The Satisfaction of Finally Getting Around To It

Well, I can honestly announce that I have finally gotten around to it. Or to be more accurate, I’ve gotten a round TUIT. A while back someone sent me a round wooden disc in which are burned the letters, ‘TUIT.’

On the back of the “coin” it says, “This is a Round TUIT. Guard it with your life. It could help you be more efficient. For years you’ve heard, ‘I’ll do it as soon as I get a Round Tuit.’ Now that you have your own, you can accomplish all those things you put aside until you got this Round TUIT.” I guess if that’s all it takes, I’ve got it made now.

 

Unfortunately, for many of us it requires a lot more than a silly wooden coin to motivate or inspire us to pursue those tasks we’ve been avoiding for weeks, or months, or even years. Some of us have even been considering joining the National Procrastination Society – we just haven’t gotten…around to it.

 

Lots of people delay necessary and important projects with great skill. One wag put it this way: “Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?” Maybe it was a dyslexic person reading Benjamin Franklin’s more challenging quote, “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” The question is, why do so many of us become pro at ‘crastinating’?

 

I can only speak for myself, but my reasons include: 

• I understand how much time and energy it will require to complete the job.
• I’m afraid of failing. If I don’t start, maybe I can avoid the pain of being unable to finish.
• If I don’t start, I can try convincing myself that if I did get started, I’d succeed.
• The tyranny of the urgent – succumbing to pesky distractions – crowds out the truly important.

 

There are probably other reasons I could think of – and if you’re a fellow procrastinator, you might have several of your own. But the truth is, until we start, failure is guaranteed.

 

As we might expect, the Bible has a lot to say about our inclination to never get around to it. One of the most prominent concerns good intentions for helping others if we don’t follow through: “Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act. Do not tell your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow and I will provide’ – when you already have the means” (Proverbs 3:27-28).

 

The Scriptures equate procrastination with laziness. For instance, “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4). “He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment” (Proverbs 12:11). Wishing and hoping for money are not nearly as effective as actually putting in the time and effort to earn what we need.

 

An abundant future is often the result of an ambitious present. Remember Aesop’s fable about the grasshopper and the ant, when the grasshopper, starving because it was too lazy to put aside food, begs an enterprising ant for food in the dead of winter? The Bible presents a similar metaphor, minus the grasshopper:

“Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest” (Proverbs 6:6-8).

 

But the Scriptures also look at other perspectives that can fuel our procrastinating ways. In an age that seems to glorify instant-gratification, the Word of God encourages us to choose hard work and determination instead: “…we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). 

 

The context of this passage speaks primarily to the importance of persevering in our faith despite adversity and opposition, but it also offers a key principle for finally tackling those tasks we’ve been so zealously avoiding: persevering with an eye toward achieving our goals.

 

We could consider a number of other scriptural teachings, but one I need to remind myself, especially when I know it’s something God is calling me to pursue, is the promise that if He directs us to do a project or take on a responsibility, He’ll also enable us to carry it through. As Philippians 4:13 declares, “I can do everything through [Christ] who gives me strength.” 

 

Here the apostle Paul was writing specifically about finding contentment regardless of his circumstances, but he also understood that the ministry the Lord had called him to would have been impossible without His empowerment. After all, Jesus had admonished his disciples, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

What is it you’ve been putting off – or avoiding – with such diligence? When do you expect to get around to it? Maybe like me you need a Round TUIT. If you’re nice, maybe I’ll let you borrow mine.

In a Desperate Search for Some Round TUITs

Do you or someone you know have a problem with putting off unpleasant or difficult tasks? I’ve been thinking of addressing this plague of procrastination for a while, but I’m just getting around to it. As someone has said, “Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?” Mark Twain extended that thought: “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.”

 

I suspect that each of us has ventured into the realm of “procrastinator-ism” from time to time. Maybe you’re even reading this to put off doing something else, such as doing your taxes. (April 15 is right around the corner, in case you’ve conveniently forgotten.) Paying bills can be another of those undesirable, procrastinate-able duties, as are washing windows, cleaning the garage or attic, or other forms of spring cleaning.

 

If someone were to judge from our planning and subsequent execution of those plans, one might conclude there actually are eight days in every week: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and…Someday.

