Procrastination Signpost

Well, here we are, just about at what the original tax deadline was going to be. That came up quick, didn’t it? And I bet that if you have not filed your taxes yet, it came about even quicker for you. After all, that is what happens every time you procrastinate.

Let’s be honest, the things that we file under procrastination are not a slowing down, they are the things we completely are putting off doing. When you make no movement toward an endpoint, you are making zero progress even if you are suddenly allowed more time to get there. If you are worried about something that you only have a week to do, then get a reprieve and are given another month to do it, you are only going to feel the same pressure if you wait until there is again only a week left to finish before starting to work on it.

And trust us, we have seen enough wild April 15th correspondence to know that no one thrives when that becomes the case. We just expect that on May 17th this year. The extra month is not going to mean that everyone used the time wisely to avoid that final-moment rush.

Now think about how many things in your life you wished you had got started on sooner. My guess is that everyone can start populating that list rather quickly. In our work, we even hear some bit things get put on that wish list:

• I wish I had planned throughout the year and avoided this big tax bill.
• I wish I had saved more.
• I wish I had put money into retirement funds sooner.

Of course, this is a wild oversimplification. Even in the financial realm, there are actions that are best to wait on, such as making large purchases only after saving enough money to not have to finance them and throw pile interest on top of the purchase price. But even those ‘waiting’ moments are served well – and happen sooner – by not procrastinating the planning process that sets them in motion.

Over the last year, everyone’s sense of time has taken quite a hit to the point where we all had moments when simply recalling what day it was became difficult. Let’s not make it worse by continuing to put off what we can and should do but just do not want to do. Let this used-to-be tax deadline date be a signpost to do something you have been putting off. You will be thankful in the long run.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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