Hesitate to Procrastinate to Accomplish 20 Times as Much - by Donald Mitchell

Hesitate to Procrastinate to Accomplish 20 Times as Much - by Donald Mitchell: "WARNING! Watch Out for Risky Inaction

Procrastinators believe that if they do nothing long enough, any bad situation will take care of itself. Or if it does not resolve itself, it will simply go away. Many even insist that procrastination is a form of work, explaining that they are letting their thinking percolate. With that point of view, they feel no concern about delay.

In most situations almost any direct action is better than no action. If nothing else, you'll learn from what you try and then refocus in a more productive direction. In support of this view, Thomas Edison made thousands of unsuccessful attempts to invent a practical light bulb. Edison saw what he was doing as 'learning' rather than 'failing.' Clearly, his approach speeded up the process.

When fear is an element, that fear can create a disastrous procrastination stall. In the 1930s, a sudden wind swept an American helium-filled airship aloft from its moorings. The rising ship carried away some of the rope crew as well. Most let go right away and suffered no worse than sprains. Others held on until they lost their grip. Each time a man let go, the dirigible leapt higher. Those who hesitated longest fell to their deaths."