I was going to write this blog post on June 8, 2010. But one thing led to another and I didn’t. I kept meaning to. But things just keep popping up that I prioritized above writing this post. Not because this post is not important. It is. It’s probably one of the most important topics I could ever write about. But, ya know, life. Tomorrow, tomorrow, next week, next month…I’ll get to it. And suddenly, I decide to log in only to remember that I forgot my username and password to my beloved blog and have to go through hoops to figure out what it is, and by that time, I feel like a complete loser, so what’s the point anyway?
The process of actually writing this post is a case in point of why this topic is of the utmost importance. Just as I put this writing off, so too do I and most other human beings, struggle with the cycle of starting, finishing, and accomplishing.
Procrastination is Shaytan’s foot soldier. Right on the front lines of the battle to attain Allah’s pleasure, we confront this enemy. We take some battles, we lose some. But the war rages on and this enemy is sly and elusive. Only with the most advanced weaponry and a fail-proof tactical approach will we be able to overcome this adversary.
Take a moment to think about your regular days. How much time, effort, and brain power do you use thinking of what you’re going to do, what you want to accomplish, making lists and formulating dreams of tomorrow’s splendor? I can tell you this – I spend a great deal of time thinking of what could be.
Now take another moment to think about your days and how much time you spend actually doing and accomplishing the goals you have for your life. If you’re like most people I know and many that I’ve talked to about this issue, the percentage of time is skewed toward the dreaming rather than the doing.
This obstacle of procrastination is so pervasive, Allah (swt) has even written about it in the Qur’an:
Those will have lost who deny the meeting with Allah , until when the Hour [of resurrection] comes upon them unexpectedly, they will say, “Oh, [how great is] our regret over what we neglected concerning it,” while they bear their burdens on their backs. (Surat Al-An`am 31)
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, also has spoken about the disastrous effects of procrastination stated,
“Good health and spare time are two of the blessings of Allah with respect to which many people are deceived.” (Al-Bukhari)
And this post is not just talking about procrastinating when it comes to the development of our spirituality although obviously this is the most important accomplishment we can work on. Procrastination is also killing us in matters of our health and wellness, our professional lives, our personal relationships, our financial matters, etc.
How many college students wait until the last minute to study for exams or write papers? How many put off working out and getting in shape? How many of us fail to save money for a rainy day? How many of us pray when there are only a few moments until the next prayer comes in? How many of us live a life on the edge, doing almost everything at the very last minute without much planning, or even worse, end up not doing some important things at all?
This is no way to live. If we want to get the full benefit of this life, of the blessings Allah (swt) has given to us, we must overcome the vice-grip of procrastination. In my next post (which insha’Allah will be released this weekend and not next year), I will provide some suggestions for prevailing against this hated enemy.
Until then, go DO something!
