This article was supposed to be done and dusted early. I told myself that I would get started with the research, give myself plenty of time to write and edit this piece. Yet here I am writing this article well after the deadline. Why? Procrastination.
Procrastination is a common temptation faced by students; from academic, personal, and Islamic perspectives. But how can we beat the terrible habit of procrastination and maximise barakah (blessing) in our time?
The importance of Time
“Your time is your life, and much like ice it is constantly melting away. Do not let your time go to waste.”
This was the advice of Imam Al-Ghazali on the issue of time management. He advised that time should not be without structure.
Understanding the importance of time in Islam is the first step in beating procrastination.
It was narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas (r), that the Prophet (s) ﷺ said, “There are two blessings which many people lose: health and free time for doing good.” [Hadith: Sahih Al-Bukhari]
This hadith focuses on two resources: our health and time. Time is not renewable. Each breath is an irreplaceable, priceless jewel, once taken it is gone forever. Understanding this key principle is at the crux of defeating procrastination.
It’s up to You
Allah (swt) has created us with the ability to achieve success in this life.
Anas (r) reported that a person asked the Prophet (s) ﷺ, “Should I tie my camel and have Tawakkul (trust in Allah for her protection) or should I leave her untied and have Tawakkul?” The Messenger of Allāh replied, “Tie her and have Tawakkul.” [Hadith: Tirmidhi]
This hadith highlights the importance of our actions. Whilst we rely on Allah ultimately, we are also required to do the utmost to achieve our goals.
When dealing with procrastination, we must remember that believing that we are unable to achieve our goals contradicts the notion explored in this hadith.
Goals
Having a goal is key to overcoming procrastination. Goals motivate. Goals inspire us to move further. Without goals, there is no reason to commit to completing a task, to do it with excellence or to even complete it on time.
Developing a clear goal of what we want to achieve helps give direction to our time. Once a goal has been developed, it is imperative to map the journey to achieving it. Understanding the path to our goal makes it easier to make our goals a reality.
However, a goal alone is not sufficient. We must break down our greater vision into smaller steps that are able to be completed. For instance if we have a goal to complete our assessment task, we can break down this larger task into smaller digestible steps: understanding the task, planning, researching the relevant information, writing a first draft, editing and formatting.
By focussing on the smaller steps to achieving our goal, you can ensure that you are constantly tracking your success at each juncture of your journey.
This principle applies to increasing our acts of worship as well as increasing our productivity in the workplace or at university.
Deception of “Later”
We are often deceived into thinking that we have time. Later. Tomorrow. Next year. This misleading notion leads us to believe that we have time to change our habits or repent – that tomorrow is guaranteed. But it is not.
A perfect example emphasised by scholars of the deception of “later” is how we often think that we can start to memorise the Qur’an later. The deception that we will start memorising the Qur’an after school, or after uni or after such and such event.
In the case of such religious matters, procrastination can not only harm one’s Dunya (wordly life) but also their Akhirah (hereafter).
This same mentality about time also applies to other aspects of our lives. We leave assessment tasks, exam revision and meeting preparations to the last-minute, assuming that we have time.
However, Allah commands in the Qur’an, as Muslims we never leave anything for the future without saying InshaAllah.
“And do not say about anything that I will do it tomorrow without saying ‘if Allah wills.’” (Quran: 18:23-24)
This constant reminder that we don’t know what tomorrow holds emphasises that the time for action is now – not tomorrow.
Perfectionism
Perfectionism is often blamed for instigating procrastination. The desire to deliver a masterpiece whenever we set out to complete a task can ultimately result in procrastination.
Perfectionism can obstruct the completion of any important project or goal.
However, as human beings we must always remember that we, and therefore our work, will never be perfect. Rather than aiming for perfection, we should focus on putting in our best effort.
However, this doesn’t mean that we accept mediocrity. Though the task may not be perfect on our initial attempt, we have the ability to edit, rectify and improve.
Give yourself permission to do an imperfect job now, rather than waiting until the task is overdue.
Get started
Getting started is often the hardest part of any task. The initial inertia is the biggest obstacle. So just start! Even if it is as simple as developing your plan or the first paragraph of an assessment task or starting to increase in your acts of worship – just start.
That first step makes a difference, no matter how small it may seem.
Note: As first appeared in UNSWMSA Publications in Sept 2022.
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