The Action-packed Procrastinators

One of the biggest evils that often results in either personal or organisational failure is procrastination.

So many people lead a life deprived of achievements and recognition that they might have had if only they had not been haunted by the ghost of procrastination.

If you observe highly successful people in action, you will notice one thing - these guys are action packed and they achieve amazing accomplishments at lightning speed.

The one thing which is unlikely to be detected in these guys is procrastination.

Indeed, no procrastinators can ever achieve phenomenal success. They never will be, and nor are they ever meant to. If any of them ever should become successful, then it is likely to be by accident – that is, an act of God, rather than the act of man.

"But Erican Chong,” you may argue, “some people are slow moving and slow talking, but yet they are successful!"

Hark! Let us not be confused by 'slow moving' and 'slow acting'.

Some guys seem slow alright. They walk slowly and talk slowly but they act fast. The effectiveness of a person should not be measured the speed of his physical movement but by the speed of his execution and achievements.

Do not be fooled by the apparent physical slowness of some people. Some of these fellows can be the most effective and highest-achieving people around. The most effective people may not always be the fastest in moving or talking, but they are always the fastest in THINKING.

Stephen Hawking cannot move very fast; in fact, he cannot move at all. He has been confined to a wheelchair due to a lifelong battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. He is unable to move any part of his body except his facial muscles now, which he uses to control computer input for a voice synthesizer.

Despite the extreme physical challenges Stephen Hawking faces, he is one of the most productive and efficient men alive. Though it takes him many painful hours to get just a simple message across, the inner mind of this great man never rests; rather, it is constantly working at a frenzy pace, theorising, analysing, deducing and discovering.

So do not be misled by an external lack of action. What is important is what goes on inside of our brains.

A prudent and well thought-out idea, once properly executed, may seem overly slow or drawn-out, but it is far more efficient than a half-baked idea which has been hastily or haphazardly executed.

A well thought-out or planned idea always saves time. After all, since it is more likely to be successful, less re-work is involved and hence less time is wasted. A hasty or badly planned idea is unproductive because an untold number of corrections may need to be made along the way.

Some people seem 'action-packed' - they talk fast, walk fast, and do everything fast. However, these seemingly highly productive people may be some of the biggest procrastinators around. They are what I call the ‘Action-packed Procrastinators’.

"Hey, how can one move fast, and yet procrastinate?" You may wonder.

It is very possible. There are two different types of such procrastinators and I call them the Type X & Type Y Action-packed Procrastinators.

Type X Action-packed Procrastinators:

These people move fast; in fact, they move 'too fast'. They do not think carefully, plan properly, or exhaust all possibilities before they act. They implement 'half-baked' ideas in a haphazard manner. When they finally do realise that their ideas will not work due to the many weaknesses and 'holes' in their premature concept, it is usually too late or too costly to fix.

While these guys may feel that they are highly effective, they are actually worse than the real procrastinators. Real procrastinators are simply slow to act and therefore do not achieve; these Type X Procrastinators may incur tremendous financial or opportunity costs in their misguided efforts.

Type Y Action-packed Procrastinators:

These people move fast - they talk fast, walk fast and do everything fast. However, they do not have the patience to get anything done 100%. Due to their hyperactivity, they usually move on to the next thing before the previous thing they were working on was able to be completed.

So these guys work tirelessly, pursuing one goal after another. Unfortunately, however, they simply move on and on, without ever having properly completed anything. Because of this, they can never claim ownership of a successful project or venture.

These guys are stupid; they go round and round the mulberry bush, much like a hamster on a wheel. They think they are working very hard, but without any clear sense of direction, what is the point in them moving so fast?

In fact, if you are moving in the wrong direction, the faster you move the more damage will be done.

So put on your thinking cap and plan properly before you embark on anything. Be an action-packed achiever and say 'NO' to action-packed procrastination.

“Life is about constantly going beyond limits!”
- Erican Chong