Procrastination

A friend of mine compared procrastination to kudzu. You know, that green stuff that grows so fast that some have said you can actually *watch* it grow, and if you aren’t careful to root it out immediately, it will take over your world.

I find this a very apropos comparison. Procrastination, if one allows even a tiny root to take hold, will increase itself exponentially until it takes over your world.

The problem with procrastination, though, is that sometimes it imitates other things. Someone who is not very familiar with kudzu might think that the plant, when it is small, is pretty. They might think it is something they planted, or that they want in their garden, and therefore leave it, only to realize too late what a mistake that was.

Procrastination often comes in the form of good things. Writing a blog post, for instance, is a good thing. If, however, I am doing it instead of something higher on my priority list, then it becomes procrastination. There is nothing wrong with running to the store, if shopping is required; but if the item isn’t going to be needed until next week and I have laundry, business work, and school to which I should be attending, then it becomes procrastination.

It is important to know what is most important in one’s list of things to do so that the things that need most to be done will get done and so that procrastination can be recognized – and rooted out – immediately.