DANGERS OF PROCRASTINATION IN LIFE; WAY OUT

BY

BRO OBIAJULU CHINEKU

SIS ANTHONIA OZIEGBE

BRO SUNDAY TIMOTHY OSARETIN

BRO WILLIAMS AKANSO

SIS CHIDINMA UMEC UREWUJI

BRO OGIDAN OLUFEMI EDWARDS

BRO BENJAMIN EMMANUEL

BRO EYAKEPHOVWAN JOSEPH OGHENERIEBORUE

BRO BAMIDELE AYANTUNDE FELIX

SIS CHIDI-NZOFUTACHI ANN IHUNNA

BRO OLAYIDE BABATUNDE

BRO AMOS JOE

BRO SUNNY DONATUS NWUDE

NOVEMBER, 2021
 DANGERS OF PROCRASTINATION IN LIFE: WAY OUT

BY

GROUP 11

A PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OT THE REQUIREMENTS OF

THE SCHOOL OF BIBLICAL STUDIES

MOUNTAIN TOP MINISTERIAL SCHOOL

MOUNTAIN OF FIRE AND MIRACLES MINISTRIES

SOUTH-SOUTH 1, REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS

RUMUOLA, PORT HARCOURT

NOVEMBER, 2021

i
 APPROVAL PAGE
DANGERS OF PROCRASTINATION IN LIFE; WAY OUT

A PROJECT

BY

GROUP 11

WAS APPROVED
BY

……………………………..
PST. (MRS) EVELYN CHIDI
CAMPUS CO-ORDINATOR
PORT HARCOURT
RIVERS STATE

……………………………………….
PST. (MRS) DARAMOLA TITILAYO ABIGAIL

REGIONAL CO-ORDINATOR (RECTOR)

SOUTH-SOUTH/SOUTH-EAST

ii
 DEDICATION
THIS PROJECT IS DEDICATED TO THE ALMIGHTY GOD HIMSELF FOR THE GRACE TO START AND
COMPLETE THE PROGRAM OF STUDY AND TO FINISH THIS WORK.

TO GOD ALONE BE ALL THE GLORY

iii
 DECLARATION
WE HEREBY DECLARE THAT THYIS PROJECT, ―DANGERS OF
PROCRASTINATION IN LIFE; WAY OUT‖, WAS WRITTEN BY MEMBERSOF GROUP
11 AND HAD NOT BEEN SUBMITTED ANYWHERE BY ANY OTHER PERSON FOR
ANY PURPOSE WHETHER ACADEMIC OR OTHERWISE

BRO OBIAJULU CHINEKU …………………………………………..

SIS ANTHONIA OZIEGBE ……………………………………………

BRO SUNDAY TIMOTHY OSARETIN …………………………………………..

BRO WILLIAMS AKANSO ………………………………………….

SIS CHIDINMA UMEC UREWUJI …………………………………………..

BRO OGIDAN OLUFEMI EDWARDS …………………………………………

BRO BENJAMIN EMMANUEL ………………………………………..

BRO EYAKEPHOVWAN JOSEPH OGHENERIEBORUE ………………………………

BRO BAMIDELE AYANTUNDE FELIX ………………………………………

SIS CHIDI-NZOFUTACHI ANN IHUNNA …………………………………..

BRO OLAYIDE BABATUNDE ……………………………………

BRO AMOS JOE ………………………………………

BRO SUNNY DONATUS NWUDE ………………………………………

iv
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
WE ACKNOWLEDGE, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE HOLY SPIRIT IN WHOM WE GOT ALL THE
INSPIRATION, FOR THE DIRECTIONS AND GUIDANCE.

WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATE OUR FAMILIES FOR THE SUPPORT AND ENABLING
ENVIRONMENT TO DO THIS WORK.

WE WILL NOT FAIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECTOR, PST. MRS. DARAMOLA T. A. AND THE SS1
CAMPUS CO-ORDINATOR, [Link]. EVELYN CHIDI FOR THEIR IMMENSE SPIRITUAL SUPPORT.

FINALLY, WE WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATE ALL OTHERS WHOSE IDEA, MATERIALS
AND TEXTS WERE VERY USEFUL IN WRITING THIS PROJECT.

MAY THE GOOD GOD BLESS YOU ALL. AMEN.

v
 ABSTRACT
The phenomenon of procrastination is described as an unexplainable and unintentional putting
off or delay of an action. Procrastination is seen as due to an attack on one’s decision making
ability, because, in most cases, it is done against its victim’s will. It has always been presented in
ways to portray its victim as lazy. This work presents procrastination from the angle of being
beyond the control of its victim. People often assume that procrastination is simply a matter of
willpower, but in reality, the situation is far more complex than that. Procrastination is pinned
down as sin because “to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” We rely
solely on our self-control in other to get things done in a timely manner, though our motivation,
to be rewarded for our efforts can often provide our self-control with a helpful boost. We
cannot shy away from the fact that overcoming procrastination could be beyond the victim’s
physical ability, therefore we need to watch and pray so as to be victorious over any other
underlying factor. Get alone with God, do heart examination, identify the causes and then lay
them open to God in prayer for help to overcome this damaging sin.

vi
 Contents

DANGERS OF PROCRASTINATION IN LIFE: WAY OUT ...............................................

APPROVAL PAGE ...........................................................................................................ii

DEDICATION .................................................................................................................. iii

DECLARATION ...............................................................................................................iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................................. v

ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................vi

CHAPTER ONE .............................................................................................................. 1

BACKGROUND OF STUDY ........................................................................................... 1

DEFINITION .................................................................................................................... 1

CHAPTER TWO .............................................................................................................. 5

LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................... 5

Psychodynamic Theory ................................................................................................... 5

Cognitive Theories .......................................................................................................... 6

Behavioral Theories ........................................................................................................ 8

Trait Theories .................................................................................................................. 9

Structural Theory of Procrastination .............................................................................. 13

CHAPTER THREE ........................................................................................................ 15

WHY DO WE PROCRASTINATE AND WHAT ARE THE WAYS OUT? ....................... 15

 Anxiety ................................................................................................................... 17

vii
 The Absence of Structure ...................................................................................... 18

 Sin .......................................................................................................................... 18

 Timing .................................................................................................................... 19

 Overwhelm ............................................................................................................. 19

 Lead by Emotions .................................................................................................. 20

 Resentment ............................................................................................................ 22

 Fear of Failure ........................................................................................................ 22

 Fear of Success ..................................................................................................... 22

 Laziness and Willingness to be distracted ............................................................. 22

 Fear of evaluation or negative feedback ................................................................ 23

 Abstract Goals........................................................................................................ 23

 A Focus On Future Options ................................................................................... 23

 Optimism About the Future .................................................................................... 23

 Indecisiveness........................................................................................................ 24

 Low Self Efficacy .................................................................................................... 25

 A Perceived Lack of Control ................................................................................... 25

 Depression ............................................................................................................. 26

