Attitude Adjustment (Part 3)

Proverbs 13:4 says: "The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat."

Charles Wesley wrote:

A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill:
Oh, may it all my pow’rs engage
To do my Master’s will!

Today, we are continuing with part 3 of the section titled, "Attitude Adjustment".

"Doing It Now" is written in a conversation format, and today’s conversation starter is: You mentioned the varieties of procrastination. Isn't there just one variety—namely, putting things off?

No. There is one result, but there are a number of causes. I think the causes of procrastination can be grouped into four categories:

First are the attitudinal factors, which include such things as: unwillingness to tolerate discomfort or unpleasantness, fear of failure, fear of success, low self-esteem, depression, boredom, shyness, and feelings of guilt.

Second are the cognitive blocks such as: inadequate information, unclear priorities, indecision, uncertainty about how to attack the problem, and failure to appreciate the importance of timely action.

Third are environmental conditions or external factors that encourage delay. They include: clutter, disorganization, noise, unmanageable workloads, diversionary activities, lack of needed tools, and friends or relatives who lure one from the chosen task.

Fourth, there are the physiological barriers to timely action, including fatigue, stress, and illness.

Each instance of procrastination involves one or more of these. If you can pin down the cause of your procrastination, you will have taken a big step toward overcoming it and replacing it with the habit of prompt action. Then it won't be necessary for anyone ever to say of you:

He slept beneath the moon,
He basked beneath the sun;
He lived a life of going-to-do
And died with nothing done.

Such as?

Such as the belief that one is "just a born procrastinator," the assumption that we are dealing with an innate character defect that we are helpless to correct. We must stop excusing ourselves with the fallacious argument that we are the victims of genetic or environmental factors condemning us to the role of the legendary character who goes through life "a dollar short and a day late."

But isn't there considerable truth in the assumption—for some people at least? Aren't all of us born with certain weaknesses? And if our weakness happens to be procrastination, shouldn't we accept it and just try to make the best of it? Why this compulsion to make ourselves over, instead of relaxing, and enjoying life? What's wrong with the philosophy of the old song, "Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be..."?

Que sera, sera is a lovely song, but a lousy philosophy. Nothing worthwhile was ever accomplished by anybody who met life with a shrug and an attitude of "whatever will be will be." There are plenty of people who do choose that approach, of course, but they are the zombies. Instead of that motto, your slogan should be, "Que quiero sera"—whatever I will, will be.