Proverbs 6:10-11
Not long ago, a friend who lives down the street asked me to recommend someone who repairs garage doors. He explained that a stick or some other object had become lodged in the door’s track, damaging the mechanism.
I have known this couple for years, and his wife frequently asked him to clean out the garage. With a nod of agreement, he would say something like, “Yeah, I’ll get around to it.” Time passed, and the garage gradually filled up. They were not hoarders, but the slow accumulation of everyday life had crowded the space until there was room for only one car. Whenever it rained, someone had to dash through the rain to get to the other car. Apparently something within the growing collection of clutter eventually shifted into the garage door’s track. Like someone stepping on a sharp object, the inconvenience suddenly brought the issue of home organization into sharp focus.
The all-too-familiar subject of procrastination is alluded to in Scripture: “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—so your poverty will come as a robber” (Proverbs 6:10–11). Notice that the proverb does not describe a single afternoon of rest. It describes a repeated pattern of delay: “a little...a little...a little.” That is exactly how procrastination grows.
All of us procrastinate to some degree. The examples are endless. At work, we hesitate to make cold calls, begin major projects, or write lengthy reports. We delay filing our tax returns until the deadline approaches and postpone making or acting on a retirement plan. We avoid difficult conversations with a spouse or partner, and we keep postponing the day we finally begin an exercise program.
For many years, procrastination was viewed as a character flaw. We assumed it reflected laziness, a lack of motivation, or poor work habits. Psychology, however, has shown that procrastination is often a coping mechanism. We postpone tasks because we are trying to avoid the anxiety, insecurity, or stress they provoke.
There are also physical processes taking place in the brain. When we contemplate an unpleasant task, the limbic system—the part of the brain involved in processing emotion—activates and seeks immediate relief. In doing so, it can overpower the frontal cortex, the region responsible for rational planning and decision-making.
As a result, instead of tackling the task we dread, we look for something more enjoyable to do or something comforting to eat. That temporary escape makes us feel better, in part because it may trigger the release of dopamine, one of the brain’s reward chemicals. Unfortunately the relief is short-lived. It is soon replaced by guilt or self-reproach, which recreates the very anxiety we were trying to escape. The cycle then begins all over again.
One effective way to confront a project you have been postponing is to start small. Dedicate just fifteen minutes to cleaning the garage—then stop. In a sense, permit yourself “a little folding of the hands.” You have made progress, however modest, and hopefully reduced both the size of the project and the anxiety surrounding it. The next day, devote another fifteen minutes. Gradually, momentum begins to replace avoidance.
Finally, forgive yourself for having put some projects off. The past cannot be changed, but the future can. Progress is built one small step at a time. The greatest obstacle is often not the size of the task before us, but the story we tell ourselves before we begin. The first fifteen minutes may not finish the job, but they often accomplish something just as important—those short moments convince us that the job can, in fact, be done.