Bad Business

In broadcasting, every effort is made to mitigate dead air. An easy preference would be to eliminate it all together. Why?

Simple. It’s bad for business. Too much of it, and you lose what is most valuable to the success of your show or station— the attention of your audience. An implication much too costly.

A deeper dive into the perils of dead air, like low customer confidence and satisfaction, and we see the potential for irrevocable damage to the brands image.

Which leads me to a term that would do well as a curse word.

Procrastination. Defined as the action of unnecessarily and voluntarily delaying or postponing something despite knowing that there will be negative consequences for doing so— is a part of life for some, and a way of life for others. I am somewhere in the middle. Which is not entirely bad, but not exactly good. Important things have gone from the ‘later’ pile to ‘never’.

Procrastination is the dead air of life. Self-sabotage in its purest form. Very much in the nuclear family of laziness. I have seen the consequences, some of which I am yet digging out of.

Procrastination is bad for business. David Lloyd George so eloquently said, there is nothing so fatal to character as half-finished tasks. It is a confidence assassin, a grave for opportunities, and a fast drive to a shot credibility.

The Psalmists insight of the gravity of delaying taking a first step toward eternal life (a restored relationship with God), translates to daily life. “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Psalm 90:12, NLT. If that isn’t clear enough, the GNT version says, “teach us how short our life is, so that we may become wise.”

The cost of procrastination far outweighs its temporary ‘gain’. In fact, I’ll submit that procrastination is the kryptonite of productivity and a thorn for selfcare/wellness. Intentions are good. Scheduling those intentions, even better. Doing them (within allotted timeframe), however, is the sweet spot. If you think it’ll help, bring in the reinforcement of an accountability partner. There is strength in numbers. This is risk management! Might I also dangle the idea of rewarding yourself for timely outputs? I am thinking something like a night out, not a Ferrari. But hey if your pockets roll that deep…

A balanced life requires planning. The goal is not to be rushed but paced, not to strive (struggle, fight vigorously) but stride (walk with long, decisive steps in a specified direction). Fulfillment is difficult to attain for a person who lives in last minute. Good business is time-management, which is under the umbrella of self-management. Tomorrow is not promised. Also, things almost always come up. It is wise to free up tomorrow by doing what is for today, today.

Next time you are tempted to procrastinate, remember this. Dead air is bad for business. It’s not on brand, except of course it is. Also, please pray for your girl, who waited till the very last minute to write a post about not waiting till the last minute. God is faithful to give me words, but He must be shaking His head at me right now.

Dear Lord, thank you for today. It is a day that you have made, and we rejoice and are glad in it. Help us Lord to honor you by using our time wisely. Help us to prioritize Lord and give us the grace to say no to distractors. Give us clarity and focus and help us to set our goals and remain committed in the process to achieving them. We know Lord that you have created us for a purpose and you are not a fan of laziness. Help us to lean on you for strength and direction and open our eyes to see that by your spirit, it is possible to live healthy, balanced, productive and fulfilled every day. In Jesus name. Amen.

Happy Monyaaaaaaaaay!
Xo, Mel.

Image: @pinterest