Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of

Wayne Gretzky, the master of motion upon the ice, once declared a truth that pierces far beyond the world of sport: “Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases, and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” These words, spoken by one who rose to greatness through relentless discipline, remind us that the fiercest opponent we face is often not the world around us, but the hesitation within. Procrastination, that quiet thief of time and purpose, has destroyed more dreams than failure ever has. Gretzky calls it a disease — not a mere habit, but an affliction of the soul, subtle yet deadly, spreading through the heart until ambition withers and the fire of hope burns low.

To understand his words, we must first understand the man. Gretzky was not merely a hockey player; he was a legend forged through persistence. From childhood, he trained when others slept, repeated drills until mastery became second nature. His greatness was not the fruit of genius alone, but of action over delay, of daily effort over fleeting desire. In naming procrastination a disease, he spoke from the wisdom of experience — from witnessing how talent without discipline rots into regret, and how hesitation steals what opportunity offers. In his world, victory was measured not in luck or strength, but in the willingness to move forward without waiting for the “perfect moment.”

This truth, though born in the ice arenas of Canada, is as ancient as civilization itself. The sages of old warned of this same paralysis of the spirit. The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote, “While we waste our time hesitating and postponing, life speeds by.” The Greeks called it akrasia, the weakness of will that keeps man from doing what he knows he must. To the wise of every age, procrastination was a silent poison — not a loud failure, but a slow decay. It whispers, “Tomorrow,” until tomorrow becomes never. Gretzky, standing in this long lineage of truth-tellers, names what others have feared to name: procrastination kills not suddenly, but daily — the death of potential, one delay at a time.

Consider the story of Leonardo da Vinci, a man of genius whose imagination soared beyond his era. Yet even he was haunted by unfinished works — paintings left incomplete, inventions half-built. His biographers spoke of his struggle with delay, his endless revisions that kept perfection forever out of reach. Though he left the world wonders, he also left behind whispers of what might have been. So too in our lives: how many dreams remain sketches in the heart because fear, doubt, or laziness told us to wait? How many talents lie dormant beneath the dust of hesitation? Procrastination, as Gretzky calls it, is not the failure of the mind, but the surrender of the will.

The toll it takes is heavy, not only upon success but upon happiness. For happiness is not found in idleness but in movement, in the rhythm of progress and creation. The man who acts, even imperfectly, feels alive; the one who delays is haunted by guilt and restlessness. The longer we wait, the heavier the weight becomes, until the burden of the undone crushes the joy of the present. This is why Gretzky’s warning is not merely for athletes, but for all who dream: the disease of delay eats away at the soul, and its cure is action — simple, steady, brave.

The courage to begin is the medicine for this malady. Every great work, every fulfilled destiny, begins not with confidence but with motion. The artist picks up the brush before he knows if the painting will be good; the writer begins the first line without knowing the end. The act of beginning itself is an act of faith. Gretzky’s life was a testament to this truth — he took the shot, even when the odds were against him. He once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Procrastination ensures that we miss them all, not because we lack skill, but because we never dare to try.

So, my listener, take this lesson as both warning and call to arms: Act now. Do not wait for perfection, for the perfect moment is an illusion that never arrives. Begin while your hands tremble and your heart doubts. Move while you still can. Each day you act, you heal a part of the soul that procrastination has wounded. Each choice to begin, however small, brings you closer to mastery and peace. Let Gretzky’s words echo in your heart like a sacred vow: Procrastination is a disease — action is its cure. And in choosing to act, you will discover not only success, but the deep, abiding joy that belongs only to those who dared to begin.