12 May Say Goodbye to the Kings and Queens of Procrastination

-Janice Tang, Hong Kong

“Let’s wait a little. There’s so much time left in the afternoon. I will get it done in an hour anyways.” Distractions are all around us in every corner of our eyes. Facebook, Snapchat and all forms of social media are the new addiction without a cure. It’s unlikely to have a cure in the near future.

Everywhere we go, there seems to be a social buzz about the latest news regarding the new series of Game of Thrones, catching up with the NBA Playoffs, and some people criticizing how far Trump has gone in the election. Noises, after noises. It doesn’t seem to end. Such noises become excuses. Five minutes lingers into an hour. The next thing you know, time already flew by. The guilt of wasting time slowly accumulates until it bursts into flames of regret. Procrastination then becomes a habit of postponing tasks and prioritizing social media and other non-sense over what really matters.

Now imagine if you effectively use each hour of the day, the amount of tasks that can be completed on time. No doubt, it is easier said than done. The trick is to take short breaks for meditation as energizers to boost your level of focus and attention to concentrate on completing the tasks at hand. Short doses of meditation is simple. Mind takes control and reinforces silence and calmness into body. If mind wanders off, stay still, acknowledge the flow of information, and take deep breathes until these noises surrender to silence. It is a training tool for the mind to settle down and recognize the importance of each moment. Cultivation of awareness filters out the negative emotions related to work and bring in positive energy to stimulate motivation.

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Live as you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” So don’t let procrastination limit your potential.