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Procrastination

Because of its peculiarly enervating effects, procrastination merits special mention in any discussion of time [or energy, happiness, freedom...]. The propensity to talk about intentions and the proclivity to delay until ideal conditions prevail are afflictions confined to all but the most effective. Because it contributes to lost opportunities, increases pressures on deadlines and generates crises, procrastination is the single greatest thief of time [energy, happiness, freedom...].

... The American poet, Robert Frost, remarked: "More people die from worry than they do from work, simply because they worry too much about work." [silly, but we can get his meaning] Moreover, one discovers that most of the things people worry about rarely happen, and meaningful, constructive activity not only gives rest to the body but helps register peace of mind. In failing to get started, the things nagging at us take an increased psychological burden. Knowing what we are avoiding and admitting guilt [or responsibility] is often the major step toward the completion of any unpleasant task. Since any job gets harder the more we put it off, the secret of performance is to start and do a little bit often; even the biggest jobs will soon be completed. Finally, in postponing to some non-existent ideal future date, we run the risk of missing out on an important opportunity. Such an approach assumes that tomorrow will always be the same as today.

Although procrastination has heavy psychological overtones, a well-tested technique used by executives for priority tasks is the application of the concepts of: definition, delegation, and deadline. Definition of the problem is the real decision concerning what is relevant; delegation designates the aspect of accountability to whom and responsibility for what of the problem; and the setting of a realistic deadline helps assure that the problem will transcend the realm of good intentions. Once the problem is clearly defined with proper designation of accountability and responsibility along with the feedback of deadlines, the process of saving time [being happy] and achievement is on its take-off stage.