Agadir - Some people resort to the “Last minute strategy” to do what they have to do or decide on critical matters that may seriously affect their lives. In that manner they put off today’s work till some other undetermined point in the future.
Procrastination can be looked at as some sort of mind set; according to the popular Moroccan saying ” There is enough time in a year for he who wants to do well.” Time is looked at as ever available and ever at people’s disposal. This is so wrong; it can ruin plenty of people’s lives. Nowadays, people have to adequately budget their time, keep watch over their schedules, appointments as well as on any related calendar of events that may have a crucial or sometimes vital impact on their lives.
Procrastination is such a damaging habit to take. It keeps stealing time from you; it keeps stealing moments of your life without you being aware of it. The impact of such bad habit can be rather destructive as one cannot put what he is supposed to do off his mind and as a result the generated “feeling of guilt” spoils the present moments the person could have enjoyed or used to a better avail.
Life is hard enough just as it is so why does one have to procrastinate and make it even harder on the long run? Is there a way for us to face the challenges of life in a more rational and well balanced way? Yes, definitely there is a way. The magic formula is “Take action and start now”. There are enough things to take care of in the future so get what you have to do cleared first things first. Start by jotting down a list of priorities then start right away taking action on them according to how much they matter to you, your family or your professional life.
You can watch your stress level go down and your life quality get better when you start by attending to “unpleasant” tasks first and saving the best for last. You can celebrate, travel, have a better time with family and enjoy yourself better when you, more or less, have this feeling of “Things are under control”. This is what is meant by “Delay of Gratification” and it works wonders when it comes to rising to the level of challenges. The sense of achievement, fulfillment or victory makes up for all “the unpleasant” moments one was investing in his education, in forwarding his career or any beneficial endeavor for oneself, one’s family or for the community at large.
Some youth mistakenly would like to lead an easy and comfortable life style without putting into it the price and effort it entails. Some movies portray extravagant life styles that many youth would like to follow in an un-informed blind way. Let us just remember the longest of films lasts a few hours at best, a long life on the other hand can last up to eight or nine decades if not more. Think about it! Make up your mind and choose to procrastinate and wait for illusive better times to come or else firmly resolve to meet your objectives and demonstrate your willingness to do so in practical terms. If you choose right you can end up thoroughly gratified; celebrating your triumph with family and friends. If on the other hand, you prefer to put the cart before the horse then be ready to take the blame as “success has many fathers while failure is but an unfortunate orphan.”
For individuals, procrastination may stem from one’s natural tendency to be careless or from leading a poorly structured way of life. There can, however, be a much worse type I call “planned procrastination” peculiar to third world countries. This is a special “skill” or “competency” often carried out on citizens by un-conscientious public office agents as a form of extortion or blackmail. One can spend a whole life preaching on this to no avail but if the legislative, judiciary and executive powers resolve to eradicate such unethical conduct, the measures will soon be aligned, activated and made use of for better governance and transparency. The magic formula here again is consistent: “Take action and start now.”
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