Procrastination Level Unlimited

Throughout my short 21 year life span to date, there has been one skill that I have become very adjusted too. A skill I’m not exactly proud of, but a skill I gladly tolerate when the situation arises. Im sure I’m not the only person aware of the term ‘procrastination’. To put it in short terms, procrastination involves putting a certain task off until the last minute, spending your time doing more enjoyable and less important things. In my case, I’m still searching for the reason why I tolerate this skill. I don’t even think it should be classified as a ‘skill’ but I’ve become so good at it that I may as well add it into my category of skills learned.

As you are all aware, I spent the last six months living in Barcelona as part of my cooperative education through college. The majority of time is spent actually doing the work/job you have been assigned, which in my case was an English Language Assistant. However, one thing you are expected to do is write a report at the end of your assigned period. A report consisting of a minimum of 10 pages explaining all about your cooperative education, the skills you improved, your experience in a new environment/culture and so on. Keep in mind that I started back in January and finished up the end of June, also having the months of July, August and a week in September to knuckle down and start this report. It was advised to begin this report within the first few weeks of arrival, just to get a grip on it and keep things ticking over. What did I decide to do? Leave it until the day before to write…

The worst part is that I genuinely have no idea why I left it until the day before it was due. I’m not a lazy person, far from it. I have an interest in writing and don’t find it irritating to write a report such as this. Procrastinating isn’t something I even do in my general life, apart from college. It has become very clear to me that since starting college, I’ve found myself procrastinating more and more every day. The majority of my assignments are left unnoticed until I have no choice but to do them. If you tell me I need to go to the bank to sign a form due in a few months time, I’ll be there within a day of you notifying me. If someone asks me to do them a favour or a job for them, I’ll get right to it and waste no time. But if I know that a college assignment is due in a month’s time, what do I do? Nothing. Not until it’s due in an hour and I need to do it or else I’ll fail.

I’ve been trying to think of reasons why I am so accepting towards procrastination in relation to college work. It’s not like I have that hectic a schedule or anything. Obviously, training for athletics 5/6 days a week does take up most of my evenings and weekends are spent working but I still find myself with hours upon hours of free-time in college. Hours spent doing nothing, apart from stuffing my face with food or watching funny clips on YouTube or Facebook. I don’t specifically tell myself I’m going to leave this work until the last second, it just naturally happens. It’s a bad habit I know, but one I’m looking for ways to break! Maybe it’s the fact that I still get good grades, even when procrastinating. Maybe I get a thrill from having to write an assignment in two hours. Either Way, I’m bewildered and still can’t find the answers I’m looking for.

Yesterday was spent writing this report. It was actually quite tedious, a lot more than I thought it would be. I found myself having to remember a lot of things about my work placement. Certain situations and aspects of work that I had to recollect. In the end, I managed to conjure up 13 pages that I was relatively happy with. The actual report itself took me roughly three hours to write. The picture below summed up my experience. Huffing and puffing! Regretting not starting the project earlier and not having to deal with the situation I had landed myself in.

After I had finished the report, and submitted it to the college, I began to think. Could I not have handled this situation better? Starting it even at the end of my work placement in June would have given me loads of time and my mind wouldn’t have needed to be refreshed. Everything would have been relevant and writing the report would have been a breeze. I began to wonder that maybe if I started it earlier, I’d have allowed myself time to really put in 100% of my effort and push that B up to an A. As I said above, I still get good results but maybe procrastination is hindering me from getting GREAT results!

I am proud of the skills I have learnt so far in my life, but this is one I am not so proud of. It’s one I am trying to break free from. It’s not a problem in my life as such, just more of a hindrance. I’m aware of the aspects in my life that are more important to concentrate on, but it would still be nice to get out of this bad habit. I’m thinking, searching and inevitably going to find a way to clear my mind of procrastination.

Do you find yourself procrastinating at times? Do you know a way to break free from this trait? Let me know in the comments below!

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