 Impulsivity .............................................................................................................. 26

Dangers of Procrastination ............................................................................................ 26

viii
1. It makes you look lazy ............................................................................................ 27

3. You waste your God-given talents. ........................................................................ 28

4. Finishing a task takes longer .................................................................................. 28

5. If we continue putting things off it can mean we lack discipline .............................. 28

6. Tomorrow may never come. .................................................................................. 29

7. We can fall into temptation ..................................................................................... 29

Ways out of procrastination ........................................................................................... 29

Stop seeing yourself as a victim .................................................................................... 30

Take advantage of your time. ........................................................................................ 30

Don‘t be a coward ......................................................................................................... 31

Better time management ............................................................................................... 31

Wisdom from above ...................................................................................................... 31

CHAPTER FOUR .......................................................................................................... 32

SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 32

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION .................................................................. 33

REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 34

ix
 CHAPTER ONE

BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Procrastination! Procrastination! Procrastination. The killer of dreams, the opportunity

waster, the time destroyer; what is this that thou hast done? So many times we say
things like, Oh, I should have done that yesterday, I can‘t really tell why I didn‘t, or, this
task is not even much, why have I let it stay undone till now. This happens when we
shift responsibilities of now to a later time for no particular reason. When this happens,
we have [Link], procrastination takes place until the ―last minute‖
before a deadline. Procrastination can take hold on any aspect of life—putting off
cleaning the stove, repairing a leaky roof, seeing a doctor or dentist, submitting a job
report or academic assignment or broaching a stressful issue with a partner, praying at
night or any other time, studying the scriptures and so many other daily activities with
different degrees of importance. Procrastination can lead to feelings of guilt,
inadequacy, depression and self-doubt. What then is procrastination?

DEFINITION
In order to study a phenomenon like this, an operational definition of that phenomenon
is necessary. The phenomenon of procrastination is a peculiar one due to the difficulty
of having a generalized and agreed upon definition. This could be due to the fact that
most times when people procrastinate it is not due to any stress or health challenge or
job difficulty of subject, etc., it just can‘t be traced to any particular reason.

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary of the English Language, procrastination

is putting off intentionally the doing of something that should be done. Procrastination is
to be slow or late about doing something that should be done. That is, to delay getting
things done until a later unspecified time, mostly for no reason.

1
Some other definitions include putting off for tomorrow what you can do today, a failure
to initiate or complete a task or activity by a predetermined time, a delay behavior
related to fear of failure or fear of success and success related consequences.
Procrastination has also been defined as the tendency to postpone that which is
necessary to reach some goal. It could be seen sometimes as something that occur as
a result of tiredness or fatigue, but in reality procrastination is not or almost always isn‘t
a result of finite memory or attention span; it doesn‘t always result from fatigue.
Procrastination could also be seen as delaying a function or activity to a point where it
becomes inconvenient for you.

Procrastination is the act of postponing an action or decision. For example, a chorister

who has to present a solo in church the next day and is yet to perfect the solo is wasting
time on the internet instead of practicing his/her solo has procrastinated.

Procrastination is injurious to a person‘s ability to pursue their goals successfully, which

could be seen, for example, in the fact that procrastination is responsible for a
chorister‘s inability to improve over a long period of time and is also associated with a
student receiving worse grades at school.

While some traditional definitions of procrastination, such as putting off for tomorrow
what you can do today, are cliché and tend to minimize what for some might be a
serious problem. These definitions tend to create a picture of a procrastinator as lazy,
rebellious, fearful, or disorganized and while some aspects of these definitions are (or
can be) true, lack of a clear definition of the problem can result in poor response to the
individual‘s needs. Furthermore, lack of consistency in the definition of procrastination
has created difficulties for comparison of the phenomenon across studies and in some
cases has contributed to less than adequate solution templates for the problem of
procrastination.

We, being end time soldiers of our Lord Jesus Christ, will not be ignorant of the devil‘s
devices, we will not allow Satan to get an advantage of us (2Corinthians 2 vs 11). While
not refuting the traditional definitions given above and/or any other definitions that have

2
been used generally to describe or try to define this phenomenon of procrastination, we
will try to describe procrastination in a different manner, with a different approach.

Apostle Paul, although not mentioning the word procrastination, describes a

phenomenon in one of his letters to the Roman believers. We are going to try with the
help of the Holy Spirit to give a definition of procrastination from that part of Apostle
Paul‘s letter.

Romans 7 : 14-25
14
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I
do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that
which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that
do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth
no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find
not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now
if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a
law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God
after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of
24
my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O
25
wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God;
but with the flesh the law of sin.

Apostle Paul said, ―for that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not, but
what I hate, that do I‖. Now let‘s relate this to our normal traditional definitions; the
things that I do are not things I allow and that which I would, I do not. If I don‘t do the
things I ought to do, I have procrastinated. Apostle Paul could see in verse 23, another
law warring against the law of the mind. While our traditional definitions made it look like
the procrastination is entirely of the individual‘s making, Apostle Paul has showed us
here that there could be a third party as to why people procrastinate. The things I do not
want to do; I see myself doing. Those things I put my mind to do I, end up not doing
them.

3
So, what then is this phenomenon called procrastination?

In addition to the definitions given above, the phenomenon of procrastination can be

described as the unexplainable and unintentional putting off or delay of an [Link]
choose to define procrastination as a delay or putting off of an action due to an attack
on one‘s decision making ability. The reason for the choice of words is because in most
cases of procrastination, the offender has no intention of postponing, it just happens
and before you know it he‘s in a rush or the damage is already done, just like that.

We are all guilty of procrastinating at some point or other; no one is a stranger to it,
right? Some of us might be lucky enough to identify it in time and still do something
about it. Unfortunately for others, it steals dreams and can even destroy lives. The
reason people procrastinate varies from person to person and is not always obvious.
Sometimes it is a hidden fear that people don‘t want to acknowledge, or it could even be
as simple as not wanting to do something because it just doesn‘t motivate [Link] could
even be that you procrastinated against your own will. Whatever the reason may
be, procrastination has far more damaging effects than you may realize.

4
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Several theories have been proposed and a few have been partiallysupported, however
none of the existing theories have adequately explained the phenomenon of
procrastination. In order to develop afuller understanding of this phenomenon, the
following sections willpresent selected theories of procrastination. Psychodynamic,
cognitive,behavioral, trait, and structural theories of procrastination will beincluded in
this discussion.

