Let's see a show of hands from everyone who procrastinates......and the rest will raise your hand tomorrow.  I considered the word in its form and thought it was a nasty subject.  There are many reasons for such action and I will share a few with you. 

The first is how we prioritize our actions and I break it down into four categories; what we don't want to do, what we have to do, what we should do, and what we want to do. 

If there is something we want to do we just do it.  We don't put it off, the reward is known and is a primary reason for that action. 

What we should do is frequently an opportunity to be proactive.  In the case of effective management in any world be it business or lodge operation proactive tasks can make positive results and avoid going from one failure to the next.  I find it easiest to let this slip right through my fingers.  I have found that these "should do" actions can be easily multi-tasked and accomplished in the middle of the regular routine.  For example, I will stop for gas on the way home from work at a place that is on the way.  This saves me from being late the next morning and allows maximum convenience in traffic.  Another favorite is to stop my the post office to drop off mail on a road test or on my way home for lunch.  If I was to make a separate trip it would take twenty minutes out of my day and suddenly become a chore. 

The next is perhaps the most difficult for me and one that Masonry has helped me with most of all, what I have to do.  This is sometimes mixed with what I don't want to do and the trick to solving this is very simple and sometimes difficult.  Like doing what I want to do, these tasks become easier when I can attach some kind of reward to them.  Perhaps it is like selling myself on the idea that there is some sort of direct benefit that will enhance my life.  I work at a car dealership and the personality of the sales staff is completely different from the technicians even though we get get paid the same, by straight commission.  The sales people make a product appealing by understanding the wants and desires of a customer.  No one has to buy a brand new car so the object is to elaborate on the positive features of the newest model.  "Look Mr. Jones, this one has night vision and an onboard navigation system".  The technician deals with things like making the night vision work properly at dusk or reprogramming the navigation system to include the customer's cabin in northern Montana.  Since I am the technician it is difficult to consider an option that doesn't work to be a feature. I would imagine a challenge for the sales staff would be attempting to sell a new car that is dirty from transportation.

The last is most obvious.  How do you convince yourself to do what you absolutely cannot tolerate. These tasks come at us every day and are just as rapidly pushed aside.  It's not a matter of not having the time or delegating the order of business.  Like the need to find a reward for doing this what we have done is attach such pain to this task that the pain becomes real at the mentioning of what needs to be done.  My analogy is like that of civil court.  Remember O.J. and how he was not found guilty but is was determined that he was responsible?  In civil court it was a matter of who had the most evidence and the decision was not a right or wrong but which side covered the most gray area. 

Like my brain, there is much gray area.  This gray area frequently needs to be adjusted in order to make it through the day.  I find it easy to justify my actions and sell myself on the idea that if this will not benefit me and I don't like it, I'm not going to do it.  Masonry is a progressive science and taught by degrees only.  After receiving the degrees there is a chance to learn leadership by going through the chairs.  Now what?  As a Past Master I will continue to attend my Lodge meetings and improve myself.  I am counting on my brothers to offer me good council and keep me on the right path.