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One of the biggest mistakes human beings make is telling themselves "I'll take care of it later."
Sometimes this turns out to be an outright lie because we don't do it later (and we know deep down we won't). Not at all. Not ever.
Sometimes we eventually get around to it, but so much later—years or decades later—that we've all but lost the benefits of whatever it is we should have done sooner, or we collect other problems along the way.
I struggled with procrastination for many years. I always got my work done, and on time, but it was often in the pressure cooker of an impending deadline. Since I didn't suffer any really negative consequences to this type of procrastination, I didn't worry about it too much. (I guess I thought I'd try to overcome my tendency to procrastinate . . . you know . . . later.) However, as I've matured and learned to prioritize my tasks and manage my time better, I've been able to stop procrastinating and, instead, enjoy the less frenetic rhythm of starting a project earlier and working on it more calmly. I try to approach household chores and other tasks the same way.
Unfortunately, one area of my life that has reaped bad consequences as a result of thinking "I'll take care of it later" is my health. I have known for years that I need to eat cleaner, drink more water, and move more but I've always made excuses, mostly because I have a fairly high tolerance for pain and I've learned to live with the extra weight I've been carrying. Not anymore. A recent blood test revealed I've creeped into the danger zone of becoming diabetic. My doctor told me we can still reverse this with proper nutrition and exercise but, unless I lower my blood sugar level over the next three months, I could find myself in deeper trouble.
I've been foolish for a long time, but I refuse to be so stupid that I don't take this seriously now. I've started making major changes to my lifestyle and am optimistic of a good outcome, but how much easier would this have been if I'd started 15 years ago?
On the flip side, I made the most important decision of my life when I was just seven years old: the decision to trust in Jesus Christ for the salvation of my soul. I'm glad I didn't procrastinate on that one because I don't know what state my spiritual health would be in today otherwise, and whether that state would be reversible.
Perhaps you can't relate to my last paragraph or you think it doesn't apply to you. That's fine. I've never tried to force my beliefs on anyone. But if you've ever wondered about your soul and eternity and what all of "this" means, might it be time to give those questions a bit more thought?
If there's anything in your life that needs your attention, whether that's paying off a debt, getting healthy, or repairing a relationship, please don't put it off until later. It may seem like an insurmountable (or just plain unpleasant) challenge, but it will only become harder and more unpleasant to deal with as time goes by, not easier. Ignoring it won't make it go away and it definitely won't fix itself.
I've stuck this cheery "You Can Do It" message (one of the pages in Restore My Soul) on the task management binder that sits on my desk. Maybe you should print it out and stick it up on your fridge, inside your medicine cabinet, in your journal, or on your bulletin board. (And if you know someone else who could use this word of encouragement, you can send them one of my greeting cards featuring this design!)
Do it now 🙂 and have a wonderful Monday!
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