Procrastination the Cancer

Good morning and having now completed five weeks of a semester, I have learned all over again about the negative power of this thing called "procrastination."  Many people are naturally prone to that process I have learned for those that know me know that I am certainly not one to embark on that time wasting journey.

This semester, versus previous semesters, has been quite surprising, tiring, somewhat disappointing and has been slower to mesh the gears of the teams in the four classes.  Inordinate numbers of students dropping the course, inordinate numbers enrolled but never show up and inordinate numbers that choose not to embrace the work, the boundaries of the class process we call Jim, Inc, find themselves hamstrung by that demon of procrastination.  It is my belief, hope really, as we launch into week six of the semester that we now have the right people in the right place focused on doing the right things as the mid term examination looms for that is a major eyeopener to the mandate for effective teamsmanship for all the parts of the team must gel to succeed. Yes, that process I use is tried, tested and proven over and over again to be a right and proper means to teach.

This semester has seen many highs and far too many lows.  The tragic deaths of a current student's mother due to a drunk driver, the loss of a great former student in a one car accident, a student whose room mate this week was threatening suicide, two teams still not cohesive in their approach to the work and have felt the "sting" of me to "motivate" that process that is centered on procrastination, The Cancer.  I have found myself this week especially burdened, given all the above, about these students of today looking twenty years down the road when they are working, raising families and facing the ever present headwinds of life and their preparation for those mega pressures.  Weighing all the points in this paragraph projected, I have great concern, frankly, about how this generation will be able to shoulder the weight of responsibility.

In classes we have discussed and debated that very point. This generation has expressed by this generation is founded now more on immediate gratification, lazy, lacking traditional family organization and the value systems normally that go along with that and the "E" word, Entitlement always finds its way to the head of the discussion docket.  Those, each of those, are significant in their implication but join them all into the cauldron of today's reality is certainly worrisome at the least and concerning at the aggregate. So how do we "fix" or evaporate these impediments to the Tomorrows?

All of this, for me, is measured by the level of physical and emotional exhaustion and stress I feel more acutely than in any other semester.  I have worked through the rationalization that the problem must be me, that I expect too much, that the work is too heavy but then I stop, reflect and come to the realization that absolutely not for the approach, the organization, the work is no different than many previous semesters.  Then I begin to hear from other professors similar comments about this semester as I outline above and then assess that perhaps there is something truly and culturally unique about the Student at this time of our life!

I tell my students frequently that they will get just as much out of this educational journey as they are willing to give to the journey. Most, the great majority, are doing a wonderful job and giving their all and I have every right to expect that for that is exactly what they get from me, their leader and I shall continue to give that.  But seeing a much higher number of those choosing not to be part of the learning journey is disheartening and disappointing and at both of those my natural human tendency is to go into attack mode for they are enemy soldiers in need of annihilation for as long as disheartment and disappointment are allowed the light of day, they will pull others toward them and callous those choosing to reside there.  It is in the attacking of those twin demons that frustration and exhaustion result and then too many have to witness the not pretty side of me as I embark on the combat operations to lift the whole class to the light of the sun of educational growth.

But you know, it is WORTH IT.  All the time, the effort, the energy, the process of ferreting out what I call the 20%ers that can suck the energy and lifeblood from the 80% people that want to be the best they can be and seeking new a deeper understanding of the things we are drilling into as they prepare for the battles of life that reside unseen before them.  There is nothing I will not do for the 80%ers as they and the thousands of others in the Winners Club will attest but likewise, there is no amount of constraint that I will not cut through in eradicating any essence of 20%ers in behaviors and PROCRASTINATION.

I love what I GET TO DO! I GET TO be part of two generations and their choices personally and professionally. THAT is why I do what I do and I love it thus that far over arches the energy burn.  Kids want structure and boundaries.  Far too many young people come to me in the classes lacking either of those in their lives I sense.  If you instill structure and boundaries with generous helpings of respect and caring, the 80%ers will be nurtured to greatness while the 20%ers will find every excuse to muddle around in the mud of being an anchor. I detest anchors for as the adage say, "a rising tide lifts all ships."  The only counter to that adage is that is all very true but those at anchor in a rising tide are sucked beneath the water and are drowned.  I believe you see the metaphor against the context of my blog this day.

All of this, by the way, extends far from just a classroom experience for this is about life and it is about life that I seek to teach via example and process. I LOVE what God is allowing me to do for I realize that this work, teaching, if with a right heart and drive, is every bit a ministry and I do believe God has called me to do this work and that work is being blessed in so many ways.

SLAY the demon of Procrastination daily!