I am a chronic procrastinator. I put almost everything off until the last minute. Schoolwork, daily tasks, and even this speech. I’m here to prove to you that it isn’t such a bad thing, and for some people, it can actually work better than completing the work right away. A lot of people are procrastinators, but unfortunately this habit has developed a bad implication over time, and is seen as a negative thing. Many people associate it with stereotypical slackers, and people who are too lazy to do the work before the last minute. This is far from the truth, and there are actually many benefits to it.
Procrastination is caused by many things, but the main cause is a fear of failure. This can promote procrastination in many different ways, for example by causing people to avoid completing a task, or by causing them to avoid even getting started on a task. Many perfectionists have a fear of failure, and a lot of work can be overwhelming, so they never start anything. If you fear that you might fail, then you might be disinclined to take action. Other causes are knowing that you have plenty of time to do something. People know that the deadline is far away, so they wait and wait until the last minute. Another thing that causes it is that some people would rather do anything else than the task they are putting off. They want to do more enjoyable activities rather than start a boring project. Some people just don’t feel prepared yet, so they want more time to prepare. For example, Rob was supposed to take his driving test this week. So why didn’t he take it yet? Rob felt that he was unprepared, and he wanted more time so that he could practice and feel better about taking it. When in doubt, wait it out. If you aren’t feeling confident or prepared for something, then stop. You won’t do well on it if you already expect to fail. Just stop, relax, and continue it later. Doing this is perfectly fine, and you are probably more likely to succeed on something if you are confident with it and feel prepared.
Like I said before, there are many benefits to procrastinating. One of these benefits is that waiting until the last minute gives you less time to complete the task. Therefore, you are forced to focus when completing it. If you did it right away, you might have been unfocused or off task. Another benefit is that you have more time to prepare for whatever you are putting off. Sometimes you get new ideas, and you would not have gotten that idea if you did it right away. Other times you just feel unprepared, or don’t have any idea what to do yet. For some people, procrastination works better than getting everything done right away, because they are more focused with little time to complete something. When people procrastinate, they have more time to do enjoyable activities, like hang out with friends or go out to eat. That’s not all! Surprisingly it can reduce stress levels. If you have a week to finish a project, and work on it everyday until you finish, you are dealing with stress for multiple days. But if you put it off until the last two days, you only suffer stress for those two days you are working on it. When you avoid something, it lowers your stress levels. As I said, this isn’t for everyone, and some people may think this is absurd. But it works for a procrastinator, and helps them finish work quicker.
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When I procrastinate, I usually do it because I need more time to prepare, or I just don’t want to do it yet. If I have a project, I will wait a few days before the due date to start it. Once I start it, I am focused and I finish it before the deadline. I have more time to think about ideas and plan it out, and more time to prepare so that I can do it well. This works for me because i work faster if i know i have to finish something soon, then i am more inclined to put hard work into something and finish it. Also, it allows me to focus on other things without being stressed about an assignment. If i had something important i needed to do, or even if i’m just busy, i won’t stress because i know i can focus and finish it before the deadline.
Although procrastinating helps some people focus, it does not work for a lot of people. There are plenty of ways to stop procrastinating, like getting organized, setting goals, and keeping a schedule. Being organized is important because it helps you know what you need to work on. You can’t get anything done if you don’t even know what you are doing. Write down your assignments, and when they are due. Next is setting goals. Make sure these goals are simple, like say that you will study for a civics test for 20 minutes, or start your project before the end of the day. Keeping a schedule is also very important. This helps you stay focused, and get things done quicker. If you have a big test coming up, you can make a schedule for studying, like study chapter 4 on Monday, and chapter 5 on Tuesday. It could be for writing an essay too, like say that you will write the first and second paragraph on Saturday.
Despite the untrue statements that procrastination is a form of indolence, or lack of motivation, for many it is greatly beneficial. It can give you more time to plan, prepare, and do things you enjoy, it forces you to focus, and can reduce stress levels. I’m not trying to get you to put off daily tasks, but rather show you that the negative implication of procrastination is untrue.
References
- The Advantages of Procrastination – Medium
- The Psychology of Procrastination – Verywell Mind
- The Myth of Procrastination: How Delaying Can Work in Your Favor – Thrive Global
- Arousal and Attention Activation in Behavioral Procrastination: Evidence from Subjective, Behavioral, and Electrophysiological Measures – National Center for Biotechnology Information
