By: Farooq Panhwar
Human beings are the crown creatures in the universe. They enjoy a unique and superior status above all the other species. Their superiority is linked with their sense of intellect and reason. Without any doubt, they have conquered the impossibilities of the past and have proved their mettle in every walk of life. Unsurprisingly, their existence is governed by a certain set of habits, and every individual is different in this regard. However, of all the habits of man, the worst of all is procrastination as it kills time in no time. It is a fatal poison that makes people lazy and unproductive. Procrastination means delaying actions. Sadly, delaying actions ensure dilemma and lead to devastation. More often, they become a curse in pragmatic life. For instance, if a student fails to get timely admission to university, he/she regrets it throughout life. Thus, refraining from procrastination is no less than a boon.
Time is a precious gem. It waits for none. The time once passed can never be reversed. As it is rightly said: time and tide wait for none. At the present age, humans have successfully made the impossible of the past possible. Surprisingly, they have conquered space yet time is out of their approach. They have no command over time. Time is not in their control. Unfortunately, procrastination wastes every being. Those who procrastinate can never experience the true essence of life. They suffer awfully and lead a miserable life. History witnessed that only those nations have grabbed the stars of success who value time. The protagonists of life know the art of time management. They do not delay their scheduled decisions and accomplish their tasks on time. Leo Tolstoy, a renowned literary figure, has rightly said, “Do not put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” This reflects the richness of time and the importance of timely decisions. We as humans must exercise the art of time management in a modus operandi manner.
Moreover, procrastination is a curse. It makes us psychologically ill and brings clouds of misery. As a result, man swings between “to be or not to be.” Experiences show that individuals suffering from incompetence and psychological escapism make theft of time. For instance, Shakespeare’s longest tragedy, Hamlet, depicts the downfall of the hero because he was in the lap of procrastination. The protagonist of the tragedy is overwhelmed by the rays of procrastination. Hence, he found himself in a dilemma. He constantly delayed in taking revenge on his father, hence suffers miserably.
Furthermore, time is an investment. Those who value time, time values them richly. The beauty of time lies in that it knows no social status. It is constant for all and sundry. The moving tick-tock of the wall clock waits for nobody. Time is of paramount importance. Its importance can never be denied. Allah SWT takes the vow of time in Surah Al-Asar, in which an important message regarding time is conveyed. Doing actions timely paves the way for prosperity in our lives.
In addition, the habit of doing things on time makes life meaningful. The proponents of time management are held in high esteem. In the contemporary world, the West has made sublime progress in every walk of life. It has a sound economy and strong administrative officials. All this is made possible because the West values time and ensures timely decisions. Likewise, the USA, in Afghanistan, launched an operation against the war on terror in response to 9/11. The USA is a superpower because it never delays actions and utilizes time wisely. The developed nations of the world curse procrastination as it engulfs the peace and prosperity of countries.
Procrastination is a giant obstacle on the way to progress. It imposes a myriad of hurdles in attaining the glory of success. Those who procrastinate bring shame to their name. Such as the education system of Pakistan in general and Sindh in particular is in the grip of procrastination. It frequently postpones scheduled exams. This ultimately deteriorates the rank of the education system. Pitifully, Pakistan owes procrastination. The dynamic delay in actions has worsened the already fragile economy of the country. “Justice delayed is justice denied.” This maxim goes aptly in every affair of Pakistan. If any country is to reach the sky of success, it must abandon procrastination. In a nutshell, procrastination is a deadly virus that has spread its tentacles to cease human efforts. It constantly hinders the efforts of man to destroy him. However, a man with his sheer dedication can destroy it and can easily reach the stars of victory.
The writer is a freelance columnist and I can be reached at [email protected]