 

Being a writer, procrastination has often become a close companion. The act of writing, especially because it’s a complex commitment of time and energy, can be daunting. I can relate to the wisdom of Bill Watterson, author of the “Calvin and Hobbes” cartoon strip: “You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. What mood is that? Last-minute panic.”

Years ago, I was telling an elder gentleman about a project I had been meaning to get to, but was finding trouble getting around to it. With a twinkle in his eye, he reached into his pocket and pulled out what seemed like a large wooden coin. He handed the round object to me and on it was etched the word, “TUIT.” He had given me the solution to procrastinating – a round TUIT.

 

What a handy, tangible reminder for getting on with something that you’ve been keeping in neutral. The best of intentions might be better than the worst of intentions, but ultimately, they’re intentions just the same until we take steps to move them into action. In his book, David Copperfield, Charles Dickens wrote, “Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.”

 

Perhaps this is why the Bible has much to say about this problem. Proverbs 10:4-5 says it plainly: “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” And Proverbs 14:23 offers a slightly different slant: “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Procrastination can have financial consequences.

 

Daydreaming is a favored pastime for procrastinators, conjuring up visions of what could happen if they actually did what they were thinking about – without actually doing it. “He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment” (Proverbs 12:11). 

 

I have one writing project I’ve been talking about, thinking about and dreaming about for too long. As I write this, I’m preaching to an audience of one – ME. As soon as I’m done with this, I’m determined to shift to that. As St. Augustine of Hippo said, “God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.”

 

Ecclesiastes 9:10 exhorts us, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might….” So if there’s something you’ve been putting off, put off the procrastination. Do it with all your might. Do it now. And when you do, reward yourself with a round TUIT! 

What If ‘Tomorrow’ Never Comes?

Most of us are amateurs at the majority of things we do. We try our best, but we’re not experts. But if there’s one thing many of us are pros at, it’s pro-crastinating. (Have you ever met an amateur-crastinator?)

Tasks we dislike quite easily are delayed for another time. “Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow,” Aaron Burr is reputed to have said. Even though the one-time Vice President to President Thomas Jefferson apparently wasn’t thinking that when he chose to engage Alexander Hamilton in a duel, which resulted in the latter’s demise. 

We might not have his dueling spirit, but can relate to his sentiments. Sometimes even things we enjoy are postponed for another day. Practically all writers have perfected the art of procrastination. Writing is such a personal act, putting intimate thoughts into words and sentences and then onto a page – paper or online – and then submitting them for readers’ consideration. So, there’s a temptation to delay until “the right moment.” But I’ve learned that as with any worthwhile challenge, ultimately you must just suck it up and get to work.

Where procrastination can be most damaging is in relationships. Harry Chapin sang about this in his classic tune, “Cat’s in the Cradle.” If you don’t remember, it’s about a father who promised to spend time with his young son, but always found more pressing things to do. When he finally reached the point in life when he had the time, the now-grown son had his own slew of commitments. The best he could do was echo his father’s words, “But we’ll get together then, Dad, we’re gonna have a good time then.”

Recently I heard someone recite a poem called “Tomorrow,” by American poet Edgar Guest, that captures the perils of procrastination perfectly:

He was going to be all that a mortal could be. . . Tomorrow
None should be kinder or braver than he. . . Tomorrow
A friend who was troubled and weary he knew,
Who’d be glad of a lift and who needed it, too,
On him he would call to see what he could do. . . Tomorrow
Each morning he’d stack up the letters he’d write. . . Tomorrow
And he thought of the friends he would fill with delight. . . Tomorrow
It was too bad indeed; he was busy each day,
And hadn’t a minute to stop on his way;
“More time I’ll give to others,” he’d say. . . Tomorrow
The greatest of workers this man would have been. . . Tomorrow
The world would have known him, had he ever seen. . . Tomorrow
But the fact is he died, and faded from view,
And all that he left here when living was through – 

Was a mountain of things he intended to do. . . Tomorrow.

Lord knows I’ve done my share of putting off until tomorrow, perhaps more than my share. In recent years I’ve been trying to overcome that, especially with loved ones and old friends. When someone comes to mind that I haven’t talked with lately – or at least texted – I try to give them a call. When I think, “We really should get together for lunch (or coffee),” I try to make it happen.