Psychodynamic Theory
From a psychodynamic perspective, procrastination is believed todevelop as a result of
childrearing practices and unconsciousmotivation. Blatt& Quinlan (1967), in their study
of temporalparameters of procrastination, argue that chronic lateness is related toa
subconscious fear of death. They propose that procrastination is anunconscious attempt
to stave off mortality by showing a contempt forconstraints of the clock. Missildine
(1964) believes that the "slow,daydreaming paralysis" that is manifest in the
procrastinationsyndrome" is caused by parents who over-stress achievement. This
overemphasison achievement sets up unrealistic goals for the child andlinks the
attainment of these goals to parental approval and [Link] (1964) agrees that
childrearing practices contribute to thedevelopment of procrastination. She asserts that
parents who are toopermissive with their child are likely to produce a
"nervousunderachiever" who is too anxious to meet future self-imposed
[Link], she points out that parents who are too strict are liable toProduce
an angry underachiever who exhibits his/her independence fromparental figures through
a subconscious rebellion of authority,especially the authority of the clock. Although
childrearing practicesor unconscious motivations (i.e., fear of death) may be factors in
thedevelopment of procrastination, it appears that other factors exist that mayalso
contribute to the development of this complex problem.

5
 Cognitive Theories
Cognitive theorists believe that procrastination is related toirrational fears and self
criticisms. Furthermore, they proposed thatpersonality characteristics such as fear of
failure, low frustrationtolerance for coping with unpleasant tasks, and a passive-
aggressiveorientation toward life's demands underlie the procrastinating behavior (Ellis
& Knaus,1977). In addition to these characteristics, Rorer(1983) has proposed that fear
of success and success relatedconsequences contribute to procrastination. Burka and
Yuen (1983) agreewith both Ellis and Knaus and Rorer. They propose that problem
procrastinators use their delaying tactics as a strategy to protectthemselves from
dealing with situations which may involve fear offailure, fear of success, fear of losing a
battle, fear of separation,or fear of [Link] with Ellis and Knaus, Rorer
(1983) states that mostemotional disturbances are attributable to one or more of three
characteristics -self downing, low frustration tolerance, and hostilityand he summarizes
their theory of procrastination in the following way:

 Given the belief that you must do well, and that if you don'tyou're no good, so it is
better to procrastinate and do nothingthan to risk the possibility of failure, i.e., it is
better toprocrastinate than to risk the possibility of finding out that youare
worthless.
 Given the belief that things ought to be easy and that you can'tstand the fact that
they are difficult, it is better toprocrastinate than to suffer the short-term
frustration necessaryto reach long-term goals.
 Given the belief that the world in general, and people inparticular, ought to be fair
and treat you well, then, if theydon't, you won't try--you show them by
procrastinating or doingbadly. (Rorer, 1983, p. 2).

In addition to cognitions, Ellis &Knaus (1977) noted that thedynamics of procrastination

involve fears of failure, rejection orresentment, or dislike of the task itself. They focus on
the task(e.g., it might be difficult) or on the immediate consequences of performing the
task (e.g., I might fail). Ellis and Knaus argue thatthe procrastinator delays starting a
task because he/she is unsure ofhis/her ability to complete the task. Perfectionistic

6
thinkingexacerbates the fear of failure and the individual believes that it isbetter to
procrastinate than risk the possibility of finding out thathe/she is worthless. This
avoidant behavior is believed to serve anego-defensive function by circumventing the
emotional consequences offailure.

Following in the cognitive tradition of Ellis &Knaus (1977), Rorer(1983) has extended
their theory of procrastination. He agrees with thenotion that procrastination can result
from self-downing, lowfrustration tolerance, and hostility, however, he points out that
whiletask characteristics play a role in some forms of procrastination,procrastination can
occur even when the individuals accept thedifficulty or unpleasantness of the task and
the possibility of [Link] suggests that procrastination may have little to do with the
taskitself but may occur as the result of secondary or tertiary consequencesof the
action. He suggests that fear of success and success relatedconsequences may
contribute to the development of [Link] states that in certain situations
success increases anxietyand leads to procrastination. This is especially true in
mixedreinforcement situations in which painful consequences are associatedwith
pleasurable events. He describes four situations in which successand its related
consequences can contribute to procrastination.

Thefirst situation involves success that leads to the possibility offailure. Rorer believes
that people will sometimes avoid positiveevents in order to ward off imagined future
distress. A secondprocrastination situation involves the notion that success leads to
thepossibility of greater failure. Rorer asserts that procrastinatorsbelieve it would be
more catastrophic if they succeed in changingcircumstances of a situation and the event
they tried to avoid stilloccurred, than if they had made no effort at all. They
thereforeprocrastinate in order to avoid that possibility. A third situationelaborates the
notion that success entails punishment. Rorerillustrates the potentially catastrophic
consequences of combiningsuccess (reinforcement) and aversive consequences
(punishment). Hebelieves, for example that a person procrastinates in initiating
newrelationships, not because he /she thinks he/she will fail or berejected, or because
he /she thinks it will be difficult to do so, butbecause he /she fears that he/she will
succeed and thereby be placed ina potentially punishing situation. Additionally, Rorer

7
points out thatspecific procrastination may occur, not because individuals have
beenspecifically punished, but because they see the task to be part ofsomething that
includes punishment. The final situation described byRorer involves the notion that
success is not success--or, at least, notthe success that is desired. He suggests that
individuals avoid successto avoid the fear that if they succeed in one area of their life
theymight find emptiness in other areas of their life.

Cognitive theories of procrastination appear to offer interestinginsights into the problem

of procrastination. However, while researchby Solomon &Rothblum (1984), appears to
indicate partial support forEllis &Knaus' (1977) theory that procrastination is related to
fear offailure, no studies could be found that specifically explored thedimensions of low
frustration tolerance and passive-aggressiveorientation, even though these dimensions
appear to make descriptivesense. In addition, although the notion of fear of success is
partiallysupported by Lay (1987), Rorer's assumptions related to the fear ofsuccess
component of procrastination still need to be tested. While,cognitive theories of
procrastination appear to make descriptive senseand have received some empirical
support, more research is needed beforeany conclusions can be drawn concerning the
comprehensive andexplanatory powers of cognitive theories of procrastination.

Behavioral Theories
According to Mowrer (1947), a pattern of procrastination isdeveloped when an aversive
situation establishes an unpleasant responseto a neutral stimulus associated in time
and place with an originallyaversive stimulus; thereafter, one continues to behave as if
theoriginal aversive episode were about to recur, and avoids performingactions
associated with it. In other words, procrastination occurs asan avoidance of a particular
course of action as a result of pairingstimuli in such a way that the individual
procrastinates in order toavoid the potential consequences related to that course of
action. Forexample, an individual may postpone the writing of a thesis because ifthe
thesis is completed the individual will graduate and have to set newgoals and make
more decisions for him/herself. Thus the neutralstimulus of graduating becomes paired

8
by the aversive stimulus of decisionmaking and the individual does not complete his/her
thesis (i.e.,procrastinates) in order to delay making decisions about one's future.

