It's About Time!
Plain Truth Magazine
January 1986
Volume: Vol 51, No.1
Issue:
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It's About Time!

If you feel like you are not accomplishing enough, if you're pressed for time and can't seem to catch up — read this article.

   Time is money, the old saying goes. And if you go by the effort and expense corporations are expending to train executives and management personnel in time management, it certainly must be true.
   In today's business world, each minute is thought of in terms of its dollar and pound value. Time management IS an indispensable skill.
   Lesson number one in many time-management courses is how to overcome procrastination. If you feel like you are not accomplishing enough, if you're pressed for time and can't seem to catch up, you are probably being victimized by that old thief of time-procrastination.
   But to be sure, see if some of these points apply to you. Do you find yourself
   • Putting off today much more than you will ever be able to accomplish tomorrow?
   • Deliberately working slowly at something, planning to speed up later to finish it?
   • Delaying to put a great idea or important plan into action, telling yourself that you will start tomorrow?
   • Running needless errands to avoid getting down to the task at hand?
   Some people are hindered by procrastination more than others, but everyone is guilty of it sometimes. In stealing our time, however, procrastination deprives us of the fullest realization of our ambitions, hopes and dreams. Because procrastination keeps us from achieving our goals, it deprives us of satisfaction and happiness.

Why Procrastination?

   We are all inclined to postpone doing something distasteful or difficult. We fill our time with relatively unimportant tasks to avoid the unpleasant jobs. That's human nature.
   Sometimes we shroud procrastination in a maze of red tape, protesting that we must first consider the problem from every angle before taking action. All the possibilities must be explored and analyzed.
   From childhood, some of us have acquired the habit of putting off doing things until someone else finally does them for us.
   Writers, composers, artists claim they are waiting for inspiration.

Overcoming Procrastination

   How do we overcome procrastination? Determine immediately what you want to achieve today or, if it's too late for today, tomorrow. Write it down. Now analyze your list, estimate how long you will need to perform each of those tasks and number them in order of importance.
   If a responsibility is especially difficult, place it at the top of your list. Do it first and enjoy the remainder of your day without the burden of that unpleasant duty hanging over your head. At the end of each day you will be able to look back at a number of accomplishments. This will give you a sense of satisfaction and raise your self-esteem. It will also push you to do even greater things tomorrow.
   Once you get today and tomorrow organized, plan your goals for next week.
   Another way to avoid procrastination is after you have made a decision, act at once to carry it out. There is no better method for getting things done than to just start. Putting off doing what you know you should causes discouragement.
   Don't defend or find excuses for procrastination in any facet of your life — in your responsibilities to your family, your job or especially in your responsibilities to God.
   God expects us to act on what we know. If you have been putting off fulfilling your responsibilities to him, you could be a victim of the most dangerous kind of procrastination — spiritual procrastination. Write for our free booklet Why Were You Born? to find the help you need to put things in the proper perspective. Do it now! Don't put it off.

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Plain Truth MagazineJanuary 1986Vol 51, No.1