We’re discovering how quickly our grandkids grow up – even faster than we realize. So I’m aiming to not be consumed by the urgent and instead focus on the important, such as spending time with one of our “grands” whenever we get the chance. Recently we went to church and enjoyed brunch with our oldest granddaughter here in town, and it was a special time. A rare opportunity.

Ephesians 5:16 talks about, “making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” Some translations use the phrase, “redeeming the time,” which I prefer because it presents the image of making a one-time redemption for a day or an opportunity. What’s “evil” about the days is that once they’re gone, you can’t get them back. They’re beyond redemption.

Another verse, Galatians 6:10, offers a similar idea as it applies to relationships: "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers." Tomorrow, or as they say it in Spanish – “mañana” – may never come.

As Jesus said, "as long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work" (John 9:4). Let's not be like the fellow described in Guest's poem, who figured there would always be time enough for doing whatever it was – tomorrow.

If Tomorrow Were the Last Day?

Most procrastinators embrace the motto, “Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?” Sometimes that works for me. Realizing how much concentration and energy a project will require, doing it another day can have certain appeal. At times like that, emptying the dishwasher or going out to the mailbox seems easier than enduring the necessary mental agony involved with the creative act of writing – or the frustration of taking on a tedious household chore.

However, procrastination isn’t the antidote for every pressing deadline, responsibility or obligation. Sooner or later, things need to get done. Postponing them only increases the stress once we finally get around to doing them. And some things just can’t wait.

Recently I read a brief article about a noted author who had written a book about the Apocalypse, the end of days. The interviewer closed by asking him, “If it were the end of days, what might you do?”

The author quipped, ”I would write faster. I would have to learn to touch-type.” But it was his next statement that grabbed my attention: “I’d want to play with my 3-year-old a lot more.”

Ponder that for a moment. If he knew the end of days was upon him, then he would feel inclined to play more with his young child. However, since he didn’t think the “end of days” was imminent, playing more often with the 3-year-old apparently didn’t seem as urgent. It could wait.

I see several problems with this perspective. First, for all we know, the end times could indeed arrive tomorrow. It will happen, according to 1 Corinthians 15:52, “in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye.”

Jesus also warned, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:42-44).

Second, even if the biblical end times doesn’t arrive for a long time yet, each of us face a personal “end of days” that might not be as remote as we suspect. Lots of people have left behind calendars filled with plans and commitments, totally unaware of how little time on earth remained for them.

Most important, 3-year-olds don’t stay 3 all that long, as I’ve discovered. Soon they’re 4, then 5, then 10, then teenagers. And suddenly, almost before we know it, they’re adults, married and starting families of their own. The time to take advantage of special moments is now, not tomorrow or next week. Especially with children.

This reminds me of the classic tune by Harry Chapin, “Cat’s in the Cradle.” In case you don’t know it or have forgotten, it’s about a father whose child “arrived just the other day…. But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay….” And in the meantime, the boy was growing up. The father missed pivotal moments, like first steps and first words, along with many potentially happy times together.

At the end of the song, the father ruefully realizes opportunities have been squandered, wonderful memories have never been created, and when he finally has time for his son, the son is too busy with his own life. The boy had always said, ”I’m gonna be like you, dad” – and he’s done just that.

A couple of weeks ago, one of my grandsons came to the house, wanting to “spend some time with Pop.” I had reading I’d intended to do, but remembered the day will come when he no longer feels a need to be with me. So I put my book down, and he and I played a game, threw a Frisbee and a ball around for a while, and pushed some toy cars down our driveway.

Earlier in my life, while pursuing a successful career, too often I was like the father that had planes to catch, bills to pay and deadlines to meet. Unique moments with our daughters that I wasn't around to experience couldn’t be saved for another day. I’m sure I missed even more than I realized. Hopefully, I’m doing a bit better with our grandkids.

Ephesians 5:16 talks about “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” That doesn’t mean time itself is somehow evil or bad. But it never stops moving forward. There’s no pause button on the clock or calendar. Time waits for no one. Just as a coupon usually has an expiration date, after which it can’t be redeemed, special moments in life also expire. 

