"Procrastination is the thief of time" by NateLee

"Procrastination is the thief of time" by NateLee - March 2019 Scholarship Essay

“Freshman Class of 2023, before we continue the tour, I just have some advice to offer with regard to your future as a scholar. As in the words of Edward Young, “Procrastination is the thief of time.”
Procrastinating leads to crying, loss of sleep, and worry. It is wise to be practical and to plan ahead. A procrastinator delays action when it is action that is needed. If the student can and should take action “now” and delaying needed action could cause more problems later, then delaying is procrastination. For example, washing dishes after they’ve sat for some time makes it harder to scrub them clean. Postponing car maintenance can result in costly repairs later. Falling behind in paying a bill can result in heavier charges or the loss of services.

Action can be taken in “catching this thief of time” by identifying the following:

Habit:
• If one can wait until the last minute, he/she will have more motivation to finish it.
• One may enjoy the excitement of doing assignments at the very last moment.
• One may wait until he/she is reminded a couple of times, then he/she will know it’s something that needs attention.
• One may have so much to do that only the crisis things get attention.

Attitude:

• One may not have the desire or the drive to do an assignment.
• One may feel that he/she want to feel up to doing assignments.
• One may feel that he/she want to do something else instead.
• One may have a lack of self-discipline.

Fear:

• One may not have the assurance that he/she can do it.
• One may not have enough time to do it.
• One may feel that the project is too big and may need help.
• One may feel that he/she can’t succeed or finish
• One may be afraid of being criticized or embarrassed.

Different people procrastinate at different stages. Some procrastinate before starting because they view the project as too big. Others begin, but about halfway through, enthusiasm wanes, and they put off finishing it. Still others get close to completing it but start another project, leaving the first unfinished.

Reasons for not starting or completing a project may fall into all three categories. In the book, The Now Habit, Neil Fiore wrote: “The three main issues that are at the bottom of most procrastination problems: feeling like a victim, being overwhelmed, and fear of failure.” Whatever the reasons, if you can put your finger on the causes, you’ll be closer to the solution.

If one is uncertain why he/she procrastinate, make a log of your activities for a week by half-hour intervals. Determine how you’re spending time. It can be a real eye-opener to see how much time one may spend on relatively unimportant things between important tasks. Students are encouraged to think of the consequences. Expecting that something will get done without putting effort into it can produce a sickening feeling. As you get closer to the expected deadline, you begin to feel pressure and anxiety. As these feelings build, your creative ability may be hampered. You are not as inclined to measure or weigh various ways to accomplish the goal but are mainly interested in getting it done.

One may ask, “What Can I Do?” Make a list. Do this the night before. Put on paper the things you want to accomplish the next day. This way you won’t forget something, and you’ll see your progress as you check off the completed items. To the right of each item, write how long you estimate it will take to accomplish the assignment. If you are making a ‘To Do’ list for the day, use minutes. If you are making a project list, use hours. Make this list the night before. Take a few minutes to prepare your list for the next day. Keep a monthly calendar at hand. As you accept assignments and appointments, write them in.

Tell time. If you are always running late, literally running because you’re late, learn to tell time. That is, make an accurate assessment of how long you’ll need to do a task. Add a few extra minutes to the task for the “disaster” that may happen. Don’t forget to allow time between appointments. You need to add travel time.

Delegate. We often try to do everything ourselves although we may not always need to.

Slice it. Sometimes we don’t start a new project because of its size. Why not slice the large task into smaller ones. As we complete the smaller tasks, we’ll see our progress and be encouraged to complete the next phase.

Plan for interruptions. There are always interruptions in our workday—phone calls, visitors, problems, mail. We want to work effectively, which includes working with other people who also have deadlines. If we are concerned only with working efficiently, we’ll become upset when others get in the way of our activities. Therefore, plan for interruptions. Allow time daily for unplanned developments. When these arise, you can take care of them, knowing that you’ve allowed some time for them.

I personally experience procrastination when it comes to my school work. Even though I manage to complete each assignment timely, I must admit that it’s a challenge that comes with stress and worry. I advise, procrastination can rob you of your time, because it’s a thief.