“Don’t worry, I’ll just do it tomorrow…” Will you? Whether it’s starting an assignment or folding the laundry, we always tend to procrastinate and hold off from doing the task. It just seems so hard to do tasks willingly when we have no motivation, right? Well, what difference will it truly make whether you do it today or tomorrow? The task will still remain there, undone, waiting for you to complete it, even when you persist on waiting another day.
‘Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.’ Ecclesiastes 11:4
How can we overcome this?
Looking at the verse above, it pictures a farmer who constantly waits for ideal weather where no strong wind is present. But in the end, the farmer never gets to plant his seeds or harvest the crops. This verse symbolises how we should take action and take the opportunity that presents itself, even if the circumstances aren’t perfect. Some people wait to work until they feel motivated enough, while others get to work expecting to be strengthened by God’s grace. When we stare at a task that seems like such a burden, we forget that God gives us the strength we need as soon as we take action. In Exodus 3 and 4, Moses was instructed by God to go back to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Although he resisted God’s call at first, he agreed and took action, so God fulfilled His promise of enablement, presence, and strengthening as Moses began his mission. So, from this, how can we overcome procrastination?
- Pray
By praying, we directly address the hesitation that makes us procrastinate – instead, we adopt an attitude of heart that is ready to be changed. We must ask God for help and willingness, rather than struggling in silence. So, we should recognise that we can’t do it alone, by ourselves, but only through God’s grace and everlasting love.
- ‘Just do it’
Just like the Nike slogan, we should ‘just do it’ and have no delay. Honestly, sometimes the hardest part is to just get started, but as we begin, we should remember that God will strengthen us and guide us. In reality, we always start with the intention to begin, but then our task slips into delay and ultimately ends in a wave of guilt – just before an assignment is due in the next hour. But ask yourself: would you rather have tackled it right away, or wait and deal with the consequences later?
Only by God’s Grace
We have received the amazing grace of God in our everyday lives. Not only can we breathe or see, but God has given us the chance to learn and go to school. Yes, it may seem like a burden to go to school at times, especially with finals or assessments in the way… but we shouldn’t take this opportunity for granted! Education is supposed to be a privilege and the knowledge we gain is a gift – one that deserves to be valued, not wasted. So, how do we honour this grace? By truly studying sincerely, putting effort into our assignments, and giving our best in every test. Regardless of the result, what matters most is that we’ve committed fully and given it our all.
So, what now?
Though it may seem hard at first, we should try and stop procrastinating, knowing now that we have God with us who will strengthen us at all times, even when we study or prepare for a test. Procrastination affects us all, so let’s try to challenge ourselves by saying, “I’ll do it now, ” rather than, “I’ll do it tomorrow.”
‘I can do all this through him who gives me strength.’ – Philippians 4:13
