Admit it—you are procrastinating something right now. To make you feel a little less guilty, so am I, as I have had lots of time to write this article, yet I am only really finishing it a couple of days before it’s due. We could blame our long-awaited tasks by saying that we “work best under pressure,” or maybe we do not have all of the necessary materials to complete this task, but you and I both know that’s only part of the truth. I am not writing this to tell you to stop procrastinating for good, since we both know those chances are low, but it has to make one wonder … how does it really affect us?
Essentially, procrastination is an unhealthy addiction. We do it because it makes us feel better, and puts us in a happier state. But ultimately it feeds for something worse. We waste valuable time on mindless activities, steering away from our priorities. And because it’s an unhealthy addiction, we fall into a habit of over-using it. An article from the New York Times suggested reasons why we procrastinate, with the answer ultimately lying in ourselves. For one, we procrastinate to escape stressful or anxious thoughts. Because we refuse to deal with those complicated emotions, we delay fulfilling our required tasks. For example, nobody wants to do homework, which may provoke stressful emotions, which is why many of us will find ourselves scrambling to complete assignments close to deadlines. But succumbing too often to this practice leads to an unhealthy cycle of postponing vital tasks, ultimately causing more stress on your life. And we all know that loads of unhealthy stress is never a good thing.
As popular a strategy as it is to procrastinate, there is lots of discussion regarding its psychological causes. In a Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Talk titled, “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator,” Ted Urban took a humorous turn on what can go down in one’s head in inevitable procrastination situations. When making a decision, Urban stated that there will always be a rational decision-maker in your brain—the one that tries to do what seems right in the moment, based on other contexts. But there will always be an irrational side of you, that only thinks about what sounds good in the moment. This irrational side of you can easily outpower your rational thoughts, which has a great effect on your short-term and long-term goals.
Contrary to the previous points, there is also a more positive side to procrastination. In a separate TED Talk by Adam Grant titled, “The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers”, he broke down how sometimes taking a little longer to start something is the key to making it special and original. He noted how some of the most well-known names in history like Leonardo Da Vinci and Martin Luther King Jr., put plenty of time and thought into their final projects, and what was presented to the world was a result of time and numerous re-attempts and edits. In his view, the best ideas come when just the right amount of time is taken for thought, not too early into the deadline, but also not wildly surpassing it. Do not take this the wrong way—laziness is not the key to success. Grant is not implying that procrastination is always a good thing. Constantly putting things off because you don’t feel like doing them won’t allow for ideas to blossom, and your tasks will remain unfinished. I highly recommend watching both videos, as they both provide unique views on procrastination and break down its effects in a unique and engaging way.
De-procrastination is a key to taking care of ourselves, which helps us be better versions of ourselves. If you have an assignment you’ve been meaning to do for a while, do it now. If you have a project and do not know how to do it immediately, take it slowly for now until you have a set goal, but don’t leave it until the last minute. Remember, it is okay to also make time for yourself, as long as it is in an effective way for your future self. As cliché as this sounds, we only have one life, and it’s only up to us to take the initiative to make it worth it.