When Procrastination rules, you don’t need any enemies. In one fell swoop, He has conquered all other ills waiting to make you their own. The utter simplicity of this condition is that He is there solely on YOUR invitation. No amount of rationalizing and blaming your personality/nature/character (fond, fond words, these, used at whim in such situations) or your gene pool is going to help. In fact, look deep enough, and you will find that your gene pool is the weakest excuse!

For, how many of us can boast of parents/uncles/aunts/grandparents who did NOT procrastinate? I told you.

In this century (or even the bygone era of the twentieth century) there is a cure, or at least ongoing, promising research for conditions that threaten the very fabric of life. Understand well, the P. condition is one such, however prettily it may clothe itself.

One of the truly revealing attributes of a person affected by this condition is the sheer sincerity with which he/she makes resolutions. It is taken up with all the gusto and enthusiasm that the Knights of Camelot would have felt, embarking on crusade. Trust me, this endeavour must not be considered any less in gravity, than the slaying of dragons – these, here, being the dragons of sloth – and bringing home the Holy Grail of honest, hard work.

The day of the crusade dawns bright, usually on the eve of some big event – the most popular being New Year’s Eve, followed closely by end of quarter/term for those in corporates/schools, teachers, really, and the period of Study Leave for the learner groups.

There is a hush within, an aura of sanctity pervades the workspace, as, reverently, one chalks out, mentally first, then according to the window of opportunity, provided by the zeal of the near-convert, in writing. There. You now know what to do. Therefore, how can one NOT do it, when one has such a clearly defined plan? One can even write a rib-tickling essay (in one’s opinion, of course!) on it. You smile, genially, kindly, knowing yourself to have made it to base camp, in pursuit of your goal.

So, with stationary, paper, pen, laptop switched on, ledgers open, lists, books and the all important schedule plastered, benignly blessing you, you take up the tools of work and begin. What an amazing first day it was, you feel at the end of a successful beginning. You’re proud of yourself, your impeccable planning, your innate devotion to duty finding expression, your nerves of steel in remaining focussed in the face of many a temptation. Ah. And on, to the next day.

At the end of the second successful day, you find yourself having exceeded all the hopes you had pinned, so you allow yourself time to sit, simply, for a few moments.

I do not have to tell you what happens next. As you can see, if you’re me, you begin to write about the reasons why you are, at this moment, feeling so overjoyed that you had to share with the world that YES, time management is easy-peasy, a lark. Singing, or at least attempting to, like one, you begin to write on it, get lost in it, put on some music to help you write, quite forgetting the stacks of papers waiting to be graded, the schedule fading to sepia, then blurring with a finesse that would have a cinematographer/film editor awe-struck, the way it then obliterates itself from the reel of your life.

At this point, you don’t have the time for a reality check, and when you get to that point, you will always be reassured by that timeless tool you have ready for such situations. Last-minute-panic-stations. Works better than Red Bull.

So much for the resolution. Till the next time!