An Overdue History of Procrastination

“Soon: An Overdue History of Procrastination, from Leonardo and Darwin to You and Me”
by Andrew Santella
2018, Dey Street
$25.99/$31.99 Canada
195 pages

Charles Darwin was a terrible procrastinator. It’s true that he got things done: he was an accomplished author, a father, a scientist, and his thoughts on what he called “natural selection” had been arranged cohesively and written. Twenty years went by before it was published.

As he was preparing to write this book on procrastination—research that he’d put off until he couldn’t wait any longer—Andrew Santella began seeing a lot of foot-dragging hidden throughout history. Procrastinators, as it turns out, are in good company: one out of five of us chronically waits until the last minute to start tasks. Such delay, says Santella, “is one of the oldest stories ever told.”

It’s also “notoriously difficult to define” and equally hard to eradicate. Not only do businesses demand on-time productivity, but self-improvement books and classes are filled with anti-procrastination advice. Says Santella, none of  that takes into account “the stuff that makes life such a precious mess.” And it doesn’t do anything to eliminate what is believed by some to be the root of the problem, which is that people are ruled by emotion—especially fear.

To control time-frittering, remember that “behavior shapes mood.” Do that which you’re putting off, and it “will make you feel better.” Keep in mind that there is a good side to procrastination, and that’s optimism: tomorrow is always a good day for a procrastinator. Santella’s anecdotes provide insight as to why someone might dilly-dally and what can be done about it. That makes “Soon” a book for procrastinators and for those who aren’t, but are irritated by one. Chances are, that’s you, and you’ll enjoy reading it. Tomorrow.