Procrastination

There is an old saying in Hindi, which translated into English means, if you can do something tomorrow do it today, if it is today, do it now (kal Karen so aaj kar: aaj Karen so ab) emphasising the importance of prompt action from everyone.

But in reality there is a tendency among people to procrastinate. If something can wait till tomorrow, why do it today? This attitude is most evident among children and the youth of today. I remember a friend always complaining about his children not listening to him. Whenever he asked them to do something they would reply, ‘we will do it tomorrow’ and the tomorrow would never come.

Procrastination may cause one to lose a good opportunity. Sometimes procrastination can also cost a person very dearly. Most common situation relates to health . If you have a medical condition prevailing for a couple of days, instead of procrastinating a visit to the doctor, it is better to see him immediately. You may be able to detect a critical ailment early and thus save yourself from serious problems later

Another situation that is very common is related to travel. If you know you are going to travel a couple of months later and have the dates firmed up, book your travel tickets immediately. Even if you have to cancel the tickets later, for some reason or the other, the cancellation charge you pay is negligible. Whereas, if you keep booking tickets using the Tatkal scheme of the Railways, you pay an extra amount which is sizeable compared to the cost of the ticket. Besides there is the uncertainty of getting such tickets. Similarly, if it is air travel, with a no. of low cost carriers (LCCs) you get much cheaper rates if you book early. Closer to the date air tickets cost a bomb. Procrastination invariably leads to wasteful expenditures!

Another area where procrastination can cause untold damage is in terms of relationships. If you are seriously in love with somebody, better to express it early to the opposite sex, so that you know where the other person stands vis-à-vis your love. If you don’t act early, you may lose out!

Similarly, it is equally important to express your love to your near and dear ones or appreciation to any service provider as soon as you are in receipt of a kind act or efficient service. If you wait for an opportune moment to express your thanks later, sometimes it might be too late, making you feel miserable! Do not forget that all of us suffer from a syndrome called `Out of sight, out of mind`.A long time ago a good friend had helped me out of a crisis and I wanted to thank him by presenting him with a small gift. While I was procrastinating because of job pressures, the friend suddenly died in an accident. I lost my opportunity to thank him for ever. The memory makes me feel miserable, even today!

When it comes to service providers, we are generally prompt in complaining about poor services. But how many of us take the trouble of expressing a word of thanks orally or in writing to the person concerned, immediately. From experience I have learnt that such acts generate enormous good will which helps you get, out of turn services, later!

Another area where we practice procrastination and suffer immensely , relates to our jobs. Though we are given sufficient time to do a job by our boss ( atleast some of them do ), we tend to keep postponing the job until it becomes a crisis leading to avoidable stress and health problems.

Even on the home front if you do not attend to repairs of small gadgets and equipment immediately, it can lead to major breakdowns. A quick fix solution for just Rs.5/- offered by FEVIQUICK may be cheaper than trying to replace a whole section of a furniture item or a gadget.

Since the potential negative effects of Procrastination are great, youngsters must learn to get out of this disease early in life., Later, It becomes difficult to cure!

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