TRACE MACKAY PUTS the pro in procrastination. As a pre-teen, she entered a speaking competition and only started writing her speech the night before. In veterinary school, she pulled all-nighters to cram for exams. Now 48 years old and living outside of Sauble Beach, Ontario, she works part-time as a vet and part-time as a consultant. But she still procrastinates on everything from her taxes to work projects.
"I'll do just about anything to procrastinate. I'll play sudoku on my phone. I'll strike up a conversation with somebody," says MacKay. "Especially right now, working from home, I'll do some laundry, or go in the garden to water or weed, or take longer reading the paper in the morning than I should-all just to delay starting my workday."
MacKay has developed strategies to beat her procrastination. She sets early deadlines at work and asks her accountant to book her a personal cutoff a month before taxes are due. But because her procrastination has never gotten her into hot water, MacKay says she's never been forced to address it. So she keeps delaying.
Even if you're not a serial procrastinator, chances are there are many times you've put off a must-do task in favour of doing another, more fun one. In its more harmless forms, procrastinating can lead us to let our homes get messier than we'd like, or delay a much-needed vacation.
In its more pernicious forms, it can keep us from having important conversations with loved ones or delay addressing health issues. And it can take its toll on our self-confidence, health and happiness.
Luckily, there are easy and practical steps we can take to tame the procrastination beast and start living the lives we want to.
RECOGNIZE PROCRASTINATION
Esta historia es de la edición June 2023 de Reader's Digest India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 2023 de Reader's Digest India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Why Water Workouts Work
Swimming and other aquatic exercises have special benefits
Surf's Up... Again
A Hawaiian helps victims of a devastating fire in the most Hawaiian way possible
HUMOUR in UNIFORM
I got sloppy with my shaving one morning and nicked my skin.
NEXT STOP: WHO KNOWS?
We wanted to do a once-in-a-lifetime trek in northern Laos. Just getting there became the adventure
Leave the WILD Things Be
Wild animals have been made to serve a variety of human needs, including recreational ones. It’s up to everyday folk to decry the use of animals for entertainment
GOTCHA!
We asked for it: What’s the best prank you ever pulled?
Doing Dad's Bucket List
Laura Carney's father died suddenly, with unfinished business. So she started checking off the items for him
Buried beneath a Mountain
The amazing 17-day-long, multi-agency effort to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel
IS EVERYONE ON OZEMPIC?
Everything you need to know about the new diabetes drugs shaping the weight-loss revolution
DO MORE WITH YOUR TECH
You're undoubtedly missing out on cool features that can help make life easier, safer and even more fun