Procrastination patterns are also established on the basis of theiranxiety reducing

properties. It is proposed that avoidant responses areless anxiety arousing than
confrontation with feared events and arethereby [Link]'s (1975) theory of
specious reward actually focuses onimpulsivity and impulse control, however, his
suppositions on impulsecontrol may be highly related to the phenomenon of
procrastination. Hesuggests that there is a strong tendency for an individual to
chooseshort-term (specious) reward over long-term good when the short-termgoal is
immediately pleasurable. The procrastinator develops a feedbackloop in which behavior
that is immediately pleasurable competes withbehavior that would enhance self-esteem,
such as goal completion. Thenecessity of choosing between the alternatives increases
the anxietythat is associated with the task at hand and tends to further increasethe
likelihood of choosing the alternative of immediate pleasure (or absence of pain). This
perpetuates a cycle in which continuallyincreasing anxiety results in the tendency to
choose immediate reward,which further increases [Link] Ainslie was not
specifically addressing the phenomenon ofprocrastination, impulsivity has been
suggested to be correlated withprocrastination (Mccown, Johnson, and Petzel, 1989).

While Ainslie'ssuppositions currently remain untested, his concept of specious

rewardprovides interesting possibilities for future research onprocrastination. Behavioral
theories of procrastination as a wholeremain speculative at this time as no studies could
be found whichutilized the notion of pairing anxiety or some other punishing
situationwith some previously neutral phenomenon in the development
ofprocrastination. When one considers that procrastination is a largelybehavioral
phenomenon, it is surprising that little research has beenproduced in the behavioral
tradition.

Trait Theories
Procrastination is a complex phenomenon and there are manypersonality traits and
individual characteristics that are believed tocontribute to the development and

9
maintenance of procrastinatingbehavior. One of the difficulties in developing a
composite picture ofthe procrastinating individual is the possibility that there may be
morethan one type of procrastinator. In addition, lack ofa clear definition of the problem
has further complicated the search fortraits characteristic of a procrastinating individual.
Furthermore, itremains unclear as to whether procrastination is a state or
traitphenomenon. Despite these limitations, researchers continue to attemptto correlate
personality characteristics with measures ofprocrastination. Since many of the traits
believed to be connected withthe phenomenon of procrastination are the focus of
various studies whichwill be reviewed later in the paper, this section will only
brieflymention some of those characteristics and factors.

Typical characterizations of a procrastinator include an individualwho is lacking energy

(Solomon and Rothblum, 1984), rebellious (Lay,1986; Mccown, Johnson, &Petzel,
1987) anxious (Solomon and Rothblum,1984; Lay, 1986, 1987; Rothblum, Solomon, &
Murakami, 1986) fearful(Solomon and Rothblum, 1984), disorganized (Lay, 1986 &
1987) andlacking in self control (Milgram, Sroloff, & Rosenbaum, 1988). Of
thesefactors, anxiety is one of the most common factors to be correlated
withprocrastination. Rothblum, Solomon, & Murakami's (1986) analysis ofaffective
measures used in their study found a significant main effectfor procrastination on state
anxiety. High procrastinators weresignificantly more likely to report weekly state anxiety
across sessionsthan were low procrastinators. Simple effects also indicated thatfemale
high procrastinators were significantly more likely to reportweekly state anxiety than
were female low procrastinators. The means for male high and low procrastinators were
not significant. Rothblurn'set. al. study, as well as others (Lay, 1986; Milgram, Sroloff,
&Rosenbaum, 1988), not only provide evidence for anxiety as a factor inprocrastination
but also provides support for potential genderdifferences in procrastinators. Additionally,
while gender may beimplicated as a factor in procrastination, it appears to be
traitspecific and may be a function of the fact that most of the studies havea greater
number of female subjects and may or may not have controlledfor this fact.

The characteristic of self-control (Milgram, Sroloff, andRosenbaum, 1988) was also

found to have a gender related component inrelation to procrastination. Lack of self-

10
control (Rosati, 1975; Wesp,1986; Green, 1982) has been speculated to play a role
inprocrastination, however, Milgram, Sroloff, & Rosenbaum (1988) foundthis to only be
true for men. In their study on everydayprocrastination in college students they found a
modest correlationbetween procrastination and schedule adherence with self-regulation
butfound no significant correlations with women on this [Link] is also
hypothesized to be related to [Link] et al. (1989) factor analyzed
personality variables and time usagein university students. A principle component
analysis yielded threefactors. Factor 1 loaded highly on the Psychoticism scale
developed byEysenck and accounted for 21.4% of the variance. This finding
suggeststhat procrastination may be associated with the impulsiveness that
thePsychoticism factor taps. This Psychoticism factor also appears to tapthe
rebelliousness component believed to be related to [Link] addition to
impulsivity, locus of control is suspected to becorrelated with procrastination. One study
was found that attempted tocorrelate locus of control with procrastination. In this study,
Trice(1987) compared an academic-specific measure of locus of control withanother
locus of control measure as a predictor of completion of courserequirements within a
contract period. Unfortunately, this study is onethat provides convergent validity for the
scale and contributes nothingto the understanding of [Link],
although procrastination is mentioned in theperfectionism literature (White, 1985), the
perfectionism believed to beassociated with procrastination has not been supported by
empirical datathus far (Aitken, 1982). However, Solomon and Rothblum (1984)
suggestthat the fear of failure factor obtained during the factor analysis ofuniversity
students taps into the evaluation anxiety, perfectionism, andlow self-esteem believed to
be associated with procrastination.

Procrastinators were highly correlated with neuroticdisorganization and negatively

correlated with organization (Lay, 1990).Neurotic disorganization refers to a personality
profile of anindividual who finds it difficult to focus his/her attention on thedetails of
everyday activity. This individual is absent minded, easilydistracted, and very forgetful.
In addition to neuroticdisorganization, Lay (1990) found that procrastinators tended to
be nonscreeners(Mehrabian, 1977). Whereas screeners automatically impose
ahierarchy of importance on the stimuli that surround them, non-screenersare likely to
11
become over-aroused in high information rate situationsand are more sensitive to the
pleasant versus unpleasant qualities oftasks and [Link] some authors have
suggested that a connection between cognitivefailure and procrastination (Effert and
Ferrari, 1983; Lay 1986), othershave suggested a component of cognitive superiority
(McCown, 1986) maycontribute to the procrastination problem. Mccown suggests
thatindividuals with higher cognitive ability may postpone completion ofacademic tasks
because they may believe that their cognitive abilitieswill allow them to complete the
task in a shorter time [Link] time perception has also been suggested to contribute
toprocrastination and this factor appears to receive some support (Blattand Quinlan,
1967). Aitken (1982), in an unpublished dissertation,attempted to correlate scores on
her procrastination scale withexperimental measures of the passage of time. She found
thatprocrastinators tended to under-estimate the time required to do a task,while non-
procrastinators tended to over-estimate this same time period.

