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Procrastination's Multiple Pains
By Vincent Kituku Published: 06/03/2009
How did a $75 project cost me an additional $500, cause my daughter to panic and keep the whole family cold for a night? All I needed to do, two summers earlier, to prevent a small problem from becoming an emergency, was to pick the phone, call an insect control specialist and pay $75. Procrastination can and does create multiple unexpected painful results.
A group of bees had built their nest inside my house's roof. Their presence was not a secret. In summer we watched them get in and out through a small entrance in winter. You could hear their deep vibration if you sat next to the wall near their nest.
Not that I didn't attempt to control them. My efforts, however, were limited to attacking a few bees as they approached the entrance to rest for the night. When she realized that the bees were not threatened by my efforts, my wife advised me, more than once, to call insect control company, but I didn't. I procrastinate.
Since I lived in a makeshift house inhabited by rats, ticks, and occasional snakes in my youth, I figured bees were a lesser pestilence. However, the bees' population kept growing. With time, some unlucky bees found their way into the living room where they met the wrath of my fly swatter.
Apparently, my daughter Lucille had a different method of controlling insects instead of a fly swatter. Her effort to eliminate just one bee would be the book I needed to learn about the high cost of procrastination. The errant bee, pacing against the inside of one of our living room's windows, became an easy target for Lucille. She used a shoe to smash the bee. Imagine the force applied that smashed the window glass.
The problem in need of immediate attention was no longer the bees but the open glassless window that required more than $500 to fix. The bees were controlled in 5 minutes, with the standard $75.
Why do we procrastinate? Do we expect things to get better without our efforts? Do you have dreams that you have procrastinated over the years? Are there things you have wanted to accomplish but find yourself unable to address because of irrelevant excuses? I wish the bees' problem were the only thing I had procrastinated.
We procrastinate whatever we don't prioritize. We procrastinate what we might deem a small issue. We sometimes procrastinate, waiting for the perfect time. What we postpone doesn't get better. Regrets, due to our procrastination, are more painful than the pains we would experience by addressing problems before they need emergency attention.
Never confuse procrastination with patience, a great virtue. It costs less to do things at the right time. When the right time comes, don't procrastinate. Act.
Dr. Vincent Muli Kituku, CSP works with organizations and individuals who want to increase their productivity, stay focused and make success a habit. Dr. Kituku has been described as a research-based motivational speaker/trainer whose storytelling skills have won awards for both spoken and written words. He is one of the less than 7% speakers to earn the coveted Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) recognition, the highest designation presented by the National Speakers Association.
Wherever he speaks, people from all backgrounds agree that words cannot describe Vincent but that he must be experienced. His ability to captivate audiences with content, interaction and entertainment has made him not only a sought after speaker but an annual presenter for key organizations.
The impact of Dr. Kituku's memorable speeches and workshops has propelled him into a league of his own. He has given presentations for HP, CISCO, MICRON, AIRFORCE, GENWORTH FINANCIAL. He has been the motivational speaker for the successful Boise State University Football Team since 1998-the alumni of BSU selected him the 2003 Homecoming Grand Marshal.
A scientific researcher and experienced corporate America student, Dr. Kituku, a native of Kenya, Africa, draws on his rich cultural heritage and his in-depth experience in corporate America to help others apply the strategies of personal and professional success to their lives. Vincent offers individuals and organizations the necessary spears to change and stay motivated. Since establishing Kituku & Associates in 1995, Dr. Kituku has done research on the challenges and expectations of every group he has worked with, whether the project was a 60-minutes keynote or a two-day leadership development camp. He then uses the data/information to develop and present a customized presentation audiences can relate to and apply in whatever they do to make success a continuous experience.
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