So we better cash them in as soon as they present themselves, because tomorrow, even an hour or five minutes from now, it may be too late.

In one way or another, the end of days will come sooner than we might think. What is it, if it were the end of days, that you would want to do?

Procrastination – and Fear

Like many writers, I have a special gift for procrastination. It might be news to non-writers, but the act of writing professionally is hard work. Whenever I hear someone declare enthusiastically, “Oh, I just love to write!” I can’t help but think, “Yeah, you probably don’t write for a living.”

One writer aptly described writing in these words: “All you have to do is sit down at your computer, put your fingers on the keyboard, and stare at the screen until beads of blood appear on your forehead.” So can you blame writers for being prone to procrastinating, doing just about anything to avoid or delay the intense concentration that eventually will give birth to words, sentences, paragraphs, pages, articles and books?

Of course, procrastination is hardly exclusive to writers. In one way or another, we’ve all at times nodded our heads at the admonition (or excuse), “Why do today what you can easily put off until tomorrow?”

It might be a time-intensive task like cleaning the garage, doing a household repair, or sorting through junk accumulated in the attic. It could be a project at work that will demand undivided attention once you start. Or perhaps there’s an unpleasant interaction you must have with a family member or friend. You able to think of all kinds of things to do to escape doing the difficult or undesirable.

But sometimes there’s another factor behind our procrastinations: Fear. It might be fear of going to the doctor to address a health problem, suspecting it’s more than something a prescription or two can resolve. Or the fear of going to the dentist to have that achy tooth checked out, having an idea it might require a drill – or even an extraction – to correct.

There also might be fear of failure, or fear of starting something you can’t finish. I’ve spent my entire career writing non-fiction, first newspaper articles, then pieces for magazines and later, books. But I’ve always wondered about writing fiction. I have a couple of good ideas for novels, but feeling apprehensive about whether I’m creative or imaginative enough to write about make-believe people in not-real settings doing things I conjure in my mind, I’ve yet to commit myself to the pursuit of attempting to become a novelist.

Maybe that day will come, but my point is that if fear’s the basis for our procrastinating, one antidote would be to turn to the One who keeps telling us, “Fear not.” That’s what the angel told Mary in declaring in essence, “Guess what? You’re a virgin, you’ve never been with a man, but you’re going to become pregnant by divine conception. And even better, the baby you’ll carry and deliver will be the Son of God.” Do you think Mary, confronted with that startling revelation, might have preferred to indulge in a bit of procrastination if given the choice?

The good news for all seasoned procrastinators is the God of the universe constantly reminds us not to let fear get in the way of doing what we know we should do, whether it’s something as tame as deciding whether to expand our horizons professionally or as serious as dealing with a very troubling personal matter.

Trusting in His love, we’re told, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).

Through the prophet Isaiah, God assured, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Whatever we find necessary to do, He’s with us.

In striving to live out our faith in an increasingly faithless world, even “giving an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15), we’re admonished to not worry about how they will respond to what we say. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

So if you’re finding yourself in the procrastination spin cycle, reluctant to undertake whatever God is urging you to do, don’t let fear be the obstacle that keeps you from obeying Him – and experiencing the joy, and maybe relief that will result.

Life on 30-Minute – or 30-Day – Delay?

Someone once suggested a test to determine whether I’m a procrastinator, but I never got around to taking it. As someone has wisely said, why do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right?

Actually, procrastinator sounds like something you should get paid for, so I suspect most of us are really amateur-crastinators. But that doesn’t mean we’re not good at it.

Procrastination is practically required to write professionally. Without much effort, we can dream up a limitless variety of excuses for not diving into the demanding, all-consuming task of writing: Getting just one more cup of coffee. Emptying the dishwasher (if you have a home office). Reading the morning newspaper, or visiting favorite websites. Calling a friend you haven’t talked with in months. Changing a light bulb. The list goes on.

Author Philip Yancey summed up the writer’s perspective: “I hate to write…but I love to have written!” I can relate – been there, done that.

But procrastination isn’t exclusive to wordsmiths. Everyone does it: Putting off paying the bills; delaying necessary home repairs; not sending that letter or making that phone call; choosing an hour of TV over finishing a class assignment. In fact, I thought about writing this post some time ago – I’m just now getting around to it.