However, as Aitken (1982) points out, interaction effects could haveconfounded the
results because results were obtained in a group settingin which students could obtain
cues from peers and even consult withfellow students about their responses. Blatt&
Quinlan (1967) studiedtemporal factors in procrastination and found that procrastination
wasassociated with a "present-oriented" time perspective. Procrastinating students had
lower scores on the picture arrangement subtest of the WAISwhich suggested that they
had a decreased ability to anticipate futureevents. Blatt&Qunilan also found that when
presented with TAT-likestory stems, procrastinating students told significantly more
"presentoriented"narratives while non-procrastinators typically told storiesthat extended
"farther into the future."Mccown (1986) also found thatprocrastinators tended to under-
estimate the time required to do a [Link] correlated the estimated and actual times it
took for students tocomplete a reading task and found a very small but
statisticallysignificant correlation. He also noted that procrastinators took lesstime to
complete the experimental session than non-procrastinators. Hesuggested that this may
be due to a general cognitive efficiency factorand/or a superior ability to work quickly
which reinforces theprocrastinating behavior. Alternatively, he suggests that
thisdifference in the amount of time utilized by the procrastinator may alsobe due to the
fact that procrastinators have more practice workingquickly, since they routinely wait
12
until the last minute to complete aproject. In the latter case, speed of task completion
would be theresult of procrastination rather than a contributing factor.

Whether procrastination is a state or trait phenomenon remainsunclear. The previously

discussed traits and characteristics havereceived more empirical attention than other
areas of procrastinationresearch. All are potentially useful contributions to the existing
bodyof knowledge. However, while trait studies have provided anunderstanding of the
nature of procrastination, they have contributedonly a small amount of information to the
process of its [Link] of these traits and individual differences into
acomprehensive model could potentially increase their value ascontributors to the study
of procrastination.

Structural Theory of Procrastination

Procrastination is a complex phenomenon involving interactionsbetween task variables
and personality characteristics. Silver (1974)has proposed a model which appears to be
capable of integrating thecomplex interaction between these task variables and
personalitycharacteristics. Procrastination is a form of behavior that occurs under
moderate stress and involves activities of sequencing which results in perservation and
delay of task. initiation. Under conditions of moderate stress, the procrastinator through
ineffective or improper sequencing finds him/herself in a situation in which a cycle of
perseveration begins and the initiation of the tasks crucial to goal completion are
delayed. Silver points out that procrastination is most evident in deadline situations and
takes two forms: delay of initiation of a necessary task and perservation. Silver (1974)
defines perservation as inertiallycontinuing one segment of a task instead of switching
to another, thereby disrupting successful task completion. Sequencing is a process
involving a complex interaction between task characteristics, personality variables,
cognitive structuring, and choice points. It involves switching from one stage of a task to
another and from the task at hand to other on-going activities and back again.
Sequencing is different from prioritizing in that tasks are not necessarily done in order of
importance and while it involves decision-making processes, the decisions that are
made are not inherently rational. Stress, sequencing, and preservation interact within
the context of the procrastination field. This field is both temporal and spatial; the
13
individual forgoes activities that take him /her physically away from the place where he
must perform his task. Neither will he/she engage in alternate projects that would
require too great a commitment of time ... On the other hand, activities that do not
require large commitments of time should be engaged in even more frequently during
procrastination (Silver,1974 p.52). In other words, the procrastinator maintains
him/herself in a state of readiness in which he/she could engage in the task at any
moment and forgoes activities requiring him/her to leave the procrastination field.
Furthermore, while the procrastinator will usually avoid alternatives which require large
blocks of time, he/she will perseverate in activities that require only small amounts of
time. The procrastinator will not go to the movies with friends because it will take too
much time and removes him/her from the procrastination field, but that same person will
watch television in ten minute intervals until an hour has passed. Unlike cognitive
theories (Ellis &Knaus, 1977; Rorer, 1983) which argue that procrastination is the result
of irrational beliefs, Silver argues that procrastination is the "arational" perseverance of
a task so that initiation of tasks that are essential to goal completion are not performed.

In conclusion, although several theories of procrastination exist, no one theory appears

to comprehensively describe the phenomenon of procrastination. While child-rearing
could be an important element because of its impact on personality development, this
notion fails to completely account for the development of procrastination when similar
childrearing practices are used on different individuals or vice versa. Additionally,
empirical evidence for psychodynamic models is lacking. Cognitive theories involving
notions of fear of failure have received partialempirical support, however the
components of low frustration toleranceand passive aggressive orientation toward life
have yet to be demonstrated even though they appear to make descriptive sense. Trait
theories suggest some possibilities but a combination of traits which accurately
describes procrastinating individuals remains elusive. Unlike other theories of
procrastination, Silver's structural model of procrastination not only describes the
possible process involved in the development of procrastination, but appears to offer a
way of integrating previously existing theories into a more comprehensive view of
procrastination. Silver offers testable hypotheses (which will be elaborated on later in
this paper) and postulates the effects of environmental factors (i.e., stress). While
14
further empirical support is needed for all of the cited theories of procrastination, Silver's
model appears to be capable of describing the development of procrastination without
negating elements of existing theories.

Besides no one saw procrastination from the angle of being beyond the control of the
victim

CHAPTER THREE

WHY DO WE PROCRASTINATE AND WHAT ARE THE WAYS OUT?

15
People often assume that procrastination is simply a matter of willpower, but in reality,
the situation is far more complex than that.

When faced with a decision to make or a task to complete, we usually rely on our self-
control in order to push ourselves to get things done. Furthermore, our motivation,
which is based on the expectation of receiving some reward for our efforts, can support
our self-control, and make it more likely that we will get things done in a timely manner.

However, there are also various demotivating factors that we can experience, which
have an opposite effect than our motivation, meaning that they make us more likely to
procrastinate. For example, anxiety, fear of failure, and other negative emotions can
cause us to delay unnecessarily, as can been given a task which is unpleasant.

Furthermore, there are some hindering factors that interfere with our self-control and
motivation, in a way that also makes us more susceptible to procrastination. For
example, exhaustion, which occurs as a result of having to work hard all day, can make
it more difficult for us to exert self-control if it‘s already late at night. Similarly, a large
gap between the time when we complete a task and the time at which we will receive
the reward for completing it can cause us to discount the value of this reward, which
means that its motivational value will be greatly reduced.

As long as our self-control and motivation outweigh the effects of demotivating factors,
despite the hindering factors that interfere with them, we manage to get our work done
in a timely manner. However, when all the negative factors outweigh our self-control
and motivation, we end up procrastinating, by putting off our work either indefinitely, or
until some future point in time when the balance shifts in our favor.

Overall, we procrastinate because our self-control and motivation, which might be

hindered by factors such as exhaustion and rewards that are far in the future, are
outweighed by demotivating factors, such as anxiety and fear of failure.

This causes us to fail to self-regulate our behavior, which means that we postpone
things unnecessarily, even when we know we should be doing them, which is why

16
procrastination often leads to a gap between how we intend to act and how we act in
reality.

Note: there are some exceptions to this, in cases where procrastination is driven by
some other factor, such as rebellion or the desire to add excitement to otherwise boring
work or by factors that cannot be physically comprehended. However, for the most part,
the mechanism outlined above is the main one which explains why people
procrastinate. Below are some of the reasons why people procrastinate;

The first six reasons are about Christians procrastinating and how it affects their
relationship with God for spiritual growth and the rest concerns the traditional and
general procrastinating in everyday living, they can also be reasons for other non-
spiritual procrastination.

