I am guilty of procrastination. Are you too?
I find that I let too many opportunities pass by me when I do not seize the moment. A very good example — buying cheap flights on the Internet.
I log into their website and look up the prices for my flight tickets. RM49.99? Mmm … maybe it will go lower if I check it up again one or two days later. But lo and behold … three days later, I find that the ticket will now cost me RM69.99.
That’s a lost opportunity for me. Put it down to procrastination.
My son lurves to procrastinate. If my wife and I tell him to do something, the reply is always “wait”. So we wait and we tell him again in 15 minutes. Wait again… It goes on and on, like a game to see who will eventually give up first. So far, the score is pretty much in our favour. You may know what it is like to play this game of patience. If you don’t, I’m sure you will learn by the time you have a teenager in the house.
Friends tell me many things. You should do this, you should do that. Yes, I will, I tell them. But I don’t. I tend to leave it at the back of my mind. Procrastinate, procrastinate, procrastinate. Opportunity lost again…
Does it happen to you too? I find that many of my friends tend to procrastinate too, until it is too late. Why is it so difficult to get things done at the first instance?
Three typical cases of procrastination that will spring to mind:
Buying insurance — you better make sure you have your insurance coverage and critical illness coverage too. We are not getting any younger! BTW, I’m not selling insurance. 
Investment — if you are investing, don’t wait until prices are reaching their zenith. You’ll be left silly holding the monkey when the market’s going down.
Estate planning — for goodness’ sake, get your Will written now while you are still rational. It’s no longer a superstition thing. Hey … pantang, lah! Pantang, your head, I tell them. I’ve seen professionals in the twenties planning their Wills. No joke!
Until next time…