I Have to get This Done!…Tomorrow
by Ashley Edmonds
January 31, 2012
Procrastinate -to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost. As students and adults we are all at some point guilty of procrastinating. I would like to bet that while leading up to this post everyone prepped about the same way. Think about it, after class knowing about the next assignment, at some point you said I need to do my homework and get it out of the way so I do not have to worry about it later. Then either two things happened: one- you sat down that night and got your work done; or two (of the more likely) – that night you thought about your work and then said “well I will just do it tomorrow”. Well most like, tomorrow turned into today and the deadlines creped up before you noticed.
I know this happens to me all the time. I convince myself that I will, get off work and do this, this, and this/ wake up early and accomplish everything, but who I am kidding it always happens the same; I DON’T. I usually find myself creeping around on Facebook, captured my some show on TV, or my all time favorite sleep. Now of course I know the way to not procrastinate is to simply NOT to procrastinate, but that is way easier said then done. How exactly do I motivate myself to not procrastinate?
First I would say do not be around distractions. Turn off that TV show and started the work before logging in to a social network. I know this is extremely difficult when today’s culture is desperate to know what is going on. (Who is dating who, who’s prego, oh no he/she didn’t social blah blah blah) However I like to take these unbearable urges and turn them into rewards. For example, after I am done with this post I will be rewarding myself with a quick look on Facebook, coffee, and a long needed cigarette.
So to make that possible sometimes I like to think like to think about the essay “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott. I find the quote, "It's not like you don't have a choice, because you do--you can either type or kill yourself", to be very helpful when I find myself not wanting to write.