Close Topic Options

Procrastination

One of the easiest sins to commit and overlook (if I may call it a sin) is that of procrastination. Putting off the good things we can do today for tomorrow or the next day, or the next day after that. Here is a relevant quote:

"Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today.
Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort
but will not take the place of living in the present. This is the day of our
opportunity, and we must grasp it."

(Thomas S. Monson, "In Search of Treasure," Ensign, May 2003, 20)

What are your thoughts on the subject?

Procrastination

I don't procrastinate my spiritual duties but that doesn't mean I do all that I should. To me procrastinate means I intentionally put it off for a later time. Sometimes I don't get around to doing something as quickly as I would like, but I don't consider this procrastinating. To me this is just "too many things to accomplish" and maybe not good enough "priorities."

Also, it probably depends upon what you consider a spiritual duty to some extent. I try to read my scriptures regularly, I pray daily, I go to my church meetings, I prepare and teach my seminary class each week. If I procrastinate anything it would be my Temple attendance. Lately, I haven't attended as often as I would like. This is one area I might be accused of procrastinating in, because I do sometimes put it off until next week.

Procrastination Studies Doctrine Mormon

I understand what you mean and priorities is very important here. Procrastination can be about things that we may consider not as important at the moment as well, but they really are, so I guess you can say that there is procrastination in deciphering which is most important and which isn't and then doing something about it.

Procrastination

"Our homes need to be more Christ-centered. We should spend more time
at the temple and less time in the pursuit of pleasure. We should lower the
noise level in our homes so that the noise of the world will not overpower
the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost. One of our greatest goals as
parents should be to enjoy the power and influence of the Holy Ghost in
our homes."

(Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The Unspeakable Gift," Ensign, May 2003, 28)

Procrastination

I'm a big procrastinator. In fact, I saw this thread weeks ago and am just now getting around to responsing. I always put things off for a more convenient time. The problem is, the future is never more convenient than the present. Is it easier to do your home teaching on the 31st of the month? You would think so because that's when everyone does it. You can always go to the temple next week, finish that project later, or work on your family history when you get around to it. We're a world full of people with great intentions to do good and we plan on doing good someday. Before you know it, there are no more some days left and you haven't done a thing.

Funny how I never seem to put off lunch though. Noon time comes around and i'm pretty consistent with dropping whatever I'm doing and eating lunch. So I'm learning to overcome procrastination in some areas.

Procrastination

Procrastination is only dangerous when placing unimportant things before important responsibilities. If a person had the compulsion to work on every project and weakness without rest until the work was complete, he or she would break down. The constructive sister of the word 'procrastinate' is 'PRIORITIZE.' The key to using procrastination to benefit one's spiritual and temporal life is to identify those things that can safely wait, and immediately take care of those things that cannot.

Try this simple exercise for a week, and see how it improves your positive procrastination: Every morning, write a list of things to do for the day. Start with the most vital tasks, listing down to the least important. Whenever you have discretionary dime during the day, start at the top of the list and work solely on the first task until it is done. Then do the next one, and so forth. It is remarkably easy to focus on one thing, rather than running around wringing our hands because we don't know what to do. You will also find that you may only accomplish one quarter of the items on your list, but you know that those things are less vital, and you can safely put them off until tomorrow. It is remarkable how five minutes of planning can yield hours of more productive time in the day, and to accomplish so much feels great!

I can't say I do that every day, but I'm trying to get into the habit.

Procrastination

I remember reading a talk some time about about Procrastination, this Apostle was mentioning the 'sin of Procrastination' and then he said "if I can call it a sin" it seem to me that for him was not very clear if it was a sin or not.

Procrastination Mormon Doctrine Studies

"We cannot call back time that is past, we cannot stop time that now is,
and we cannot experience the future in our present state. Time is a gift,
a treasure not to be put aside for the future but to be used wisely in the
present."

(Thomas S. Monson, "Dedication Day," Ensign, Nov. 2000, 66)