Procrastination is the silent killer of GPAs and dreams. You can go your entire academic career fighting this demon. Settling into the second half of the semester, you may find yourself even less motivated than before spring break. You've got essays, group projects, and discussion posts to write, but they will get done eventually. Go grab a snack, get cozy, and procrastinate a bit while reading this article on the levels of procrastination as told by the queen herself, Taylor Swift.
1. You'll start your essay at the top of the next hour.
This one has got very good intentions. Balancing a social life and school is very important. You will just watch one more episode and then when 3:00 p.m. rolls around you will start homework. That is fair enough!
2. Suddenly it's 3:08 p.m.
You've missed the top of the hour and you cannot possibly start you're essay now. How dumb could you have been?! Now you have to wait for the entire next hour until you can start even thinking about homework again. Your perfectly timed "one more episode" has deceived you and ran too long. It's not your fault, it's theirs.
3. You'll clean your room first – that will help you focus.
Of course!! You can't focus in a messy work space. If your room is cluttered so is your brain, right? Once you are finished picking up last night's dishes and last weeks clothes you will definitely get your work done. Why didn't you start with this in the first place? How is anyone supposed to get anything done in this pigsty?
4. Look at this cool thing you found!
You haven't seen this in so long! Of course you have to give it the respect it deserves by messing with it for at least 45 minutes before you can even think about getting work done. It's important. You do not want it to feel unloved, that would be awful!
5. Checking your grades to see if you REAAAALLLY need to do this assignment.
Why did I even waste time doing that? I have to do this assignment.
6. Reflecting back on when you thought you would start at 3 p.m.
It's 9 o'clock now and you've still done nothing. Congrats!
7. Starting is the hardest part.
You've just got to start writing. That is it. Once you start all your ideas will just flow out naturally. You've got this! You have read the chapter, you know what you are talking about and you've got an interesting perspective to take on this assignment. You can do this, right? Even if it sounds terrible, just keep going. Something is better than nothing!
8. You'll just do it all tomorrow.
You gave it your best shot today. Tomorrow's a new day. Maybe you'll get it done then. Maybe.