 Anxiety
Anxiety is another big reason why we procrastinate our devotion times. Avoidance is a
well-known form of coping with anxiety. When you are anxious about something, the
temptation to procrastinate is usually very high. This must be the reason God
commands us not to be anxious whenever we approach him in prayer. Philippians 4:6-
7

6
Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

People sometimes procrastinate because they feel anxious about a task that they need
to handle. This issue can be especially problematic in cases where a person‘s anxiety
increases as a result of their procrastination, which can lead to a feedback loop where
someone feels anxious about a certain task, which causes them to procrastinate instead
of doing it, which makes them even more anxious, which in turn causes them to
procrastinate even further.

17
  The Absence of Structure
This is arguably the biggest reason why we keep procrastinating. Whenever there is a
collapse of the delay between impulse and decision, the impulse is inevitably favored.
(e.g., checking Facebook instead of doing work); our easy online access makes urges
easily to gratify. One solution to this is to design your environment in a way that makes
your desired goal more likely to happen. For example, if you tend to check your email or
Facebook too often, schedule your internet to only work during set hours.)

There is a little known Bible Character by the name Jotham but the Bible has something
really interesting to say about him:

2 Chronicles 27:6
6
So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his
God.

 Sin
Sin is another big one. Every Christian feels convicted whenever they sin. The purpose
of this conviction is to take us back to God. However, the enemy often capitalizes on
this conviction to condemn us and this leads to feelings of unworthiness and this could
easily make one to feel too bad about themselves to the point that they opt not to
continue with their spiritual tasks. The Bible has a lot to say concerning sin but we
should always remember that God deals with sin differently in the New Testament than
he did in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, every sin had to be atoned for by a
sacrifice as stipulated in one of the over 600 ordinances that were given by God through
Moses. There were all manner of sacrifices and punishments for all manner of sins.
Then Christ came and the story changed.

Romans 5:12,17
12
Wherefore, as by one-man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death
17
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: For if by one man's offence death

18
reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

 Timing
We live in a fast paced world. The average Christian has to juggle between more than
one job, family, ministry and social life. It is almost like we spend all the time we have
moving helterskelter from one pressing responsibility to the next. And this lack of free
time is the reason many Christians end up postponing their personal time with God.
Many years ago, Martin Luther was faced by a similar predicament. He was just too
busy with his numerous responsibilities. But, he had a somewhat unorthodox view of his
devotion time. He is quoted to have said,

―I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer,‖

 Overwhelm
Remember when you gave your life to Christ and were all excited to start reading your
Bible? If you were not lucky to get a new believers pamphlet or book that gave you
some practical steps on how to get started, you most likely felt completely lost. But this
feeling is not just a feeling for new believers alone. In fact, everyone has at some point
been at a point where they feel so overwhelmed that they do not know where to start.

The Bible is a library of 66 books. In total, these 66 books have 1189 chapters. That
means that even if you read 4 chapters daily, it would take you an entire year to read
through the Bible. And then there is the issue of the length of chapters. While some
chapters have less than 10 verses, others like Psalms 119 have a whopping 176
verses. The Bible is clearly no ordinary book and you can easily get confused on how to
go about it

But this overwhelming feeling is not always about reading of the Bible. Sometimes, it is
about prayer. It could be as a result of so many needs that you get completely lost on
how to begin. Other times, you might not just know how best to approach God in prayer

19
and that can easily lead you to procrastinate. There are many examples of people in the
Bible who had to deal with this challenge but David is an epic example. He not only
went through this but he knew exactly what to do in such situations.

Psalms 42:5
5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in
God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

People sometimes procrastinate because they feel overwhelmed with regard to the
tasks that they need to handle. A feeling of overwhelm can occur due to a variety of
reasons, such as having a single task that feels huge in terms of scope, or having a
large number of small tasks that add up. When this happens, a person might simply
decide to avoid the tasks in question, or they might attempt to handle them, but then
end up feeling paralyzed before those tasks are completed.

For example, if you need to clean up your entire house, the fact that the task will take so
long and involve so many parts might cause you to feel overwhelmed, in which case
you might avoid getting started on it in the first place.

 Lead by Emotions
If you are married, you probably have figured out that even though feelings are very
important, you can never rely on them alone to have a healthy relationship. If you woke
and you didn‘t feel married, it doesn‘t mean you are not. In the same way, you cannot
afford to allow feelings to control your actions especially when it‘s got to do with spiritual
matters. There are many times when you do not feel like praying but if you push
yourself to the place of prayer anyway, you will end up enjoying it so much. And this is
the approach that Apostle Paul took:

1 Corinthians 9:27
27
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I
have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

20
Paul knew first-hand how stubborn the body can be. At some point, he was having a
serious challenge as he outlines in the book of Romans.

Romans 7:5-20
5
For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in
our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that
being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in
the oldness of the letter. 7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had
not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said,
thoushalt not covet. 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all
manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9 For I was alive without
10
the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the
11
commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking
occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12 Wherefore the law is
13
holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good
made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me
by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I
do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that
which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that
do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth
no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find
not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now
if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

That was the case when he was writing to the Romans but by the time he is writing to
the Church at Corinth, his language had changed completely. This time round, he had
learnt the secret – he would not allow his body to tell him what to do but he would tell
his body what to do. You can take that approach too! Ignore the feelings of the flesh and
direct the flesh in the direction that you need it to go.

21
  Resentment
Sometimes procrastination is a tool of passive aggression. For instance, maybe you
have been assigned a task you think is beneath you. So, you drag your feet. After all,
you shouldn‘t have to do this.

 Fear of Failure
Many procrastinators grew up under the pressure of high expectations, They are so
anxious about not meeting these expectations, they avoid doing their work out of fear it
will not be good enough. Procrastination ―rewards [them] with a temporary relief from
stress.‖ Their personal identity is based almost entirely on their accomplishments. When
they do not succeed, they feel as if their evaluator is rejecting them, rather than just
their work. Fear of not meeting expectations, and experiencing this rejection, paralyzes
them at the starting line.

 Fear of Success
Success means change and additional responsibility. Both are intimidating. Sometimes
it also means jealousy. Rather than admiring the results of hard work and talent, people
get tired of being shown up every time they step in the ring with you. They start to
resent you. For example, a young woman who excelled academically and athletically all
through school, but began doing less than her best because her friends got nasty after
coming in second so often.

 Laziness and Willingness to be distracted

Yes, research indicates many people have legitimate psychological reasons for resisting
beginning a task. But sometimes it‘s just plain, old-fashioned sloth. Or it may be a
combination of both. Seeing what is new on Facebook is unquestionably more
entertaining than catching up on paperwork. But it eventually accumulates as a lot of
wasted time.

22
  Fear of evaluation or negative feedback
People sometimes procrastinate because they are afraid of being evaluated or because
they are afraid of receiving negative feedback from others.

