“Lättja” by Robert Thegerström, 1887. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

By Ven. Chönyi Taylor

“Procrastination is my sin.
It brings me naught but sorrow.
I know that I should stop it.
In fact, I will – tomorrow!”
– Gloria Pitzer

I have been diverting myself with countless other activities, both time-wasting and beneficial instead of writing this blog. I’m in the process of procrastination. However, this blog has a deadline and I am already past that. It was Douglas Adams, who said, “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they go by.” I am in eminent company. Procrastination is about putting off what is important. Going to the dentist, or studying for exams, or fixing the leaking tap can all be objects for procrastination. The real question is: what are we avoiding by procrastinating?

Procrastination is an interesting phenomenon. It is partly a function of motivation, or rather, lack of motivation, and partly a function of priorities, or poorly organized priorities. One famous Buddhist procrastinator was Ananda, a direct disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha. When the Buddha was dying, he said to Ananda that the Sangha could abolish the minor ordination vows. Of course, Ananda was going to check with Buddha which rules were minor and which major. However, he put off asking. No doubt, Ananda kept saying, “Not just now. I’ll ask later.” Buddha died. We still do not know which are major and which are minor vows because Ananda never checked. I can just imagine Ananda saying, “Well, I was going to ask, but ….” To be safe, we take them all. To this day, our monastic vows are based on what was relevant 2,500 years ago.

How many procrastinators does it take to screw in a light bulb?
One. But he has to wait until the light is better.

Procrastination comes from the Latin procrastinatus, where pro- ”forward” combines with crastinus, meaning “tomorrow.” In other words, we are in favor of tomorrow and not today. We will get it done tomorrow, which of course is never today. Are we just being lazy? Yes, according to Buddhist teachings. Western psychology has various theories about the causes of procrastination, none of which refer to laziness. Rather, the causes are seen to be disorganization, perfectionism, anxiety, or just plain irrational thinking. So where does laziness come in? Laziness implies we do not care, but when we procrastinate, we do care, perhaps too deeply and for the wrong things. Laziness, like addiction, argues that our short-term pleasure is preferable to facing up to reality. Laziness is about luxuriating in what our self-cherishing calls pleasure, and that is none other than one of the three root faults: attachment.

Really, we procrastinators are like addicts who know what we are doing (procrastinating) is causing problems, but do it (or, do not do “it,” i.e., what we ought to be doing), anyway. So it boils down to this: when the “pleasure” of procrastination is less than the pleasure of completing the task, then we get on with it. Or to put it another way: when the disadvantages of not completing the task are worse than the disadvantages of procrastination. I prefer the positive spin.

My dog does not let me procrastinate when it comes to feeding him or walking him. He has his own way of expressing his impatience. Sitting on my feet is one of his strategies, or pointedly looking at the door. If I still don’t respond, then he gives a little cough, which slowly develops into a louder and louder bark. He makes sure I will be motivated, if only by annoying me. He makes sure I prioritize his needs. The pleasure of sitting in my chair has become overwhelmed by the displeasure of my persistent dog.

There is plenty of advice on the web about how to overcome procrastination or laziness. My own experience is that a hit of reality, like my barking dog, is the best solution. As far as this blog is concerned, that hit of reality is the deadline which has already passed. Such hits of reality seriously erode the pleasure of procrastinating. My biggest hit of reality came recently. My body told me on no uncertain terms that I am not immortal, that one day I really will die. That day could be tomorrow or in 10 year’s time, but my body reminded me, rather forcefully, that it will not last forever. And I know that if I am going to die, then I prefer to die well.

It is not so much that with death I fear discarding my current body. My body leaves a lot to be desired anyway. It is more that I would like a nice rebirth in my next body. That means being reborn as a human with access to wisdom and compassion: what we call a precious human rebirth. Or a rebirth in a pure realm would do me nicely with not even a deteriorating human body to worry about. So how to get there? Well, by practicing the teachings now, which means through generating positive karma while I can. I do not think that procrastination will help.

“You must not procrastinate. Rather, you should make preparations so that even if you did die tonight, you would have no regrets. If you develop an appreciation for the uncertainty and imminence of death, your sense of the importance of using your time wisely will get stronger and stronger.”
– His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Thinking about death is like having the dog nagging you. You cannot get away from it easily without taking some action. It’s a most powerful motivator. 

Ven. Chönyi Taylor is a registered Foundational Buddhism FPMT teacher and an elder for the Discovering Buddhism at Home Course. She is the author of Enough! A Buddhist Approach to Working with Addictive Patterns (Snow Lion, 2010) and has been published in Mandala, Buddhadharma, Dharma Vision and Sangha Magazine. She is a founding member and member of the training committee of the Australian Association of Buddhist Counsellors and Psychotherapists and an Honorary Lecturer in the Discipline of Psychiatry at Sydney University.