Overcoming Procrastination: Lessons from Everyday Life
The truth is, I don’t know where to start. I’ve always wanted to write, but often the routine consumes the desire to be oneself. Writing is a way to find myself, to explore the ghosts that inhabit the almost forgotten, dark corners of my mind. These ghosts, which accumulate over the years, take many forms — memories, disappointments, missed opportunities, but above all, unfulfilled desires. Today I want to talk to you, or rather, talk to myself about one of those ghosts: procrastination, the art of leaving everything for later.
My grandmother used to say that one shouldn’t leave for tomorrow what can be done today. Undoubtedly, there is no better feeling than going to bed without thinking about what I didn’t do today and must do tomorrow. In this frenetic world that pushes you to reach nirvana, have a million dollars in the bank, buy a house, get married, and become a minimalist — all before the age of 30 — it’s IMPOSSIBLE! But if you got out of bed today, that’s already something. Everything is harder now because there is a combination of more possibilities, more expectations, and fewer opportunities. In this world, we have to navigate and find ways to balance our existence without dying in the attempt. Now that I’ve gotten out of bed, I can start telling you things I’ve discovered to prevent procrastination from winning.
Life is often a constant struggle between laziness and duty. It’s true, if we can’t stop watching videos on Instagram, we won’t be able to pay for the internet. We are not prepared to win this internal struggle. Let’s eliminate duties. I’m not talking about isolating yourself from society like a hermit in a cave. No. In my experience, I am less happy and lazier when I feel obligated to do things. We should only force ourselves to do what we really want. We all have the freedom to choose the obligations we want to commit to. Think of a taxi driver who talks to their passengers. They are not obligated to pick up every passenger, but they do so for the most part, not out of obligation but because they want to. Although often they show great enthusiasm in the conversation with the passengers. And I know you’re going to say they do it for money and it’s their job. Exactly, that’s my point. They may not like their job, although many enjoy it, but their job allows them to do what they want and have the freedom to overcome laziness and enjoy themselves. Don’t let laziness win; be like taxi drivers, only take on obligations that will add value to your life.
Doing less is always doing more. Have you noticed how there are more and more ads on social media? We are constantly bombarded with promotions and discounts that call us to consume and direct our attention to what we think we need, not what we truly want. These are two different things. What you think you need doesn’t necessarily bring you happiness, but that’s a topic for another day. Now we need to focus. If we are going to limit our obligations, we need to be clear that our goal is to do things that truly make us happy. That means, of course, doing fewer things. I’m not inviting you to abandon your family or other responsibilities. I am inviting you to evaluate your life and focus on the things that truly make you happy. I will use myself as an example. For me, it is important to be able to sit on the couch at night to watch TV with my wife or just read a book. That is important, so after 8 p.m., I don’t take on any commitments because it would make something that truly makes me happy impossible. Valuing and prioritizing our routine and the things we like is always the best option.
In conclusion, if life has taught me anything, it is that stopping procrastination is not easy, but it is necessary. To do so, we need to observe ourselves and know what we truly like and what makes us happy, so we can focus our lives on doing what we truly want. Knowing how to say no and finding spaces for rest are fundamental. Finally, let’s forget about duty; let’s take on the responsibilities we have and, based on that, move forward to free ourselves from laziness.
