Avoid Procrastination

“Lord, besides evil talk, what’s another bad habit you tend to see in managers or workplaces?”

“Procrastination. There is a difference between collecting all the right information and failing to act due to fear or paralysis by analysis. I love a quote from J.K. Galbraith who said, ‘A wrong decision isn’t forever; it can always be reversed. The losses from a delayed decision are forever; they can never be retrieved.’”

I looked at the Lord and he was pointing to his shoes. Nike. I got it: Just Do It.

“But isn’t sometimes a delay worth it, Lord?  I mean, I have on many occasions not rushed to judgment or a decision. On several occasions I have faced important decisions, and I went to work out at the gym as that helps clear my mind. When I returned to work or home, the emergency I thought existed several hours earlier was not really an emergency. On another occasion, my publisher had to decide between two sponsorship opportunities. We did the due diligence background checks on both companies. I spent a bit of time doing research. By the time we finally reached a decision our boss decided to pass on the sponsorship opportunity. It turned out for the best because we had to cancel the event and the sponsorship would have complicated that decision, along with causing us to have to pay a large amount of money. Yes, some decisions take a long time and require significant deliberation, but how much is too much time compared with a rushed decision?”

“Sam, that is where experience comes in. Through experience a manager will know what is critical, what is a false cry of ‘wolf,’ and where one can let something slide. Otherwise, a manager would be like Don Quixote chasing after windmills. Remember, managers need to conserve their energy and recharge their batteries. Managing others takes energy- both physical and emotional. That is why when a decision is made, it is done. When a decision is made based on reasonable information and sound reasoning, let the card play out. Abraham made the decision to call Sara his sister to try saving himself from Pharaoh. He acted and decided- it worked- until it did not. When Pharaoh had a dream and became ill, he realized the problem and only then did Abraham come clean. Abraham thought he had the right information- he had a beautiful wife, and he might be killed by a ruler who wanted Sara for himself. What he did not have was faith in me that I would protect him. He decided, and it almost resulted in tragedy if I had not intervened. I am happy that he acted. I would have been happier is he would have believed in me.”

“Another concern associated with procrastination, Sam, is the fact I am a God of action. People are supposed to rush to do a good deed. Thinking or saying you are going to do something nice is commendable. More commendable though is doing something. That is why the Rabbis say you are supposed to rush to do a positive deed. That is action. Don’t talk about helping to feed the hungry next week. Go to a homeless shelter today.”

“Lord, I know you like the quotes, how about the one from good ‘ole Abe Lincoln who said, ‘If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening the axe.’”

“Sam, if you are going to throw Honest Abe at me, well I will retort with, ‘I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.’  Do you know who said that, Sam?”

“No clue.”

“The greatest historian of all time… Douglas Adams.”

“Who?”

“Adams, the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. He is one of my fallen angels. He was not supposed to tell the world that the meaning of life is 42.”

“What?”

“I’m kidding. It is actually 7.”

“What?”

The Lord laughed and moved on. He knew he had me.

“I should say that one of the most important facets of time management is to unplug once a week and do no work at all. That is what my Sabbath is for. It gives everyone over 24 hours of silence free from phones, e-mails, web searches, and business decisions to help a person recharge their batteries.”

I thought of how my phone and computer were with me all the time. I could not imagine putting them aside for 24 hours. But I promised myself I would try. Getting the family to agree would be another challenge… a challenge that would test my managerial skills.