Psychiatrists and psychologists, parents and teachers, friends, family, and consciences all have most people convinced procrastinating is bad. Here’s another perspective.
A Pseudo-study of the History of Procrastination
The Latin word "procrastinare" means to “defer until morning.” Which morning is not specified, but if the reader believes it to be the next morning, by the understanding of most modern people, that’s not very serious procrastination. Obviously, with time, procrastinators have procrastinated enough to change the definition.
Procrastination is not a new malady. It’s been a human pastime since Biblical days. When Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was told by the angels to flee Sodom because it was going to be destroyed, Lot delayed. He went out and found his daughters’ husbands and tried to get them to leave town. He hesitated. He waited until morning. He probably had a good breakfast because it’s important to eat before setting out on a journey! He procrastinated so long, finally the angels took him by the hand and pulled him away.
Seven Great Reasons to Procrastinate
Most procrastinators don’t need a reason for a delay in doing something, but for those who do, here are seven.
- At work, many people receive tasking from a variety of people. Doing everything when asked just results in being asked to do more.
- Cleaning house – making beds, putting things away, dusting and vacuuming – always needs to be done. Procrastination simply results in saving time and effort because the work ends up only being done when it’s absolutely necessary and then it is done fewer times.
- It’s important to be spontaneous because living in the moment creates joy. It’s also a good example for children. Procrastination and spontaneity go hand-in-hand, so the most spontaneous people are those who are able to put off things they don’t want to do, to do something they enjoy.
- Procrastination is a human trait, and probably necessary for mental health. Rats running on little wheels don’t put off their running. Dogs don’t put off investigating the fire hydrants they pass. Not procrastinating reduces humanity to the level of other animals.
- Procrastination done well is a thing of beauty. Only by repeated practice does a person learn to procrastinate well.
- Those who procrastinate doing laundry sometimes end up wearing clothes that were supposedly “dirty”. Yet if they were good enough to wear again, then they didn’t really need to be cleaned. Procrastination saves water, time and in the long run, keeps clothes from wearing out so quickly.
- When someone dies, all of the things they were procrastinating about doing no longer matter. So why do they matter – so much – just because the person is still alive?
Stop Procrastinating and Lose the Benefits
Procrastinating has many beneficial results, especially in the work place. By waiting, some time-sensitive things will no longer need to be done. They probably didn’t anyway.Those who give out tasks are likely to make fewer requests of procrastinators knowing the work might not get done. Procrastination usually allows more time for fun.
The feeling of well-being that procrastinating provides stems from several roots:
- It allows a person to feel like he or she is in control of his or her life.
- It engenders a certain sense of guilt – which everyone needs to live.
- Afterwards, it improves flexibility and juggling skills when trying to fit too many tasks into too little time.
If this article hasn’t convinced a person that procrastination is good, perhaps he or she should quit reading and get on with the avoided task! For those who prefer to procrastinate a bit longer, learn more about why people proscrastinate here.
Mistie Shaw - Writing for nearly half a century, Shaw's interests and education meander from music to the military, and from faith to fun.
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