Procrastination, Essay Example

Procrastinating has a reputation as a bad trait or characteristic. It is usually seen as a habit, and not a very good one. Delaying is what procrastination is all about; anything, from an important job or assignment to a recreational activity, is simply put off when it could be done earlier. In most minds, procrastination is the same as laziness.

To view procrastinating as a poor choice, however, is not entirely fair. In a sense, procrastinating is like the power of choice itself. It is made good or bad by the circumstances, and by whatever the results of it will be.

For example, procrastination can often be a valuable tool. To hold off on something that needs to be done because the timing just feels wrong, or because the person responsible for doing it does not feel ready, can be a safeguard. A job done with no delay may not necessarily be a job done well. Sometimes situations are in place that require a stepping away from whatever needs to be addressed, to get a fresh perspective and then attack the issue in a more effective manner. The same is true of holding off on activities not even related to work or school; enjoyment can be made better when the person involved feels that the timing is right, even if this means delaying the event.

Unfortunately, to set aside an unpleasant or difficult task is a very great temptation, and this is usually what people refer to when they speak of procrastinating. To avoid a job is to allow a sense of freedom, but it is a temporary relief  at best. The greatest argument to be made against procrastinating of this kind is to make sure the person holding off on the task understands that only by dealing with it can real relief be known.