Deadlines and Procrastination: Why Do We Do It?

They go hand in hand, like “ying and yang”, “salt and pepper”, “old and new”. You can’t seem to have one without the other. Unfortunately.  At least for most people. I might be one of them.

I’ve never missed a deadline. Not one. However, I’ve procrastinated to the very end on a lot of them. I wonder why?

A lot of people have commented on procrastination as you can see from below:

 “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.” ― Mark Twain

“Procrastinate now, don’t put it off.” ― Ellen DeGeneres

 “Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.”

― Christopher Parker

“I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow.” ― Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

“You may delay, but time will not.” ― Benjamin Franklin

 “If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.” ― Rita Mae Brown

It’s not like I’m lazy. In fact, I consider myself ambitious, organized and focused on end results.

As head of the finance departments I’ve worked in, I’ve lived with deadlines daily, and I’ve learned to manage them – but I still procrastinate. I prefer the term “Deadline- Oriented”. Give me a deadline and I meet it – every time. Without a deadline, it will still get done, but it gets done when I feel like doing it, or feel it should be done.

For example, I make quilts for family and friends. I love making quilts, but that final step – putting the binding on (binding is a strip of fabric sewn over the edges of the quilt layers to finish the raw edges) takes me forever. If it is a present, it is not unusual for me to be putting the binding on the night before I give it away.

If the audit letter is due a week from tomorrow, it will get done a week from tomorrow. This blog is due today. It will be done today. Not last night when I started writing it.

I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a habit. I’m sure there are scientific researches that can explain why and how it happens. Why is one person always done a week early and another not? I’m not sure, but successful people have learned how to deal with it. They look at their strengths and weaknesses and use them both to their advantage. I know I have.

I’ve used various methods over the years to change this procrastination habit.   My favorite and most successful has been the Franklin Planner, a system by Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I still use it today. One reason I’ve found it successful is the creation of a daily, weekly and monthly list for me to follow.

I love lists.

A list is a roadmap to follow. Organize my day. I’ve learned over the years never to overload the day’s tasks as invariably something crops up that necessitates a change and will need to be addressed now, not later.

When I’m on a big project – say as the project manager for installation of a new software system – this method has been crucial to getting the job done properly and on time. Procrastination on projects of this scope is deadly and I’ve developed systems that keep me focused and on time.

Like I said, I’ve never missed a deadline, but I sure push the window.

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