Imagine this: it is the night before you have a huge assignment due. Maybe it is an essay, a paper or a speech you have to write. You may have made a plan or an outline ahead of time, but you did not have the motivation to get it done until now. Suddenly, you have to cram it all into a matter of hours. Many people hate the fact that they procrastinate and try to change the habit. For some, it is a nearly impossible habit to break. Speaking as a procrastinator myself, it is not a fun habit to have. It is exhausting and stressful. So why do we do it? Here are some ideas:
1. There is “no rush.”
When I have an assignment and I learn that I have a certain amount of time to complete it, I tend to dismiss it almost immediately. I decide that because I have plenty of time to work on it, there is no need to start anytime soon. I put it off until I absolutely need to get it done, until it is 5 a.m. and I have to rush to finish it. When there is no close deadline, it is easy to focus on other assignments and activities going on because there is not a lot of stress about when it will get done. I see a due date, and because it is far away, I tend to assume that it will just get done eventually. I relax about it until it is the last moment when I actually need to rush, because the farther away the deadline is, the more I think I have plenty of time to finish it. However, in reality, I may not.
2. Big assignments can be overwhelming.
When I learn that there is a big assignment I need to complete, I tend to worry about how I will get it done. In the moment, the tasks seem like one that is just too big to complete. I see it in front of me, and all of the work involved, and I cannot imagine how I will get it done. It just seems like so much work, and so much time that I will need to invest into the work, and I get nervous about how I will be able to actually do it. I get so worried about it, that I try to feel better by not thinking about it. However, the more I put it off, the more stressful it becomes in the end.
3. Some people work best under pressure.
If there is no immediate limit on how long I have to get something done, I can just relax and spend a few minutes on it, until I get bored and pay attention to something else. I realize that I do not need to worry about it, so I get distracted, because I give myself options. Instead of thinking, "You have to write this paper," I think, "You can just come back to it later, it will get easier later." I think this until I have no time left. Once it gets to the last minute, I am rushing so much to get it done, that I cannot afford to take some time off and then come back to it later. I just get it done because I need to.
This is not exactly going to solve our problems, but it is just some insight into something that only procrastinators really get. So, next time someone asks you why you didn't start your work until an hour before it is due, maybe you will have an answer for them. Good luck on your work, procrastinators! As another fellow procrastinator, I can say that I am rooting for you!
