"In a moment of decision, the best thing
you can do is the right thing to do, the next best thing is the wrong
thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."
Theodore Roosevelt
"Yeah, I'll get to that later. Promise."
"Don't worry, it's on my to-do list."
"Sure, sure, just let me finish this first..."
You
say the usual words, sure you have time, but then you blink -- and it's too late. Something came up. Something else
happened and the opening you were counting on is gone. Windows of
opportunity close, the fork in the road disappears and you have no other
choice. You blink, you stutter, you swear...and then you put your shoulder to the wheel and push. Grudgingly, resignedly, you push. You've got no choice, right?
But what if you do?
"Procrastination is the fear of success.
People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they
know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy,
carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and
live on the "someday I'll" philosophy."
Denis Waitley, motivational speaker and author
Procrastination is a
mind-game you play with yourself, pure and simple. All the pressure and obstacles that you're experiencing? They--and their supporting structures -- are all happening
in your head. It's rare to find anybody past college not haunted by the Ghosts of Projects undone, or weighed down with the unwelcome realizations that they have a Lot Of Things To Do.
"Much of the stress that people feel doesn't come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started."
David Allen, productivity consultant, author
And it's even more difficult when you forget to factor in human nature.