Procrastination is defined as "the action of delaying or postponing something."
Studies show that nearly 85-95 percent of college students admit to procrastinating on a daily basis. Roughly 26 percent of the entire population identify themselves as chronic procrastinators, as opposed to the five percent that was documented in 1978. It is not a surprise that the act of procrastinating is steadily rising and will soon encompass a majority of the world's population.
When people believe that doing or saying something might have repercussions that would be less than satisfactory, they will typically shy away from doing said activity. We will continue to put things off until it is essentially too late. In some cases, people actually prefer the consequences of not doing something, rather than just simply doing it. This is the very definition of a lazy population.
As a community of a people, we are naturally fearful of confrontation and we despise change. With this is mind, we are accustomed to letting procrastination rule our lives.
Now, most people will tell themselves that procrastinating is not a big deal, but in reality, it can have a wildly negative impact on many crucial areas in our lives:
Let's talk about studying for your classes.
This can be one of the touchiest subjects for college students in today’s age. After all, who can focus on studying when Netflix and fluffy blankets are in such close proximity? When it comes to studying your notes for a particularly difficult class, the most important thing to remember is to PRIORITIZE!
Think of it this way, the sooner you finish studying, the sooner you can get back to binge watching “The Walking Dead.”
If you still live at home, then you know the struggle of helping out with household chores.
You might have heard of the famous parental line, “When you live under my roof, you live by my rules.” Or maybe you are more used to the common, “When you buy your own house some day, you can make the decisions.” And we definitely can’t forget about the timeless excuse, “Because I said so.” Now, I am as guilty as the next person about not doing my chores until my mom “reminds” me about them a few dozen times.
The best piece of advice I could possibly give about doing chores is by simply “ripping the bandage off.” I agree, chores are probably the worst and most unnerving task to a teen that there is, but it is just something we all have to do. And it is better to get it done fast, so you can spend the rest of your day hanging out with friends.
To all my fellow Christians out there, you are not alone in procrastinating the completion of your bible study.
As interesting and worthwhile as it may be to take in God’s Word, anyone who “walks in the faith” will understand that truly digging into the Word is a sacrifice. You are sacrificing a part of your social life and activities that might be a bit more exciting in the moment for something that is slowly changing your life. If you are able to put off the joy of the present for the unknown and everlasting of the future, then you are doing it right, and I salute you!
You have to remember that God is the center of everything wonderful in your life, so by choosing the Word first, you are blissfully yet inevitably choosing happiness.
Don't ever feel alone in putting things off until the last minute, because procrastination happens to the best of us. The most effective way to beat the silent killer that is procrastination is to face it head on and at full speed.