 Abstract Goals
People are more likely to procrastinate when their goals are vague or abstract,
compared to when their goals are concrete and clearly defined.

For example, goals such as ―get fit‖ or ―start exercising‖ are relatively vague, and are
therefore likely to lead to procrastination. Conversely, a goal such as ―go to the gym on
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday right after work, and spend at least 30 minutes on the
treadmill, running at high speed‖ is concrete, and is therefore much more likely to lead
you to take action.

This means that if a person finds it unlikely that they will attain a certain goal, this can
cause them to view that goal as abstract, which in turn can increase the likelihood that
they will procrastinate on it.

 A Focus On Future Options

People sometimes avoid taking action in the present because they intend or hope to
pursue a more attractive course of action in the future. This mindset can lead to long-
term procrastination, and persist even in cases where the person who is procrastinating
never ends up following through on their intended plan.

 Optimism About the Future

People sometimes procrastinate on tasks because they are optimistic about their ability
to complete those tasks in the future. This optimism can pertain to two main things, and
namely to the amount of time which will be available for the completion of the task, or to
the person‘s inherent ability to complete the task.

23
  Indecisiveness
People sometimes procrastinate because they are unable to make decisions in a timely
manner. This can be an issue in various ways, such as when a person can‘t decide
which course of action to engage in, or when a person needs to make a certain decision
before they can move ahead with their general plan of action.

There are various factors that generally make it more likely that someone will get stuck
over-thinking the situation while trying to make a decision, a phenomenon which is
sometimes referred to as analysis paralysis or choice paralysis. The main factors to
consider, from a practical perspective, are the following:

• The more options you have, the harder it will be for you to choose. Essentially,
the more options you have to choose from, the harder it will be for you to evaluate them
and decide which one is preferable.

• The more similar your options are to one another, the harder it will be for you to
choose. Essentially, the more similar the available options are, and the closer they are
in value, the harder it will be for you to decide which one is better, especially in cases
where there isn‘t a single option that is clearly preferable to the others.

• The more important the choice is, the harder it will be for you to choose.
Essentially, the greater the consequences of making a decision, the harder it will be for
you to finalize your decision, so that you are generally more likely to delay before
making a major decision than you are before making a minor one.

In addition, it‘s important to keep in mind that each time you have to make a decision,
you end up depleting your mental resources to some degree, especially if you are prone
to indecisiveness. Accordingly, the more decisions you have to make during a certain
time period, the more you deplete your capacity for self-control, and the more likely you
are to procrastinate in making future decisions, at least until you have a chance to
recharge yourself mentally.

24
Finally, note that this form of procrastination is generally referred to as decisional
procrastination, since it involves a delay in making a decision. It is therefore contrasted
with behavioral procrastination, which involves a delay in performing a task once you‘ve
decided on your preferred course of action.

 Low Self Efficacy

Self-efficacy reflects a person‘s belief in their ability to successfully achieve their goals,
and in some cases, having a low degree of self-efficacy can cause a person to
procrastinate.

For example, if someone is given a task that they don‘t think they can handle, they
might delay getting started on it, because they feel that they will most likely fail to
complete it anyway.

Note that people can have different levels of self-efficacy with regard to different
domains in their life. For instance, a person might have high levels of academic self-
efficacy, but low levels of social self-efficacy, which means that they believe in their
abilities when it comes to tasks that are academic in nature, but not when it comes to
tasks that are social in nature.

Furthermore, self-efficacy can relate to specific tasks or abilities. The most notable
among these, in this context, is self-efficacy with regard to your ability to self-regulate
your behavior, in order to get yourself to complete tasks in a timely manner. This is
because the belief that you will be unable to avoid procrastinating could become a self-
fulfilling prophecy, which encourages you to procrastinate in situations where you might
have otherwise been able to get your work done on time.

 A Perceived Lack of Control

People sometimes procrastinate because they feel incapable of controlling the
outcomes of events in their life.

For example, a person might delay getting started on an assignment at work, if they feel
that their boss will criticize it regardless of how much effort they put into it.

25
Though this perceived lack of control can play a role in specific, isolated cases, some
people are more predisposed to feeling a general lack of control than others. This issue
is operationalized through the concept of locus of control, which is the degree to which
people believe that they have control over events in their life. The locus of control is
described on a spectrum of internality and externality:

• Individuals who are internally oriented believe that they have a high degree of
control over their life.

• Individuals who are externally oriented believe that they have a low degree of
control over their life, and think that external factors, such as other people or their
environment, influence them more strongly.

Individuals who are internally oriented tend to get started and complete tasks on time,
while individuals who are externally oriented tend to procrastinate more, perform worse
on tasks, and experience more anxiety.

 Depression
Some people procrastinate because they suffer from underlying depression. This is
because depression can lead to issues such as fatigue, difficulty in concentrating, and a
reduced interest in activities, which in turn can cause people to procrastinate.

 Impulsivity
Impulsivity is the tendency to act on a whim, without planning ahead or considering the
consequences of your actions. Impulsivity is strongly associated with the tendency to
procrastinate, since the decision to procrastinate is often an impulsive one, such as
when people ignore the long-term consequences of their actions, or when they fail to
plan their work ahead of time.

Dangers of Procrastination
First things first, let us take a look at the scripture below;

26
James 4:17
17
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

This is a bold statement don‘t you think? It applies to so many areas of our daily and
everyday lives from our daily devotional to making peace with someone that has
offended us, up to planning and preparing ourselves for spiritual work in prayer and
fasting, etc. whenever we skip to do what we ought to do, by James definition we have
sinned.

We knew the good things we ought to do but yet we didn‘t do it, so, in fact,
procrastination is sin.

Apostle Paul also talked about procrastination in our Christian lives;

2 Corinthians 8:10-12 10And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have
begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. 11 Now therefore perform the
doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that
which ye have. 12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath,
and not according to that he hath not.

In context Paul is talking about them taking up a collection for their brethren that needed
it. You see they had promised to do a year ago but they still hadn‘t done it and Paul is
encouraging them to complete what they started. The key to doing this is found in verse
12 which first there must be a willing mind. If this church had a willing mind to do what
they said they would do then it would have already been done.

Apart from the fact that procrastination is sin, let‘s take a look at other dangers of
procrastination.

1. It makes you look lazy

And dwelling on how ill-used you feel fills you with bitterness. Bitterness is like
drinking poison and waiting for your enemy to die. Look at the example of Cain.
The reason God accepted Abel‘s sacrifice and not his was because Jacob‘s
sacrifice was proper. But, rather than acknowledge his responsibility, Cain
nurtured his resentment until it became strong enough to cause him to kill his

27
 brother. It destroyed them both. Besides we also know what the scriptures says
about being lazy; and slothful

Proverbs 6:4,2,6-8 20:4 10:42 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art
taken with the words of thy mouth. 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine
eyelids. 6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 4 The sluggard will
not plow by reason of the cold; therefore, shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

2. When you procrastinate, you rush to get everything done at the last minute, and
you end up fulfilling your dread of turning in subpar work. And you have spent all
your time up until then dreading the task before you.

