“The craving of a sluggard [procrastinator] will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work"– Pr 21:25

As leaders many times when we face great uncertainties in making a decision, we tend to fall into a deadly procrastination. In the past I noticed there was a “too hard basket” in every of our manager’s office. These baskets got piled up and turned into disaster when non decisions caused failure down the production line.

By some accounts Leonardo da Vinci spent up to 15 years painting the puzzling portrait of Mona Lisa, and many wonder if death precluded what he would truly consider his finishing touch. He was so outrageous about his procrastinating ways that he lamented in one of his final journals: "Tell me if anything was ever done .... Was anything ever done ...."

The first biblical way to overcome procrastination is to acknowledge that procrastination kills all sense of motivation. More than any other member of the team, the leader must be comfortable with the prospect of making a decision that may ultimately turn out to be wrong. Some people don’t make wrong decisions because they never make any decision.

In building commitment from the team, the leader must be constantly pushing the group for closure around issues, as well as adherence to schedules that the team has set. What the leader cannot do is place too high a premium on certainty or consensus.

We grow in wisdom through the process of decision making in life. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (Jas 1:5)

Let’s pray.

Lord, we confess many times our procrastination has caused death to the operation of my team. Please help me to share the wisdom from your Words on how to overcome procrastination in the coming mornings. Amen.

Before we go, take a look at the questionnaire below:

1. Do you have a "too hard basket" in your mind? What issues are stored in it, and how long have you been procrastinating on them?

2. What specific consequences has procrastination caused in your work and personal life?

3. Leonardo da Vinci took fifteen years to complete the Mona Lisa. Considering this, how do you think we should find a balance between pursuing perfection and avoiding procrastination?