There is a very thin line separating "preparing to act" and "postponing an action." It is true that both of them can look similar because they involve waiting, but there is a lot of difference in them. While planning, researching, and thinking, and organising to do something, it is your preparation that takes you close to doing it, while procrastination draws you away from it. Procrastination may feel comfortable because it does not challenge you to take any step, but it is preparation that keeps you ready and willing to take the step.
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There were two people who wanted to start an online business of selling clothes and shoes. The first one took about two weeks to research about the business, the suppliers, prices, market demands, the amount needed to start the business, learning about online marketing, creating a business plan, and all of that. After about two weeks, he took the first step to contact a supplier, and that week, he made his first purchase of clothes and shoes. This is actually preparation. His preparation lead to a specific action, and he did not have to wait eternally.
Then the second person also wanted to go into the same business. But everytime he wants to start, he would find an excuse to keep waiting. The first excuse was that he needed to create a catchy business name. This took him almost 1 week. Then he thought that he needs to create a business logo for his brand. It also took him another 1 week. He spent weeks watching YouTube videos on how to build an online business, and even researched a lot of suppliers, yet he did not take any step. He thought to himself that he needed to learn everything first before going into the business. He was also waiting for the perfect condition to start it. The procrastination disguised as preparation For almost 6 months, he did not start, but the other person had made a couple of turnover already.
What you have to understand is that preparation has a specific destination and time frame, while procrastination keeps moving the destination, and keeps telling you "there is time." Preparation has a purpose. That is, it gets you ready for action, and it gives you the necessary skills and tools that you need to take the action. It makes action possible and it also makes it effective. But procrastination does not get you ready for action, rather it creates an illusion that you are actually preparing, but in reality, you are just in a "permanent waiting room." It tells you that you need just a little more time to fine-tune things, or it tells you to wait until everything is perfect, which may not happen.
To differentiate between preparation and procrastination, you need to ask yourself what you are actually preparing for. If your preparation has a very clear and defined endpoint, then you are on the right track. Like learning about a new business, gathering relevant resources, and then taking a step to start. But imagine spending 6 months researching and researching without even making any attempt to contact a supplier, just like that second guy I talked about, then it is a clear case of procrastination. Just to let you know; preparation produces progress no matter how small, while procrastination produces excuses and explanations.
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It is also worthy to note that preparation reduces uncertainty, but procrastination tends to increase it. When you prepare properly, the more capable you will become to handle difficult task. But the more you procrastinate and avoid tasks, the more you will become intimidated by the task. You have to know that perfectionism can be a form of procrastination. When you keep waiting for the perfect time, or for when everything will be comfortable to take a step, you may not take a step at all. A lot of things can be learnt by taking actions. So do not keep preparing forever, take steps. Your preparation should position you to take required step. Always know that your preparation should have a deadline for action, so that you will not continue to wait in vain. Readiness should not come before you take action, rather it should come after you have taken the action.
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