Procrastination

One significant problem that many people are faced with on a daily basis is procrastination. This "ailment" affects everyone, from adults overloaded with paperwork at the office to students piled with homework (but at the same time faced with the temptation to, say, watch television). I can greatly relate to these people, because no matter how often I give myself pep talks saying something along the lines of, "Okay. No more putting all of these assignments off. Just don't turn on the TV. DO NOT turn on the computer. You can have all the fun you want after you finish your homework. YOU CAN DO THIS," I can't do it. It is as if the more I tell myself to not succumb to any distractions, the more I feel the need to do just that. Sometimes, it seems like a permanent problem, and you just can't help procrastinating, but other times (at least I speak for myself here) I realize that it is just a differently-worded excuse for being lazy. I have tried every "line in the book" as justification for procrastinating, such as "Oh, this desk, and this whole room, are such a mess...I just can't work with so much clutter...maybe I should clean it, and I'll be able concentrate," or "I work best under pressure...I'll just wait to finish this until the night before it's due...that way I'll complete it faster." Fellow procrastinators probably have a much larger variety of these excuses, but each and every one of them (in most cases, at least) is as truthful as "my dog ate my homework."

But, you must remember that you're not alone. Everyone procrastinates, for whatever reason, and in essence, it is just a part of being human. Despite what anyone says, there are many reasons for why he/she really procrastinates. Maybe they are perfectionists, and they know that once they begin something, they will have to go "all out," and not be able to stop until it is "perfect". This may lead to someone dreading starting the piece of work, and trying to put off the tremendous amount of energy that will have to go into it. There may be many other reasons as well, but one that has a very bad impact on the work methods of people is that procrastination helps reinforce itself. When a student writes a paper at the last minute, and he/she ends up getting a good grade on it, he/she will repeat putting it off, because it seems to work. I personally suffer from this.

The good news is, if you are really willing to improve this nuisance, as I am slowly beginning to learn, there are many ways overcome this obstacle. Try taking all the work you have ahead of you, and dividing it up into parts, for example: working for an hour at a time, and taking a small break in between. Also, it is important to take all the excuses you have for procrastinating, and understanding how those are actually irrelevant when you think about it. And, though this may seem unnecessary, try working on a piece of work with a deadline when there really isn't one.

The most important way to "overcome" procrastination is to see the positive facts of going ahead and getting you work done, instead of doing something that will provide you with fun for a short while and then being faced with the stress and anxiety of all that you still have to accomplish.