Uhh, I’ve been shot. No, not with flying Mexican food (if you got that reference, brownie points for you). I have been infected, injected, hit hard, etc. with the procrastination bug. So much for all of my progress, right? Right now I don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to plan for college. I don’t want to do my homework. I don’t want to clean my room. You may be wondering what it is that I actually want to do. Well, for starters, I want to eat. I want to eat unhealthy things. Thank goodness we do not have many unhealthy foods at my house. Also, thank goodness that foods I might be inclined to want outside of my house cost money. That is one thing I really don’t want to do: spend money.
What I want to do is watch Netflix. Or Youtube. Or both. I want to waste away my days binging Hart of Dixie for the second time or flooding my brain with the mindless comedy of The Office for the second time or exploring one of the many new Netflix originals.
The point is I don’t want to do anything actually beneficial for myself. Why exactly is that? I am not entirely sure, but I have been procrastinating so much. I am procrastinating writing this. I just played games on my phone instead of writing this. And I am writing this instead of doing my chemistry homework. It is a vicious cycle. The funny thing is, when I actually sit down and work on the things I need to work on, I can bust them out. It is easy and fun. I end up proud of myself. Imagine all I could get done if I removed the procrastination detours and utilized every second I have. I started an online PE class (I know it sounds insane, but it all works) on Tuesday. My first assignment, a one-page paper double-spaced about using heart rate monitors (easy right?), was not due until Thursday night at midnight. I was extremely happy about this and knew that I could get it done early and start on the next assignments. Well, I put it off because it was so easy that I didn’t know where to start. Anyways, once I sat down and actually put my mind to it, I finished it in less than twenty minutes. I haven’t gotten my grade back, but I felt pretty confident about it. That was a great example of how actually working on something allows you to get it done. It’s such a foreign concept, I know.
Right now I am struggling so hard with procrastination. I think I am close to getting over it, but I am not over that hump yet. I need to work on all of my stuff for scholarships and college applications. That is part of my problem. I start thinking about everything I have to get done, and I get overwhelmed. That makes me want to put it off, making me much more stressed later. It is a great experience. I really get irritated with myself when I end up extremely stressed.
This may seem like there is no hope, but I refuse to believe that. I know I can kick it in gear. I just have to want it and motivate myself. I don’t think I am the only one with procrastination sickness, especially among my fellow seniors. I am going to do some spitballing here to see if I can come up with some good ideas to help us all recover. First, I got the apple update (don’t ask me which one, but the newest one as of right now). There is a new feature called screen time. For all of my non-apple users, I am sure there are either programs on your phones or an app you can get that will function similarly. Anyways, with screen time, you can limit your time on certain apps. I don’t know about you, but the most common way for me to procrastinate is to dilly dally on my phone. It is still easy to keep using the apps once you run “out of time,” but at least you are aware of how often you are on your phone. It is a way to keep yourself more accountable.
Another option for us procrastinators is to establish a routine where you write out your to-do list for each day. I already do this, but I really slacked in the beginning of this week (I am finally back on track for this aspect at least). Writing out what you hope to get done is extremely helpful in keeping you organized and on track. Update: I just came back to writing this (it’s been a couple days), and I slacked on my to-do list again. I am planning to get back on track, though, and that has to count for something.
As you can see, I procrastinated writing this. I am procrastinating the articles I need to write for my school’s magazine. I am procrastinating my college essay and scholarship applications. It is a period of extreme procrastination for me. It has been getting me down, but hey, I am finishing this post. I just need to celebrate each victory. Every single time I get something done (and I always do), I end up realizing how easy it was to complete. I always discover that if I had just sat down and put in some effort, I would have been finished and actually had time to hang out and relax. I am writing this so that I can remember. With a little focus, I can accomplish all of the things I need to get done and more. For all of us procrastinators (I really hope this is relatable and not just me rattling on about one of my weaknesses for all to read), we can discipline ourselves. We can utilize our resources, like screen time, to stay focused. We can keep lists and remember what it feels like to be done. Most of all, we can realize that we are not alone (hopefully you understand my pain). Writing this will hold me accountable; find a way to keep yourself accountable.
We can do this!!
P.S. See, I finished!!
Faking It Made 