Procrastination- a medium length, five syllable word that causes an infinite amount of damage. "Later" and "not now"- smaller words in length that destroy just as much. I've learned that the hard way, one too many times. Take last night for example: we're given a week to do an essay. Our teacher makes it extremely simple for us- we pre-write for two days in class, even write a practice essay. But after the due date had been extended, I still hadn't made a dent in it. Hadn't even started actually. I'd been formulating what I planned to say in my mind for a couple days, but I was still staring at a blank Microsoft Word document on Sunday afternoon. Monday comes along, and I get home around five. I put my backpack upstairs, unpack it, and head back downstairs to turn on the computer. After sitting down and waiting for my desktop to load, I realize I need my English notes. I run back to my room to get them. Sit back down. Need my Writer's Inc. Run back to my room to get it. Sit back down. Dinner time. Sit back down. By this time, I don't even remember what I was doing at my computer in the first place. See- this is what procrastination does to you. Put things off and put things off until you find yourself submitting your essay an hour before it's due. Not a great idea, trust me. You'd think after about the millionth time I'd learn. I hate stressing out over hours of work, getting major writer's block. Procrastination is probably the reason why I type so fast. Well, that's one good thing from it. So what do I do to discontinue this bad habit? Absolutely nothing. "Never make the same mistake twice", right? Wrong. I've tried time and time again- learning better organizational skills, writing in planners, the whole shebang. In the end, I'm the one up past midnight scrambling to finish everything that needs to get done. Yes, crunch-time is something I'm very familiar with. And if you asked me why, I couldn't tell you. It makes no sense whatsoever. No one wants to add to the stresses of daily life when there's no reason to. Yet I keep finding myself in the exact same situation. If there's anyone out there that can help me out, please do. I'm tired of being tired.
In searching "procrastination" on the internet, I discovered the answer to "why". But I'd still like feedback, advice, and tips on what I can do the next time an assignment is given.
Psychology Today, "Procrastination: Ten Things to Know", http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030823-000001.html.
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Procrastination is definitely an easy habit to fall into, and once you start procrastinating, it becomes difficult to break out of that cycle. What I try to do is to do whatever assignments you can over the weekend in order to get ahead, so you don't have to worry about them anymore. Try to spend at least an hour a night on a paper. One solid hour of work, no distractions. That way, little by little, the essay/project is completed. So, say you have a paper due in a week, spending an hour a day would equal... SEVEN HOURS. That should be a very well-thought out paper. There are major benefits of this: 1. Turning the paper before the deadline. 2. Receiving a better grade. 3. Reducing stress, which I believe is the most important. So, instead of finishing a paper 5 minutes before it is due, just decide on your priorities and set a goal. You can do it!
ReplyDeleteResponding to your comment from before: It's actually quite comforting knowing there's someone else on the same page. I guess that's how you know that you got your point across, when someone can relate to it.
ReplyDeleteAs for procrastination, I can totally relate to it and I'm sure there are thousands of us that can relate to it as well. Probably one of the best ways of combating procrastination is asking yourself "Am I doing something productive?" Now I know that sounds so cliche, but it was a piece of advice I got from my friend who's now in college. And believe me he used to be one of the BIGGEST procrastinators of all time. But by learning this he was able to overcome that habit by using his free time well. Now I'm not saying that you should devote all of your free time to work, but its important to realize when tasks need to be done. Plus, if you finish things early on, you get more free time for later! I hope this helps.
I absolutely agree with you. Sometimes when the opportunity of an extended due date comes to us, we tell ourselves to take advantage of it when actually, we later take DISadvantage of that. I'm trying to get rid of the evils of procrastination myself; to tell you the truth, ask about any teenager.
ReplyDeleteUsually, I procrastinate when things like the computer and TV consume time. It's even worse when I have to do work online because then I'm tempted to go on AIM or Myspace. If this takes up some unnecessary time, then wag a finger at yourself and make a commitment to not go on pointless websites. You'll feel good if you stick to it, and it will get even better as time progresses. Reward yourself if you continue to do it and see a change in the way you do your work.
Another factor for my procrastination is that I really don't have a feel to do whatever assignment I need to do. For example, I know I have to study for math, but my mind is more on the "playing solitaire" mode, rather than the "ellipses and quadrants" setting. What motivates me to crack open that math notebook is knowing the consequences if I don't (would a C really affect my grade that much?) and other long-term effects (if I keep this "laziness" up, will it carry on with things I do other than school?). Personally, I use the fact that when college work comes around, you won't have your teacher breathing on your neck to do what you need to do. It's YOUR responsibility.
So, basically, how you deal with procrastination is all in your control. If you wanna make sure each corner of your life is well-balanced, then take the initiative to grab hold of it.