Procrastination is the Thief of Time

Procastination is the Thief of Time

As I was watching the jackdaws stripping out lagging and dropping large twigs I realised that they were building a nest in the eaves of the dilapidated house next door to mine.  As I watched, the fascia deteriorated before my eyes, and I realised just how big a job it will be to replace it. 

 It reminded me that ‘Procrastination is the thief of time’ – but not just of time, but of money!

How often have you bought materials for crafting and either forgot that you had them (and bought a duplicate!) or else had them so long that they dried up and became unusable?   I certainly have!

But even worse, how often have you realised that you have lost touch with what was a good friend, simply because you hadn’t contacted them for such a long time.  

How many times have you had a deadline to achieve (say filling in your tax details) but have delayed doing it by cleaning the kitchen or doing the vacuuming?   You may feel that you have being doing something that is necessary but what you should have been doing was far more important.  

And so it is with your creativity: you buy the materials with an idea in mind and then if you are like me you savour that idea but ‘”I will just get the washing done before I start making that” and then “ah I must prepare some food for this evening’s meal first”.   And “I need to clear my craft table before I can start” but  “my table lamp needs a new bulb sorting if I am going to do this project, so I had better sort that now” – and so it goes on.  Too late!  Meanwhile there are other activities that are priorities now.  This wonderful idea goes ‘onto the back burner’.  And all that time was stolen from you.

Possibly even more importantly, what about keeping in touch with friends?   “I just haven’t had time” you tell yourself.    “It will wait till tomorrow for its only one day” you tell yourself.  Then you remember:  “Oh, I meant to contact X last week – I forgot.  Not to worry, she won’t mind”.   And then weeks later you think again of that contact, but what will you say for you haven’t been in touch for so long?  How embarrassing.  I will leave it for now.  And before you know it you have lost contact.   How long would it have taken to write a brief email or text?  

What was the cost of your procrastination?

To the owner of the house next door a further proverb might me appropriate: “Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves”.   But that is another topic.