Live broadcasts on TV and radio usually have five to seven-second delays to avoid objectionable material. Sometimes it seems we operate our lives on a 30-minute, or even 30-day delay. “I’ll do it – in just a few minutes!” Anything to avoid the inevitable.

Sometimes procrastination is justified – trying to forestall the unpleasant or undesirable as long as possible. But often procrastination is just a sophisticated synonym for laziness. And laziness can be costly, in more ways than one.

Proverbs 10:5 observes, “He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” Whether as part of a family or a staff at work, we’re usually members of a team. And the team’s success depends on contributions of every member. When we procrastinate, not doing our part, everyone suffers.

The road to failure is often paved with good intentions. Procrastination can consist of an abundance of talking about what we intend to do, accompanied by grandiose dreams about our desired outcome. But mere talk without action can sound the death knell for our plans. As Proverbs 14:23 states, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

Procrastination can also squander unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that come our way. We might receive multiple chances to pursue our hopes and dreams, but sometimes opportunity knocks but once. If we’re not prompt in answering the door, it might depart, never to return. As Proverbs 24:33-34 warns, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come to you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.”

With that in mind, could procrastination be considered a crime? Businessman Victor Kiam said, “Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin.” And British poet Edward Young offered this view: “Procrastination is the thief of time.” If accused of procrastinating, could a jury of your peers convict you?

To be fair, there’s also a positive side to procrastination. It’s not always a bad thing, as writer Hilary Mantel has suggested: “Imagination only comes when you privilege the subconscious, when you make delay and procrastination work for you.” So, how can we discern between procrastination that’s bordering on the criminal, sapping our productivity, and procrastination that’s useful, preparing and positioning us for greater achievements in the future?

I’ll have to get back to you on that. Need to think about it. But I’ll let you know, real soon. I promise. 

Home Is Where the . . . Office Is

I first heard the term nearly 20 years ago: “Hoffice.” It’s the combination of two words – home and office. A hoffice.

A friend said this was the wave of the future, people working out of offices in their homes. Since I’m often behind the curve when it comes to the latest trends, the idea seemed crazy to me. Work is somewhere you go to; it doesn’t come to you. I couldn’t imagine working out of an office in my own home.

Just so you know, I’m writing this blog in an office – in my home. That shows how “visionary” I was back then.

USA Today had an article last week on home-based work, reporting over the past decade an additional 4.2 million workers did their jobs from home at least one day a week. From 2005 to 2010, workers performing at least part of their job responsibilities out of their homes rose from 7.8% to 9.5%.

If you’re wanting to increase your income, you might want to consider doing some work from home. The article stated people working exclusively from home had a median household income more than $8,000 higher than strictly on-site workers. Not sure how that translates in my own situation, but it’s something worth thinking about.

Self-employed people are more likely to work from home than people employed by someone else, according to the study. That makes sense, since if you have your own business, one way to conserve expenses is working from home rather than paying for a separate work setting.

There are other advantages for a home office, foremost being the “commute.” My office is just two seconds from our bedroom, so it’s accessible for me 24/7. Beats driving 10 miles or more to work, as I did for most of my career. Rush-hour traffic occurs only when my dog gets into my path in the hallway.

But it’s also a liability – you can’t exactly “go home” from work. It’s always there. And if your work involves email and the Internet, it’s always beckoning.

Another challenge consists of potential distractions. In my case, part of my M.O., as with many writers, is procrastination. We hate to write – but love to have written. The hardest thing about writing is inertia, the effort required to get started. It’s much easier to do less mind-taxing things – like emptying (or filling) the dishwasher, fixing the bed, retrieving the mail, reading the newspaper, etc. – anything but doing the hard work of sitting at the keyboard and concentrating until blood oozes out of your forehead.

In most cases with a home office you also don’t have a boss to look in on you, so it requires discipline and self-motivation. But that’s what character is all about: Who you are when no one’s looking. So having a home office can be a character-builder.

For me, the greatest form of discipline and motivation is keeping in mind who my “boss” really is. In the Scriptures it says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him…. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:17,23).

That’s what I call accountability.