3. You waste your God-given talents. You do not go as far as you could because
you hold yourself back. You settle for fair-weather friends.

4. Finishing a task takes longer because you allow yourself to be pulled away by
more enjoyable distractions. Your boss might eventually notice how much time
you spend socializing in the break room and penalize you.
5. If we continue putting things off it can mean we lack discipline, are poor time
3
managers and sometimes are disobedient to [Link] 18:3 And Joshua
said unto the children of Israel, how long are ye slack to go to possess the land,
which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you? Joshua asked the Israelites
why they were putting off possessing the land. People delay things sometimes
because the task is boring, difficult, seems large or is disagreeable. When we
feel this way we need to seek encouragement from others, concentrate fully on
the task at hand, get others to help you in a team, and always remember that you
are accountable for the end result. Also procrastination can just lead you to
taking twice as long to achieve the task!! When you find you are starting to
procrastinate remember these points.

28
 6. Tomorrow may never [Link] 4:13 13Go to now, ye that say, to day or
tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell,
and get gain:

41
7. We can fall into temptation. Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter
not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

8. It could make the difference between us making to heaven or spending eternity in

hell. Matthew 24:46-51 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh
shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all
his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his
coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with
the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not
for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and
appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth.
Procrastination as have been seen here is very unhealthy both to our salvation
as Christians and even in our everyday lives. The dangers associated with
procrastination are too numerous and far reaching therefore we should be very
mindful our actions and inactions as it concerns putting off what we ought to do.

Ways out of procrastination

2 Peter 1:10-11
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Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure:
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for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered
unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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Paul stressed the need to obey the gospel callwhich is the first solution
toprocrastinating.

2 Corinthians 6:2 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day
of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the
day of salvation.)

If you are a believer in God, then we cannot afford to procrastinate on preparing

ourselves for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must not put to tomorrow what can
be done today. `it may be the thing which will help make you that acceptable sacrifice
unto the Lord Jesus Christ.

You should also have in mind that tomorrow may never come.

James 4:13-14
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Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue
there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on
the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, thatappeareth for a little time, and
then vanisheth away.

Some of these actions could be taken to come out of procrastinating.

Stop seeing yourself as a victim

Instead of letting oppression overwhelm you, focus on what you can control. For
instance– doing your job well. Don‘t do it for your boss. Do it for [Link] 3:23
“23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;‖ Pride in a
job well done is a powerful shield against resentment.

Take advantage of your time.

Recognize that taking advantage of your entire time allotment means you will be able to
do a more thorough job than if you pushed things to the last minute. You can gather
more information, take time to avoid/look for mistakes, and ask peers to review your
work before submitting it.
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 Don’t be a coward
Cowardice is not being afraid. Cowardice is letting fear be your excuse not to do
something. List the reasons you are afraid of a new opportunity. Assess how realistic
these fears are. Make another list of all the benefits this new opportunity will offer you.
Do not settle for friends who will not support or encourage you. There is nothing wrong
with occasional competition, but rivalry will snuff affection.

―The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather,
the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry,
‗Abba, Father.‘‖ (Rom. 8:15 NIV) This verse is one of the most liberating and hopeful in
all of Scripture. Our God does not want us to live lives of fear, but lives knowing we are
the beloved children of the Almighty. He did not send his son to establish a relationship
of bondage, but one of affection and [Link] you find yourself fearful of being
judged by your work, or afraid of what success might bring, take your concerns to the
Lord. As this verse reminds us, Christ enables us to petition God .1 Peter 5:7 7 Casting
all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Better time management

Establish a time span for uninterrupted productivity. Tell yourself, ―I‘m going to sit here
for 30 minutes and work.‖ If you don‘t need the Internet to get the task done, turn off the
AirPort on your computer that connects to the Wi-Fi, or turn off your data access inn
your phone so you can‘t waste time online. Consider rewarding yourself afterward by
taking a few minutes to stretch your legs. Do not turn it into an opportunity to waste time
chatting up your coworkers.

Wisdom from above

Ephesians 5:15-17

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15
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time,
because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the
will of the Lord is.

Paul reminds us we ought to make the best use of the time and talent that God has
given us. The Lord gives us resources for a reason. Do not squander them.
They can help you adapt new ways of establishing your self-worth. Alternately, a
professional Christian counselor can help those fearful of the uncertainties associated
with success assess and overcome those worries. Procrastination is not just a waste of
time. It also drains the energy and emotion you spend avoiding and worrying about work
left undone. Find a professional and matured Christian counselor who can help you
establish the healthy balance of work and rest God has in mind.

CHAPTER FOUR

SUMMARY

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 We rely primarily on our self-control in order to get things done in a timely
manner, though our motivation to be rewarded for our efforts can often provide
our self-control with a helpful boost.
 There are various demotivating factors that have an opposite effect than our
motivation, meaning that they make us more likely to procrastinate; this includes,
for example, anxiety, fear of failure, perfectionism, and task aversion.
 Furthermore, there are also hindering factors that interfere directly with our self-
control and motivation, meaning that they too make us more likely to
procrastinate; this includes, for example, goals that are abstract, goals that are
distant in time, and a disconnect between our present and future selves.
 When demotivating and hindering factors outweigh our self-control and
motivation, we end up procrastinating either indefinitely, or until some point in the
future when the balance between them shifts in our favor.
 In some cases, we might also be driven to procrastination by other factors, such
as self-sabotage, sensation-seeking, or rebelliousness.
 We also cannot run away from the fact that procrastination could also be beyond
a victim‘s ability. We, therefore should watch and pray so as to be victorious over
any other underlying factor.

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

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Get alone with the Lord and talk to both ourselves and Him. Reason together. Do heart
examination. Identify the causes of procrastination. There are more than one. And then
lay them open in prayer to the Lord for help to overcome this damaging sin. As He does
in all areas of spiritual warfare, He will help us here, too.

By changing our attitude towards our work and doing it energetically unto God, we will
find that tasks that once seemed boring and tiring take on a new meaning. By changing
our attitude, we can learn to tackle them with enthusiasm for the sheer joy of seeing
them get accomplished.

Let us change our mood and stop putting off the things we ought to be doing. Let us
―seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness‖ and all other things in life will fit in
their proper place.

REFERENCES
Benjamin Deu, M. L. (2013, may 09). christian counselling about causes of
procrastionation. Retrieved from Bellevue Christian counselling:
[Link]
causes-of-procrastination

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Dyer, J. (2018, march 01). Jon Dyer. Retrieved from Jon Dyer web site:
[Link]

KJV. (n.d.). The Holy Bible. The Bible Society of Nigeria.

Sole, P. J. (2019, february 21). quindnessett Baptist Church. Retrieved from qd website:
[Link]
procrastination

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