Escape From Someday Isle

(2026-07)

I enjoy thrillers, either in books or movies.  I thought the title of this post would make for a good story.  I went to Google Maps to find out where it is, and it turns out there are a couple of Someday Isles in the world.  Where is Someday Isle?  Well, it’s not really a place.  It’s “someday I’ll” and is an indicative response of someone who is prone to procrastination.,

I’ve been thinking of writing about procrastination, but I kept putting it off.  I decided 2026 would be the year when I address my tendency to procrastinate.  Finally, here we are in October and look, I’m getting around to admitting and writing about my quest to eliminate procrastination. 

Writing that last sentence reminded me of something from very early in my career.  I remember a salesman giving me a round wooden coin that had the word “TUIT” printed on one side.  The person told me “Now you have a round tuit.  You can get on with what you’ve been postponing.”

I know, this is a corny way to start a post.  What can I say?

I remember procrastinating at an early age.  I would avoid doing my household chores and only relent to avoid punishment.  After leaving home to go to college, I found MANY other things to do that were more interesting than studying or schoolwork in general.  I told myself I studied better under pressure, cramming long and hard before any exam.  This approach impacted my grades and disproved my belief.

I went to college only five semesters before quitting to get married.  I got my first full-time job two days before my wedding.  I found my tendency to procrastinate followed me at work.  I got myself in hot water a couple of times and decided to improve my consistency.  I spent a lot of time studying time management, goal setting, and personal development to cure myself of procrastination.  On the outside, my success gave the appearance of a productive individual who wasn’t a procrastinator.  What I’ve come to grips with is that I’m a “functional procrastinator” who masks their problem.  I masked mine by procrastinating on little things and not so much on major projects.

This year, I’ve decided to take a deep dive on procrastination, and have adopted a big goal – to eliminate procrastination from my behavior.  I’ve done much studying and reading about this behavior and find out I’m not alone.

Did you know there’s a 12-step program for procrastinators?  Check out https://procrastinators-anonymous.org/ for more information.  Not only is Procrastinators Anonymous a legitimate recovery program, but the site is full of very interesting resources for the chronic procrastinator.  I found out that my tendency to cram in college and put off work on a big project or task because I thought I “worked better under stress” is one of the most common excuses for procrastination.  Who knew?

During my review of resources online and my recollection of my procrastination tendency, I’ve learned a few things:

• You can reduce and even eliminate your tendency to procrastination.  There is a wealth of resources on the Procrastinators Anonymous website for starters.  I found numerous other websites that also have resources to help.
• Taking the first step is essential.  As in all recovery programs, the first step is admitting you have a problem.  This doesn’t cure procrastination, but it will get you going down a path to mitigate, reduce, and eliminate procrastination.
• Accountability is helpful.  I believe just admitting an issue helps you increase your likelihood to deal well with the issue.  I’ve found accountability to be essential to dealing with many issues.

The past few months, I’ve been concentrating on my following through with tasks and commitments.  I find it rather pleasing to complete tasks.  Have I eliminated procrastination in my life?  No, but I have reduced it significantly.

How about you?  Have you struggled with procrastination?  Have you tried to eliminate it from your life?  If so, I’d love to hear how you approached it.