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Interview Patty

Why People Procrastinate — and What You Can Do About It

We only see the tip of the iceberg


Do you have a pet peeve? Here’s one of mine.


After patiently waiting on a L-O-N-G airport security line, someone comes running up, explaining their flight leaves in 15 minutes. Can they please cut in?

Moments later, another person arrives with a similar story.

We are talking about procrastinators, those people who wait until the last moment to get anything done.

Don’t fly much? Not to worry. Procrastinators come in all guises. 

Dinner parties and weddings — RSVP is a foreign concept to them.

Back-to-school supplies — On Thursday, August 31, I was in my deserted local Staples store. It was packed with school supplies. The first school day at the high school was the following Tuesday, September 5. I was told people wait until the last minute.

Dinner reservations — You’ve seen the family who decides to go out for dinner without reservations at 7 p.m. on a Saturday.

Bill paying — Plenty of people wait until the day before the due date before mailing out bills.

Snowstorm or holiday shopping — Ever try to find a parking space at the supermarket?

 

Why do they do it?

The simple reason they do it is because they can get away with it.


When approaching the TSA security line, they are betting on the kindness of strangers. The people who don’t RSVP either assume you know they are coming (responding is unnecessary) or they assume you know they will be on vacation (responding is unnecessary.)


They are confident a postmark before the due date is proof positive their intentions were good, regardless of how long it takes the check to be processed. 

Are you living your life wrong? The pros of procrastination

Procrastinators don’t see this as a serious issue.They have their reasons:

  • Grace period — If the postmark approach doesn’t work, there’s the grace period.
  • Post-dating checks — It’s all right if you wrote your checks out a week early, even if you didn’t mail them until the very last minute.
  • Spectacular distribution systems — During Hurricane Harvey, Walmart stocked up on Strawberry Pop-Tarts and shipped them to the affected areas. Studies showed people buy them because they don’t need refrigeration and can be eaten cold. Walmart will see that I’ve got my Pop-Tarts.
  • These stores are big — They can handle the extra capacity at peak periods like the week before Christmas. Even if the toy my children want is not in stock, they can scan the inventory of local stores and find one.
  • Online shopping — Hey, forget stores! I’ve got online shopping. Amazon, Fed Ex and the post office do a great job of getting my holiday gifts delivered at the last minute.
  • Just-in-time manufacturing — The Japanese pioneered it in the 1960s and ‘70s. Toyota was an early adopter. The companies that want to sell the hot toys will figure out how to get it to my store at the last minute. 

What’s wrong with these people? The cons of procrastination

It’s been said we live in a “ me first society.” People are unaware of the extent others are inconvenienced.


You must play by the same rules — If you skip ahead of the long traffic line patiently waiting to leave at an exit by cutting in at the last moment, you must be prepared to give others the same courtesy when it happens to you. Unfortunately, that’s one of the causes of road rage.


Inconveniencing others — According to the Huffington Post, Americans spend an estimated 37 billion hours waiting in line each year. If you cut in ahead, you are implying you are better than the others waiting their turn. Inconveniencing others puts it mildly.


Elevated stress levels — We only see the tip of the iceberg when the last-minute traveler arrives at the TSA line wanting special treatment. We missed the frantic drive to the airport, the hunting for a parking space, piling the luggage on the cart and rushing across the terminal. This can’t be good for your blood pressure. 

What can you do?

Things often don’t work out as planned. Here are few sensible steps to reduce stress due of procrastination.

  1. Set your watch five or 10 minutes fast — You will forget, and you will arrive early. Stress should go down.
  2. Stock a pantry at home — Plenty of foods have long shelf lives. Between a pantry (room temperature) and a freezer, you can provide for lots of emergencies. You are going to eat the food anyway.
  3. Pay bills the day they arrive — They won’t get misplaced. You put all the checks on one folder with the due date where the stamp goes. It reduces stress, unless you lose the folder.
  4. Use online bill pay or direct debit — It’s one less thing to worry about. However, now you must remember to have the funds on hand when checks go through.
  5. Answer RSVPs promptly — Don’t hold out for a better offer.
  6. Keep at least $300 in cash on hand — Put it away carefully. If the power goes out during a storm, you won’t need to be running for an ATM.
  7. Keep your gas tank(s) filled — See above. If the power goes out, the gas pumps probably won’t work either.
  8. If you use oil heat, keep that tank filled, too — You can see this is a theme here. Another less thing to fill.

 

These simple steps can help reduce your stress and not have you running around at the last minute.

 

Source: bizjournals

 

​Patty Block, President and Founder of The Block Group, established her company to advocate for women-owned businesses, helping them position their companies for strategic growth. From improving cash flow…. ​to increasing staff productivity…. ​to scaling for growth, these periods of transition — and so many more — provide both challenges and opportunities. Managed effectively, change can become a productive force for growth. The Block Group harnesses that potential​, turning roadblocks into building blocks for women-owned businesses​.


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