My Un-MlLA formatted Research Essay! Part UNO.

The Art Of Procrastination

Not only is procrastination the work of the devil (in my opinion), it is also a VERY bad habit of mine. I put everything off until the very last second and then breakdown in tears because I cannot handle the stress of it. So why, oh why, do I choose to do this to myself?! I have done some detective style sleuthing to find out why people procrastinate and how they can overcome it. Hopefully I can use these tips to put a stop to my annoyingly dreadful habit.

Edward Young once said, “Procrastination the thief of time.” But according to Dictioanry.com, procrastination is the act of deferring an action or to cause delay. Both I believe to be very adequate descriptions. To be exact, procrastination is a complex psychological behavior (_____). For many it is a long lasting behavior that can transcend many life stages. Ultimately, procrastinating becomes a habit and anyone who has ever chewed their fingernails or sucked their thumb knows how hard it is to break a habit. Despite the fact that people who procrastinate often have to deal with tremendous amounts of stress and anxiety, they still continue to do so all through out life. The chances of a person who procrastinated a lot in college not carrying their habit over into their very first job are rather slim.

Procrastination is not a problem of time management (_5___). Just because a person procrastinates does not mean that they are unable to plan things out efficiently. The problem lies with the act of sticking to that plan. That is why, "Telling someone who procrastinates to buy a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just cheer up," says Dr. Joseph Ferrari, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at De Paul University in Chicago.

Many who procrastinate end up feeling like a victim. The individual cannot figure out why they have done this to them self so therefore they are unsure of how to stop their hindering behavior. I fall into the category above. There have been many times when I have found myself in a situation where I have an hour left to submit a paper and have yet to start! Not only does this stress me out, but it also makes me frustrated and angry with myself.

Procrastination is considered a counterproductive behavior that is frequently repeated. But the real question is why is it repeated. Some people believe that they “work well under pressure”. If they do end up making their deadline and are given a positive reward then they continue to behave in the same way because it has turned out positively before. Others use the art of procrastination as method a of coping with day to day pressures (__1__). It is much easier to say that there is too much to do and too little time to do it then to sit down and put serious effort into checking tasks off of that ever-growing to do list.

Physiologists have also determined there to be a number of complex reasons why people procrastinate. One of them is perfectionism (__1__). A person will procrastinate because they feel that whatever they do won’t fit their unrealistically high standards. In this case, it comes down to a lack of self-confidence. They wish to do an outstanding job on their paper, but feel like they are incapable to do so. They put it off until the very last second because they are disappointed with their own performance.

To resolve this issue, you must think positive! You ARE good enough to produce something worth showing off and submitting for a grade or for criticism! Also, it is important to remember that EVERYONE makes mistakes, even famous poets and authors. No one expects perfection. They expect your best efforts.

(I am halfway done as of 10:30 tonight! Wish me luck on finishing up tomorrow :D)