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.