Fresh Perspective: Procrastination

How good does it feel to lie around? Like honestly, just think about this for a second. Nothing feels better than coming home from class (especially now since it’s getting chilly out there) and getting into your warm, comfy bed and not moving… for hours. As soon as you sink into that bed, all thoughts of homework and responsibilities just sort of float away. Even if they tried, you wouldn’t get out of that bed for anyone.
Oh yes, it feels great to be a bum. But what about the two papers, three lab reports, and laundry you have to do? We all know how this ends. We sit there for a second, trying to do the math in our heads of how long the day is, how much time is taken up in class, and how much of your energy you actually want to put into these things. We put our responsibilities into order from most important to the things that can absolutely wait. And then we kind of just shrug it off and mutter those famous words “I’ll do it later.” Ladies and gentleman, this is what procrastination looks like.
I won’t lie; procrastination is something that haunts me everyday, especially when it comes to doing things that are a lot more interesting than writing a paper for three hours. At that point, everything seems more interesting than actually sitting down, opening up Microsoft Word, and typing the whole thing out.
Procrastination and I have an on again-off again relationship. And right now, we are very much on. Nothing appeals to me more than just hanging out with friends and sitting around watching horror movies. Unfortunately as I’m off having fun and enjoying my splendors, my work just continues to pile up, leaving me completely stressed and crunched for time as the due dates grow closer and closer. I have found though, that procrastination can be fought off temporarily if you really set your mind to it.
One thing that helps me is getting a good night’s sleep. If I go to bed at 2 a.m and have an 8 a.m that very morning, there is no way I’m going to have motivation to get anything done that day. All I’m going to want to do is nap. So a good night’s sleep definitely helps. Also, planning out my day is a great way to ensure that things get done. When you wake up, before you even get out of bed, sit there and plan out your day. Set specific times for things, and make sure to set some time apart for breaks as well. Sitting in front of your computer all day is not only bad for your sanity, but bad for your eyesight as well.
Lastly, look forward to the free time that you’re going to have after all of your work is done. You know that sigh of relief that you take after you finally tackle that assignment that you’ve been dreading? Just put that feeling into your head, the feeling of accomplishment and gratitude about finally finishing something. I don’t know about you guys, but after a while, guilt starts to eat away at me when I chose to watch mindless TV over bettering myself and my education.
Procrastinating is a constant battle that we all fight. Some of us procrastinate even getting out of bed in the morning. We sit there and count the minutes until we absolutely are going to be late for class. And at the last second we bring ourselves to get out of bed and start the day. Staying positive helps, it really does. So just keep in mind that everything you get done is going to benefit you at some point. Even though it’s sometimes a struggle, it always feels good to push through something you’ve been putting off for days. So face procrastination head on! Sometimes, it will win but when we overcome it, it feels damn good.

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