For some, delaying tasks until later works, but for most of us, procrastination rarely serves.
Delaying tasks that you do not enjoy doing or that have big looming deadlines only serves to add more stress into your life. The tasks begin to build until, eventually, you are rushing to get things done and meet expectations.
It is far better to do a bit each day working toward the deadline than have it sitting over your head. When we do the things we don’t like doing first, it leaves more time to do the things we enjoy more.
Few people thrive under deadlines. For the rest, the rush to get the job done opens the door to lower quality results and errors. When we hurry through a task, we don’t pay attention to all the little details.
True, you can do some things with your eyes closed because you do them repeatedly, but ask yourself this, are you giving 100% to the job at hand? Satisfaction is doing a job well, one you can be proud of, no matter what it is.
Some procrastinate because they aren’t sure how to complete a portion (or all) of the task. They are worried if they ask that they may appear to be unqualified for the task at hand. It is far better to ask and be able to do it correctly than to delay and then do a poor job.
Stress is a nasty creature. When it piles up, it can make you sick. When you are sick, you cannot do your job at all. For some, this could mean no pay and a vicious cycle begins because that just adds more stress.
There are times where it serves to wait until you do something. Being first isn’t always a good thing. Sometimes, you want to make sure the path is clear before throwing yourself onto it and into danger. For the most part, though, it doesn’t serve to delay things that must get done.
I’ve always believed that if you don’t like your job that you can look for another in a field, you enjoy for the same money. When you love what you do, even the mundane tasks are less burdensome.
We always choose how we live and what kind of pressure we put on ourselves. If you work well under pressure, great, but for the majority of the population, it doesn’t work. Just know that if you always leave things until the last minute and then work late to get tasks completed, you are entering a vicious cycle of always being behind.
When you are constantly behind and struggling to meet deadlines, you begin working long hours. You may not even realize it, but you are robbing yourself and possibly others of time that would typically have been free to do something you enjoy. Missed family time or engagements with friends soon leave others feeling less valued and unloved.
How you live is your choice, but the next time you start putting stuff off, remember that procrastination rarely serves.
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