Edward Young, an 18th-century English poet and philosopher, wrote those words in his long poem Night Thoughts, but the truth he captured is timeless. Procrastination steals from every entrepreneur, not in big dramatic chunks, but in small, silent moments. For small business owners, it’s not the hours we lose to rest that hurt us — it’s the ones we waste waiting to begin.
When I started my business, procrastination was my secret tax. I’d delay hard conversations, postpone big projects, and tell myself I was “waiting for the right time.” In reality, I was waiting for comfort — something business rarely provides. Young’s words eventually hit me like a hammer: every delay is a withdrawal from your future success.
One common pitfall is confusing procrastination with planning. We think we’re preparing, researching, refining — but often we’re avoiding. To combat that, I started using a rule borrowed from productivity experts: if a task will take less than five minutes, do it immediately. For bigger ones, I block time in my calendar and protect it like an appointment. When I treat action as scheduled, not optional, it happens.
Another trap is perfectionism — the idea that if it can’t be done flawlessly, it shouldn’t be done yet. That mindset kills momentum. I remind myself that version one beats version none. My first marketing campaign was clumsy but profitable. My second was better. Progress only happens after imperfection.
Procrastination doesn’t announce itself; it disguises as preparation or rest. But it robs quietly and consistently. The cure isn’t working faster — it’s starting sooner. Momentum, once built, has a magic all its own. Edward Young’s warning still echoes in every modern business: the thief is subtle, and the lock is action.