardice, his shrinking nature, and his laziness. He does not respect himself so much as the man who sweeps everything before him, whether inviting or not.

There is a feeling of strength and a sense of power which come to a man who has conquered the enemies in his pathway and the obstacles that lay between him and his goal. A man who always tries to avoid the disagreeable and shirks obstacles is a weakling. He ruins his executive capacity, and is not capable of grappling with difficulties.

There is everything in making up one’s mind resolutely to turn neither to the right nor to the left of an unwavering aim. It gives direction, purpose, and vigor to life which never come to a man who drifts with the current.

A strong man never hesitates or wavers when he comes to a hard place, but is all the more resolute to conquer, and this very determination not to shirk or to turn aside because of difficulties half conquers them. Dreading or postponing them engenders fear, and destroys self-confidence, without which no great thing can be accomplished.

If procrastination runs in your blood, and if you have come down from an indolent ancestry, you will be obliged to discipline yourself severely to overcome the “putting-off” habit; for every disagreeable task that confronts you will tempt you to postpone it. All sorts of excuses will present themselves to you, and the only way to overcome this fatal tendency is to compel yourself to begin at once the thing you dread. Do not allow the argument which, perhaps, speaks in your blood to comfort you.

Listen to nothing, but begin the work instantly, and you will soon conquer this unfortunate weakness which is fatal to all achievement, and death to any effective endeavor. Force yourself to begin immediately the task at hand.

Procrastination is the greatest enemy of achievement. Nothing is more delusive than delay. The man who thinks he is going to do the delayed thing later, especially if it is a disagreeable task, will probably never do it.

People who hesitate, delay, dilly-dally, weigh, consider, and dread a task, seldom amount to anything.

A habit of delay is destructive to energy, which does things. More boys fail to get on in the world from this fatal habit of “putting off” than from anything else. It induces laziness and mental inaction, and tends to destroy self-trust.

If this fatal tendency runs in your blood, the moment you feel a temptation to postpone a task come over you, jump up on the instant and go at your work with all your might. Take up the most obnoxious thing you have to do, and never allow your habit to suggest another postponement.

“Putting off” is a dangerous enemy: it is worse than a thief of time, for it robs you of opportunity. It mortgages your to-morrow for the debt that should be paid to-day. Every hour’s delay makes your task all the harder.—Selected.