Procrastination is the thief of time

I procrastinate because I don't like doing things and because my life is banal and boring

1. Volksrust Recorder - Column/Rubrieke10 Recorder 12 August 2016
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Your
Story
With Jacques de Villiers
Volksrust Seme
Business Chamber
Procrastination
is the thief of time
How much money
you save when you buy
household goods
in bulk in SA
By Staff WriterAugust 7, 2016
With a tough economy leading South
African households to pinch their pennies
at the till, consumers are looking at more
ways to save money on groceries and other
household products.
One way to cut costs is to shop smarter –
by purchasing some of the most-used
household items in bulk, and subsequently
cutting down on having to stock up on the
products every week or so.
Some smaller communities and social groups
have even turned to “bulk-buying clubs”,
where everyone pays in to get specific items
in bulk, saving money in the process.
There is some debate over whether or not
bulk buying is an effect cost-saving tool –
with analysts arguing that having an
abundance of a specific item may lead to
heavier consumption, or that shoppers
simply by items that they wouldn’t typically
use.
It has been suggested that it’s more cost-
effective to simply use less, or to switch to a
cheaper brand.
However, for those who are sticklers for
specific brands – and know which products
they use regularly – buying bulk could help
you save money in the long-run.
BusinessTech looked at the prices of bulk
costs (from Makro) versus individual costs
of some popular most-used products in
South Africa, and determined how much
shoppers would save.
For more information, please call
Willem Hussel-mann - 082 415 7725
Freddie Kapp - 017 735 4444
Ashraf Moola - 082 588 5515
Overall, buying the listed items on an
individual basis in the same quantity would
be 7.5% more expensive than buying the
items in bulk.
Of course, the value of bulk buying extends
only so far as consumers are able to pay the
up-front cost of buying in such large
quantities.
Notably, in hunting down the prices for the
comparison above, it must be noted that
several promotions were taking place on
individual items (prices presented are non-
promotional for comparative purposes).
This reinforces sentiments that, if saving
money is your ultimate goal, looking for
good deals can sometimes yield better
savings than simply buying in bulk.
But because promotions and deals are
temporary and not always consistent,
consumers may need to shop around to
benefit.
It is important for retailers to take note of
this trend and ensure that more promotions
are run on a more consistent basis for the
general consumer out there. On ideas how
to run promotions but still benefit from it,
contact your local Business Chamber.
My girlfriend thinks I’m a procrastinator. She
goes so far as to say that I’m like the designer
of the Japanese flag. You know the one, the
red circle on the white background.
She’s right you know. I am a procrastinator.
I’m like, “Never put off till tomorrow what
may be done the day after tomorrow just as
well.”
I actually wanted to write on the subject of
procrastination a couple of months ago. And,
here it is, three months later. Ironic really.
So, why do I procrastinate? I get that as
Edward Young said, that, “Procrastination
is the thief of time”, and that I only have 2-
billion seconds or so to play on this planet.
So, why don’t I do what should be done
today but rather put it off for tomorrow or
for never? I really don’t have that much time
to waste now do I?
I think that for me there are two very clear
reasons.
First, there are just some things that I really
don’t like doing, even though they need to
be done. A courageous conversation. Filling
in a tax form. Picking up dog poop. Sending
invoices (actually I don’t really mind doing
that since money won’t miraculously appear
in my bank account). Writing articles.
Keeping my social media content up-to-date.
There’s so many better things to do. Like
sorting out my sock drawer. Reading one of
the six books I’ve got on the go at the
moment. Watching a rerun of Friends for the
3rd time. Wiping my computer with
disinfectant. Sorting out my desk. Cleaning
out unwanted or unread emails from my
inbox. Obviously, I get that when one thinks
sorting out his sock drawer is more important
than say … sending an invoice … then one
has a problem. It’s classic avoidance.
Second, I clearly don’t like the mundane and
banality of everyday life. Getting up, eating,
going to work, eating, going home, eating,
sleeping, getting up … I think that I’ve
watched too many movies. In an hour and a
half one has half a dozen adventures, gets
the smoking hot femme fatale and saves the
world. Most days the only ‘adventure’ I have
is spilling my coffee in the saucer. So, what
do I do to combat this banality? Of course, I
leave everything for the last second. Each
crisis and drama that is caused by my
procrastination makes me come alive (and
stresses out every other living soul
involved). I can do things quickly and be
the hero of my own story.
I can knock up an article in 20 minutes and
just beat the deadline (this article took 32
minutes). I deliver the story with five
minutes to spare and both Enid and
Annemarie who put your newspaper
together every week breathe a sigh of relief.
Like they need more stress! I’m the hero and
saved the day. Problem is that I actually
caused the stress for everyone (including
myself) because I selfishly wanted to feel
alive. But it is addictive and I can’t help it.
Me versus the clock. It’s an adrenaline rush
and it does keep the boredom away.
Can I change? Can I stop procrastinating? I
think so. I just need to reframe the way I see
my life. You see, every moment that I get to
play is a blessing. I may depart this life any
second from now. So, every task, be it
mundane or magnificent is a gift that has
been given to me. Everything I do and every
lesson I learn is there to help make me a better
person. That invoice that gets sent pays for
my daughter’s education, her acting and her
music lessons. Filling in my tax form could
keep me out of jail. That conversation I’ve
been avoiding could make a real difference.
Writing articles feed my soul and every now
and then add to my bank account. Picking
up dog poop … mmm, I still can’t sell myself
on that one.
I suppose that what I’m getting to realize is
that I shouldn’t put off for tomorrow what I
can do today. I already have the most
extraordinary life and should savor every
moment that has been graced to me. I like to
believe that I’m a warrior. And, if I’m going
to be a true warrior, I should heed the words
of Don Juan, Carlos Castaneda’s spiritual
teacher: “A warrior doesn’t wish to be
anywhere but in this moment.” I get that
every moment and every task no matter how
banal, is an opportunity to hone my blade
so that I can be the best warrior I can be.
And, of course, there’s still a bit of ego left
in me and a need to leave a legacy. So, these
words by Donald Gardner have made me
take notice, “Do you know what happens
when you give a procrastinator a good idea?
Nothing!” I don’t want to be that guy. The
guy that did nothing with his potential. Do
you?
Footnote: I actually don’t mind being called
the designer of the Japanese flag. It may be
a simple design but the symbolism is quite
sublime: The white on Japan’s flag
represents honesty, purity of the Japanese
people and integrity. The red sun disk
represents the sun goddess Amaterasu who
was the founder of Japan. The red disk
symbolizes a bright future for the country.
Source: www.reference.com
For further information:
Jacques de Villiers 082 906 3693
www.jacquesdevilliers.com
"What I’m getting to realize is that I shouldn’t put off for tomorrow what I can do today".