How to Procrastinate And Still Succeed
By: Madison M. Green
Introduction Procrastinating is a talent. Some might even call it a sport. It takes precision, planning and creativity. It is time consuming and can take years to master. But don’t worry, if you practice enough and follow these steps, you will soon be a pro.
Since this is an introduction to procrastinating I thought I should define the word procrastinate for you. Because chances are, if you are reading this, you have never procrastinated anything ever. Procrastinate means to delay or postpone action or in other words to put off doing something.
I know that sounds crazy. Leaving something to the last minute but I promise you it is worth it. The adrenaline rush you get when it is dowe to the last minute and you are just barely finishing an assignment. There is no better feeling.
Why Procrastinate Some people don’t get it. They just don’t see any reason as to why we should procrastinate. Do you know how much you can get done if you procrastinate though. I can not tell you how many side projects or little assignments I get done when procrastinating. Like the time that I watched an entire season of Brooklyn 99 in one day. Its really amazing the things you can do.
People will tell you that procrastinating comes from fear and has to do with you being afraid of the outcome of the project or something like that, but who cares what they say right? Who cares if you have a fear of failure that you don’t know how to deal with. At the end of the day when you finally finish that assignment at the last minute, you will feel accomplished.
Step
One
Step 1
Have something you ABSOLUTELY have to do It doesn’t really matter what it is. It could be an assignment for school. A big exam you need to study for. A project for work. Really anything with a deadline.
And the more things you have to do, the better. It makes it so much more interesting. Remeber, it’s like a sport, the more that is going on, the better the game is.
Examples Of Things You Have To Do: Study for a test Write an Essay An 8 hour drawing assignment Read a 500 page book Go to the doctors or dentist Your Science Fair Project Job Application Your taxes Clean the House Get your car fixed
There are many things that you can procrastinate. Just pick a few and run with it.
Step
Two
Step 2 Ignore the thing you need to do This is a key step in procrastinating. You HAVE to ignore whatever tasks you need to do. There is no other option. It might be hard at first. And I mean, sure, those tasks will sit in the back of your mind, slowly making you anxious and stressing you out, but you just have to ignore that too. Part of ignoring the task you have to do is doing other things that aren’t as important or aren’t on a deadline. This is the time to do other things that you have been procrastinating. Like cleaning your room or doing the dishes. You see it creates a cycle that just keeps going. Its great really.
What To Do Instead Of What You Need To: Clean out your car Go through your email Start a new hobby Watch a season of a show Plan a trip you will never go on Online shop Facetime a friend Do the laundry Start learning a new language Go for a run Try a new recipe These are all just suggestions. Do whatever comes to mind. I once cleaned all of my shoes and drove around for no reason instead of working on one of my big projects for school.
Step
Three
Step 3
Start the thing you need to do. This is the tricky part. First thing you need to know is that you will not be getting sleep that night. You will spend the entire time working on your task. For me personally, this has presented in research paper where as I have not done any reasearch and I still need to write the essay. It exhilirating. You’ll love it. Its like the last round in mario kart and you are in second place just trying to make first. Start your project the night before (bonus points if you start it even later.)
Tips For Starting The Task:
Get snacks Gather all the materials you need Drink Caffeine If music helps, turn some on Do not close your eyes for even a minute Talk yourself up If you feel like crying during this, know that you are doing it right, especially for a new procrastinator. Work through the tears, they will pass. You can do it. Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep. I cannot stress that enough.
Step
Four
Turn in the assignment and celebrate
Step 4
Turn it in. This is the best part of procrastinating. Finally turning in the assignment and having that sense of relief is amazing. There is nothing else quite like it. After you turn in your assignment or finish your task you might start to get the idea that you should not procrastinate what ever it is that you need to do next, but don’t worry, that won’t last long. It’ll go away pretty quick if you ignore it. Now it is time to celebrate! Be happy! You just completed a task that was meant to take two weeks in one day! What an accomplishment! You should be very proud of youself!
Ways To Celebrate: Ways you can do to celebrate: Take a nap Eat a meal Cry of happiness Take another nap Go for a drive Watch a show Hang out with friends Get ice cream Read a book (see “Things you can do instead of doing what you need to” for more ideas).
Warning Procrasinating is a very bad idea and is very bad for your mental health. Do not do this. You will not benefit from procratinating. Do you assignments, projects, tasks as early as you can. If you do plan on procrastinating know that it is addictive and unhealthy. If addictive and unhealthy is your thing, then go for it, but otherwise steer clear. Go get help. Talk to a therapist, deal with your problems that way, don’t ignore them. It’ll be better in the end, I promise. Its too late for me, but you just might be able to make it out of this hole alive.