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Procrastination: The Root of all Loss
Muhammad Danish Attari, (Jami’ah-tul-Madinah Faizan-e-Bukhari, Karachi)
By granting human beings intellect and reasoning, Allah Almighty distinguished them from the rest of creation. Through the power of intellect, man has surpassed other animals and continues to exponentially succeed. Our pursuit of success is an almost inseparable aspect of who we are as humans. Yet, many fail to succeed. A cursory look at the people who enjoyed great achievements, religious and worldly, reveals the secret to success: promptness and punctuality.
The illness of delaying or postponing tasks has reached new heights in our communities. Procrastination is a powerful vice, allowing people to put off important work with a simple note to the self, ‘I will do it tomorrow,’ but that tomorrow never arrives. Here are five practical Madani pearls to help you overcome this destructive trait:
1. Realisation
Whenever you are given a task, take ownership of it and make a realistic plan to complete it on time. Putting off the work for another time will only cause frustration and a greater load once all your tasks build up.
2. Make a to-do list
A simple to-do list is an effective tool. It provides you with visual reminders of outstanding tasks and lets you feel a sense of achievement as you gradually tick off completed tasks. This will motivate you to work on the next one. By making a list like this, you can keep track of where you are with and what you need to do next.
3. Bid farewell to laziness
Laziness is perhaps the number one obstacle to doing things on time. We all too often convince ourselves that we have plenty of time to get the job done, to then not find any time to complete the task because other matters have come up.
4. Be realistic
Wise people are realistic. Successful people value the present and live in ‘the now,’ prioritising tasks and getting them done on time. In contrast, unsuccessful people pacify their hearts by putting their hopes in tomorrow and make excuses to avoid their responsibilities.
5. Value time
Time is the most valuable asset we have. Value your time as you do not know whether you will have an opportunity later on, or what life has planned.
It is famously said, ‘Tomorrow never comes.’ Therefore, as mentioned in the blessed hadith, we should take advantage of our free time, utilising it most constructively way by completing our work on time. May Allah Almighty enable us to be punctual. اٰمین
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