That big paper is due tomorrow, or that huge biology final is coming up. Your schedule has gotten hectic and you don't know how the heck to start working on that paper or study for that exam. The formal definition of procrastination is the action of delaying or postponing something. Yes, some of us are procrastinators on the daily, but for others, it only happens on a rare occasion. Whether we admit it or not, procrastination has hit us all at some point or another so far in our lives. If it hasn't hit yet, it inevitably will in the near future. Like it or not, here are the stages of procrastination.

You say "I'm going to get this project/essay/chore/etc. done right away"

You start out having a great confidence that you will get it done right away, when really, you definitely won't.

Distractions begin to kick in

Your phone lights up with Snapchats from your bestie. What if its an emergency?! You must open it right away, its for the best! Once your on Snap, you move on to checking your Instagram feed, which leads to a Facetime call with your long, lost friend. What project were you even working on to begin with? You've been on your phone too long to remember.

Lying to yourself and saying your "working" on the item that needs to get done

We all know that this happens: you open the Google Doc. or Word Doc. but it remains blank while you pet your dog, eat food, and scroll through all of your emails.

Skewed perception of minimal progress

Wow! You just got a page of your essay done! You excitement plummets as you realize its 12 a.m. and you still have 14 pages you need to do in order to have the 15 page essay done for class at 8 a.m...

Panic mode begins

You begin to panic as you realize 2 more hours went by and nothing got done. You quickly eliminate all distractions and get your ass in gear. You waited till last minute, but you will still put in a decent amount of effort.

You FINALLY finish and feel very accomplished

You finish the paper around 3 a.m. with eyes that keep going down. You pat yourself on the back and jump into bed. You swear to yourself it WILL NOT happen again.

Whether we like it or not, procrastination will always be a thing that sometimes seems unavoidable. But I promise, it is quite avoidable. Next time you get a task, try to get it done as soon as possible after getting it. Commit to the task, promise yourself a reward, minimize distractions, and keep your mind on it 100%. We all have and all will procrastinate at some point. But I promise you if you try hard, you will indeed get the task done and no last minute panic and stress will be on the table. I know you'll thank me later.