I’m not saying procrastination is a good thing, but I am saying some of the biggest successes have come from people who where avid procrastinators.

Take Margaret Mitchell for example:

In the 1920’s at the age of 21, Margaret began her career as a journalist in Atlanta. Her job consisted of writing articles and profiles for the Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine where she worked until she turned 25.

In 1926, Margaret suffered a severe ankle-injury that had forced her to quit. Now, out of the job, all she could do was stay home and lay in bed while her husband continued working to supply for the both of them.

Restless and bored, she began to devour books from the local library until her husband, frustrated by what he thought of was a weird appetite for reading, brought home a typewriter and suggested she write her own story.

But even with the typewriter on her lap, she procrastinated. She didn’t think of herself as an author and would go on to write little bits and pieces of this novel over the span of a decade.

For years she would rewrite scenes over and over again, rearrange chapters, and change the dialogue between characters because she was always afraid it wasn’t good enough.

Eventually, the manuscript would grow over 1,000 pages. And even though she had finished the majority of her book over the span of ten years, she still procrastinated on showing it to a publisher.

But in 1936, a friend of Margaret’s introduced her to an editor from Macmillan Publishing. Over and over again, she refused to show the friend her work, but at the last moment before the editor left town, she sent it over.

The editor saw its potential and only had a few critics on where she could polish some areas. And after a little while longer, Margaret finally published her book after ten years.

Hence, Gone with the Wind was born.

And only a year later the book would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize and sell millions of copies. The novel became a cultural phenomenon and turned into a legend in the fictional word.

Margaret’s journey proves that even the biggest procrastinators can be some of the most successful people out there. I wouldn’t condone putting off your dream for ten years, but as long as you have the drive and passion for it, you’re never too late to do something great.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m still in the middle of reading The Compleat Gentleman by Brad Miner. A book on ancient chivalry in modern times.

Quote Of The Week - “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” — Nido Qubein