Understanding Procrastination
There is a significant difference in waiting to do something that we know we should do, but we do not want to do it versus waiting because we are deliberately and consciously deciding that now is not the right time.
Waiting to do something that we know we should do, but we just do not want to do it- that is procrastination.
That is the foundation of a mediocre life.
That is the enemy of all success.
That is the most invisible cost in business today.
That is the problem that we address in my book, Take the Stairs, which is vastly different from waiting because we are deciding deliberately that the timing is wrong. I talk about it in my other book, Procrastinate on Purpose.
It also has an enormously powerful and profound similar synonym, which is patience.
Patience is a Virtue
Have you ever thought about that?
What is the difference between patience and procrastination?
They both involve waiting.
One of them is considered this horrible, negative thing because it is.
The other one is a virtue.
Patience is a virtue.
How do you reconcile that?
Exactly what we are talking about here.
To make it even clearer, just think about it this way: Inaction that results from indulgence is procrastination but inaction that results from intention is patience.
And that is a virtue that is super-duper valuable.
It is something that you must learn.
It is a balance of gas and brakes.
There is a balance of action.
And there is a balance of risk and safety.
It is not something that just hangs in equilibrium.
It is constantly changing and evolving.
That is why we do not feel like it is our place to ever give the blanket statement about what you should do and when you should do it.
Making the Right Choice
The reason we add in “here’s how multipliers think” is because you must apply this to your situation.
You must apply this to your own life.
As an example, sometimes it does make sense to deal with that upset customer.
Other times, it makes more sense to spend your time creating a customer service training manual/course so that you do not always have to be the one handling the customer service calls.
It is an art form which multipliers apply.
How about you? Have you mastered this art form of knowing when to purposefully wait or do you find yourself procrastinating because you do not want to do it? Comment below.
