Laziness Often Begins with "I'll Do It Later" | Overcoming Procrastination
The Promise We Keep Moving to Tomorrow I have noticed how easily one small sentence can delay an important part of life: “I’ll do it later.” The words sound responsible because they do not reject the task. We still intend to make the telephone call, begin the exercise, clean the room, write the first page, or have the difficult conversation. We have not said that we will never do it. We have only moved it to another time. That is why the sentence can be so convincing. “Later” allows us to escape the discomfort of beginning without admitting that we are avoiding it. We place the responsibility in the hands of our future self and assume that person will have more energy, courage, time, and discipline than we have now. But tomorrow’s person is still us. If nothing changes in how we respond, tomorrow will bring the same task and the same resistance—along with the weight of another broken promise. One Delay Is Small, but a Pattern Is Not Postponing one task does not make someone lazy. Plans...