Procrastination

The Decision To Make An Indecision

By definition, to procrastinate is to delay or put something off.

We have all procrastinated making a decision. As a result, we have been personally criticized for not being timely / truthful to our word. As an alternative, through our indecision, we have been acknowledged for not executing on a commitment due to an "unknown" factor (through some form of leniency or luck).

But why do we procrastinate? Why do we sometimes contemplate making a decision, choice or following through on a promise we are unsure of completing (either to ourselves or others)? Can procrastinating be lazy and selfish to ourselves and others? Or can procrastinating be a good thing as we are really listening to ourselves by giving an assertive amount of "anxious thought" before making a decision?

Strap in reader(s) - it's open Mic night and I have the stage.

I believe we make two types of commitments:

1) Proactive Commitments: This is based on personal interest. Basically, this is what we want to be engaged in. We usually keep these commitments without any procrastination and feel disappointed when "our" appointment is canceled on "us."

2) Procrastinated Commitments: This is based on a secondary interest(s) (from another person) that may seem great to our taste at the time (whether voluntary or involuntary), but soon after (or close to the engagement) we try to "excuse" ourselves from the expected situational environment.

With these two examples, can procrastinating hurt yourself and others? Or can it benefit yourself and others? Questionable right?

I think we make commitments to ourselves and others because, at the time, we truly want to achieve our promises - but then later realize that we really just don't want to participate.

As stated above, whether a commitment is "proactive" or " procrastinated" let's think about the impact to ourselves and others.

Proactive (Ourselves): We truly commit to an opportunity, event, promise, contract, lifestyle change, etc. but it's cancelled due to no fault of our own. We then feel disappointed and slightly / fully detached to the "promisee." We feel like we have been let down to the expectation of the engagement. We "mentally check" the individual of not being sincere to their word. We may call off or continue to follow through on the "event" without that person because it's important to us.

Procrastinated (Others / Ourselves): We procrastinate to make a commitment to another individual and / or ourselves and fail to be present to their / our expectation(s). We or the second party will feel the same denial as described in "proactive commitment" section but have a "fictional excuse" on why we didn't commit to our mandate. But do we procrastinate because we truly feel an agreement isn't right and "just" want to get out of it due to laziness or because we realized, after contemplation, it's really not the position we want to put ourselves in?

In conclusion, I believe procrastination is neither right our wrong. If something is necessary for you to accomplish, push yourself. If you're doubting an agreement made and feel it's wrong for you to engage in, just be immediately responsive or have a valuable discussion with someone you made a binding promise to. You will be more respected in the long run rather than being labeled and perceived as a flake. No one wants to be let down. Don't let yourself or others down from a false promise.