Procrastination

Every student is familiar with this word at some point in their lives. Maybe yesterday, maybe every day, maybe even right this instant you are holding hands with Procrastination. I would call him a friend… but I don’t think that’s quite right. Well, I’m not going to say I have just the solution for you, after all we both know he’s a hard opponent to beat, and one that must be conquered daily as well. But, I do have some tips and mindset reboots (if you’re up for it) that may help and get you started on the road to recovery.

1. Motivation is a Habit.

Stop relying on motivation to come to you, or for yourself to chance upon something that sparks your drive into ignition. Moving is a habit, so getting into a moving state is also a habit. Make a habit to DO something, instead of waiting for the motivation to come along. Check Out this video:  

2. Stop Trusting the FUTURE You, and Work with the NOW You.

If you watched the video above, the one thing I found most lingering as a takeaway was this one quote. Instead of relying or looking to the future you to do something (eg. I’ll do it later, I’ll do it tomorrow), make the NOW You do some work. If you can’t even trust the NOW you, or make current you work, how can you expect the later you to work, amirite? (It’s literally in the name, ‘later’ – get it?) So, long complex sentence with multiple same person referrals aside, JUST GET TO WORK. Source: Cartoonist Group, Jim Borgman & Jerry Scott – Zits

3. Every moment is a New Fight.

This is my personal favourite weapon statement against procrastination. Just because you succeeded this one minute, or established an end goal or reasoning, came to consensus amongst your various body parts (mind, heart, hands), the fight doesn’t end there. Procrastination is that looming twisties packet hidden in your cupboard, that phone or fascinating strand of hair further up on your desk, that comfy bed and elephant of inertia. It’s always there, always looming, and always seems to grow bigger, brighter, and more enticing when you’re most vulnerable. The fight is every lift of your foot in a run, every word you scratch in your essay, every step out into your living room and even, lifting that towel of the rack (ya know what I’m talking about, where the lazies attt). Motivation is not enough, a goal and vision is just the preliminary round and logistics set up, the real race – is the action.

“Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.” ~Anonymous

For me, I thought having a goal, a dream, was a lot of the journey, half the work settled. I forgot that I still had to lay the stepping stones to get to my destination, I couldn’t just jump there. And if I didn’t lay the stones, or missed too many, I would either fall, or not be able to get anywhere. Goals make the pathway clearer of course, but YOU still have to Pave it. If you let work pile up, let dreams collect dust, small worries and issues lead to piles and mountains (or so they seem) of big things you can’t overcome. And these feelings of inability, of inferiority, of hopelessness and drowning, often lead to greater issues like anxiety and depression etcetera. Hey. You there. It’s not the end of the world. Just break down the mountain into little bits again, and tackle the issues from there, one at a time if need be. Mountains may seem huge and insurmountable, but they too once began from little piles of dirt. Clear out the dirt in your life, shovel by shovel😊. And, I’m sure you’ve heard this a million, no, a trillion times before, said sympathetically, apathetically, said because there was nothing else to say, but Don’t give up. Once you do, that’s actually it. You’ve given YOURSELF the fail, the ultimate red tape and red light, not due to anything else really. Because life is all about trying, every single day. Its never the end, a new day is a new beginning. Start again. Procrastination, is the bane of my existence. Literally. I still fight it everyday, morning afternoon and night. And really, routine is the best cure to fight a good ol’ bout of Mr I’ll Do It Later. Take it from a regular patient of the disease. I would know (T_T insert heartfelt sobs here). Make one (a routine/schedule), try it. NOW. Begin and Just Get Moving. Best immediate defence against the monster: Just Do It (I don’t mean buying a pair of Nikes). Shhh.. I’ll tell you a secret: I procrastinated writing this article too. But well, I got it done in the end so yeah! SO YOU SHOULD GET TO WORK TOO. And when you find yourself flailing about again, come back to this article😊. Hopefully it helps, even if just a little. Now SHOO. Go finish that essay you’ve had 3 coffees over but not even completed halfway.