Procrastinate No More (Johanna – Mia)

So, it’s 7 pm on a Saturday night. So far, I have managed to accomplish the following:
1. Watch the first 10 minutes of a lecture capture.
2. Watch a rerun of BBC’s Merlin (insert Colin Morgan fan girl moment) for 42 minutes and 77 seconds on the internet.
3. Log back in to LMS.
4. Decide to go make myself a snack first.
5. Watch Liv and Maddie on Disney Channel while eating. (Yes, I’m twenty years old but still a Disney fan. And proud of it.)
6. Decide to watch the next programme after Liv and Maddie, cause, well, it’s been years since I’ve watched Radio Rebel and I’ve forgotten how it ends.
7. Well. Look at that. Dinner time.
8. I’m sleepy. Bed time. (Yes, it’s 7PM. But I just yawned. So there.)

What remaining 40 minutes of lecture capture?!?

If you couldn’t tell by my drawn out and embarrassing summary of my day, let me give you the gist: I. Am. The. Best (worst, depending on who you ask). Procrastinator. Ever. Period. If there was only a degree for Bachelor of Procrastination Major in Cramming Studies, I’d get an H1 for sure. And yes, I am aware that this speaks volumes for my lack of self-discipline – I’m working on it!

Regardless of how I came across, I am actually not proud of my chronic procrastination syndrome. It has to stop, I know that. It’s just so hard. I mean, who actually, honestly, likes studying? To the best of my knowledge, no one. But regardless, it’s necessary, and the fact that it’s hard will make overcoming it soooo much sweeter. So, for the chronic procrastinator out there, here are some tips that will hopefully help you (and me!) overcome this malady.

1. When you say “five minutes”, you mean five minutes. Not five hours. Which means, when you need to take a break for a pre-allotted period of time, make sure you stick to it. Which again means, that if you set yourself a 20-minute break, don’t watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, because chances are, when the 20 minutes are up, you will want to finish the movie. And maybe even the entire series.

2. Assign yourself reasonable goals, and stick to it. Have a study plan where you can check things off of your list. It will make you feel good and accomplished! But don’t make it too unreasonable, because then you’d only feel disheartened and frustrated.

3. That said, don’t be too hard on yourself. Give yourself rewards after having accomplished something worthwhile (but not sooner). But do it at the end of the day. Not the middle, and definitely not the start, or else you won’t get anything done.

4. Get a partner-in-crime. Have a friend call in and check up on you, and do the same for him/ her. It would give you that much-needed jolt to reality, and your friend’s disapproving tone may just be what’s needed to jumpstart you to action. Plus, it’s great bonding time!
(If this fails, get your mom. But only in extreme circumstances, or you’ll never hear the end of it!)

5. Finally, never lose sight of why you’re doing this. Sure, studying is tough. But don’t forget why it’s important. Remember that dream job? Car? House? Turning off your telly or closing that riveting book is just another step towards reaching it. Trust me. When you look back, you’d be glad that you did.

To quote the wise words of a meme sent to me by just as wise a man (aka my friend whose sensibilities aren’t exactly delicate enough to enjoy posh company – love you, dude! Also, the more sensitive of you may want to skip through this paragraph.): Procrastination is like masturbation, in the beginning it feels good, but in the end, you’re just f***ing yourself!

And with that eloquent statement, I bid you adieu.

P.S. Apparently that quote was from Michael McCarthy. Thank you for sharing that wonderful bit of insight to the world.