If an employee is feeling anxious about a project, then it’s probably worth addressing their concerns quickly for the sake of their well-being.
If there’s a task that’s been taking up space in the back of your mind that you want to get out of the way, then it’s valuable to take care of the task right away, if only to give you some peace of mind.
Conversely, if you’re feeling peak frustration about a project work, then it’s probably worth deferring your response to another day when you’ve had time to cool off and reflect.
Or, if your team is stuck on a problem, there is potential value in letting them work through their impasse instead of coming to the rescue with a solution.
The wisdom “do not put off to tomorrow what you can do today” walks a fine line between being sage productivity advice and foolery.
The reality is some things really should be done today, while other things are best deferred into the future.
Deferring, when used wisely, is an asset, not a flaw.