By Aulah Najjuuka
Procrastination is the tendency to unnecessarily postpone an activity that one ought to carry out. This habit has been explained as” the thief of time” by the English poet Edward Young in 1742. The word was first used in the mid-18th century to mean that someone who continuously puts things off ends up achieving so little.
“As I was reading recently, I came across a clever play on words that caught my attention: POOR stands for ‘Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly.’ This phrase resonated with me, as I realized I had done something similar earlier this year. When I started my practice at The Standard at UCU in January, I had to provide my payment details on the first day of the academic year. That’s when I discovered that my bank account was temporarily blocked, and I hadn’t completed the necessary paperwork to reopen it. Although I had retrieved my original national ID in August 2023 and filled out the required forms, I didn’t prioritize returning to Centenary Bank to finalize the process. This oversight made me realize the importance of following through on opportunities and tasks.”
One can only imagine how stupid I felt when, on my first day at work, I didn’t have a functional bank account or NSSF account. It was quite shameful for an educated and informed young lady that, of all the reasons I had as to why I didn’t have one, procrastination was the most prominent.
And I am not alone. There are people reading this article waiting for a job opportunity to present itself so that they can open a bank account; others are waiting to first get sick to get that checkup. There is the lot that is waiting to first own a car before they process a driving permit, while others are waiting for an opportunity to travel overseas to present themselves before they process a passport.
This is the mentality I am trying to change. It is amazing how often we think we have much time before an opportunity presents itself, and of course we have those creative reasons why today just isn’t the right time: too busy, still young, and many more. Occasionally, these reasons are valid, but very often they are simply excuses for not doing the real work and experiencing the emotional discomfort that will lead to meaningful changes in our work and lives.
“You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. What mood is that? Last-minute panic.” Bill Watterson. You keep limiting yourself every time you postpone something, and I know sometimes life can get scary, but it won’t get less scary just by you not doing what you are supposed to do.
As Margie Warrell once noted, we develop the hope that if we procrastinate long enough, our situation will improve or our misgivings will magically evaporate and be replaced with new-found courage. Unfortunately, the reverse is true. As the days roll by, our fears grow larger, and they eventually become a burial ground for unfulfilled dreams and untapped potential.
Procrastination can exert a serious toll on our finances, careers, businesses, relationships, and health. However, it doesn’t have to get to that, and with that, I’d like to propose an easy process for overcoming procrastination.
The most important step is the first one, which is to set a goal and assign a deadline to it. This gives you the discipline that renders postponement impossible. It would also be so helpful that the goal is broken down into manageable steps to make it less intimidating.
Additionally, please journal whatever you plan on doing, as this will call you out when you check your planner or journal and you have a goal or assignment you haven’t worked on. Journaling helps keep everything in order; you don’t need to have an actual book because all our mobile phones at the moment can access such apps. Many personal heroes of millions of people around the world, like Leonardo da Vinci, Mark Twain, and Albert Einstein, famously journaled and openly professed to keeping personal notes and records of ideas and personal notes.
Thirdly, continuously visualize the future you want. Picture yourself enjoying your accomplishments and celebrating your success. This will give you reasons to continue working hard. This will help you harness your fear too, and as procrastinators, fear is one powerful emotion that can keep you mired in excuses.
And finally, reward your progress, however small it may be. Be it with a fun activity with friends or family or giving yourself a treat, make sure you do something that acknowledges your effort and progress, but above all, start now.
At UCU, we work against procrastination because we believe we are made in the image of God, and as he doesn’t tire of protecting his creation, we shouldn’t either. Proverbs 20:4 says, “Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.” This teaches us about the importance of working at the right time because if we procrastinate, we might miss out on important opportunities, like a farmer missing the season of planting.
