Procrastination Essay PDF

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Problematic Procrastination

Everyone has gone through the process of avoiding a task until the absolute last minute

or rescheduling something completely. Sometimes it can be due to another more important

priority but other times it can be because of one habit- procrastination. Procrastination is

defined by Oxford as the action of delaying or postponing something. However, the definition

does not show us the extent of the damage procrastination does. Everyone has had an episode

of procrastination at least once, however some have made it a habit.

Even though procrastination seems like something that would logically be avoided at any

cost, it is irrationally addicting. Once you can get away with doing something last minute and

actually getting it done, it simply becomes a habit. In the argument of efficiency versus

effectiveness, effectiveness always wins when procrastination is involved. The question still

stands as to why we procrastinate so much. Some people thrive from the drama and the anxiety

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2 of a deadline gives them almost a thrill type of feeling. Sometimes, the pressure of cutting as

close as possible to end time will make you do something better.

Ironically, I am writing this paper the last minute that I can, all the while I agree that

putting off any task is not a good thing. It causes me a lot of stress and anxiety to see the time

which seemingly is going by faster as I work. I feel that my poor time management is a result of

analysis paralysis. Author and time management expert, Shari McGuire describes analysis

paralysis as a process of overthinking so much to the point where you do not even get around to

taking action to do anything. This goes hand in hand with and even often leads to self- sabotage.

Sometimes I find myself over thinking so much that I convince myself that I am not capable of

doing something at all. I would rather not do it at all than do it wrong. So much of this panic

could easily be avoided if I had just started working on my projects little by little when I first get

them assigned to me. I know that I am not the only one who does this to myself.

According to an article in the New York Times, a new habit has recently been given a

commonly known name- procrastibaking. Procrastibaking is the practice of baking something

completely unnecessary, with the intention of avoiding “real” work. Some students will bake 2

3 elaborate and complex sweets so that they can kill the most possible time. Procrastibaking is a

kind of therapeutic outlet during exams weeks or term papers when stress is at an all time high.

One student from the University of Missouri would bake herself a cake as a way to make her

“future, super-stressed out self a little happier.”

Psychologists from Psychology Today argue that procrastination is a disregard for our

future self. Professor Tappolet uses the dirty dish example- the dried dirty dishes stuck on the

counter are going to be more difficult to clean now that we left them out for so long. This shows

a lack of concern for our future self because we are complicating things and burdening

ourselves by making things harder than they need to be. A procrastinator’s behavior does not

always go as far as to be concerned for the future self. Sometimes, there is an overbearing

unease for one’s present self. In other words, one is not thinking of how this will impact their

future and they are only living in the now.

Aside from your peers and circle that you will be annoyed with your lack of regard for

time, procrastinating will also negatively impact you financially. Poor time management will

negatively impact your wallet when it comes to paying bills. For example, paying a credit card 3

4 bill late will result in hefty late fees, but can also impact interest rates. If you miss two

consecutive payments for specific credit cards, they can increase your interest rates which will

result in you paying even more for whatever balance you have on your card in the following

months. Paying bills late will also impact your credit score and give you a hard time getting a

home or auto loan from the bank and even prevent you from landing a job that you want. If you

already have the job that you always want and you decide to stay there longer than two years,

you may be losing out on money as well. Many companies do not offer raises for current

employees and you need to move to a different company to get better pay. With social media as

a major distraction, it may seem easier to scroll through Facebook than to apply for jobs. If you

dedicate as much time as you do to social networks to job hunting, you can better your future

by landing a better paying job.

Conclusively, procrastination is always going to be trying to creep up around you. It will

come up differently for everyone, whether it be putting off taking the Christmas tree down until

Valentine’s Day or writing your ten-page final paper the day before it is due. If it is impossible to

completely stop procrastinating, the best we can do for ourselves is to learn how to manage it 4

5 by prioritizing. Let us not procrastinate in areas where it can impact us on our success. When we

receive a credit card bill, pay it right away. When an assignment is issued, start working on it the

day of. The more that time passes, the more ideas you will get; this way, even if we leave

something for the last day, all of our ideas are written down and ready to be organized. We

should not doom ourselves for failure and conflict when we have the option to sail through life

smoothly without distractions and ultimately reach success with as little anxiety and stress as

possible.

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