Title To Be Determined (Procrastination)

pro·cras·ti·na·tion [proh-kras-tuh-ney-shuhn, pruh‐]

noun

the act or habit of procrastinating,or putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention: She was smart, but her constant procrastination led her to be late with almost every assignment. (Dictionary.com)

My History teacher always use to say “Procrastination is the Assassination of the Proclamation of Motivation.” In his defense, we were also talking about Abraham Lincoln and his assassination at the time he said it so his confusion is understandable. But the point is he was right... maybe. Procrastination is such as pain in the ass but it's the kind we can't get enough of. Don't deny it. Right now, you're reading a blog about procrastination because you're procrastinating on that thing you need to do.

So why are you procrastinating? Don't know how to start your piece of writing? Is it your project so big that you have no idea where to start so you decide a nap or reading an amateur’s blog would be easier? Or is it simply because you have no desire whatsoever to do the thing that needs to be done? Well let me tell you something, good sir/madam: Stop it! Ok, think about stopping it. Actually, don't stop at all. Just keep procrastinating.

This may sound very insane, but stay with me, some of us are actually very good at the whole “last minute, time crunching, night before its due, caffeine rampage” thing. We do our best work when we have a deadline and that deadline is up in an hour or so. You need to reach your 10,000 word mark by tomorrow to get it into a contest for publication? Pff, no problem. There are levels of procrastination that you should be aware of. Know where you are and embrace it. And if you're a super slacker, I applaud your bravery to dive into all your assignments the night before it's due. ROCK ON SUPER SLACKER and shame on your master procrastinator! I, too, have been guilty of smooth talking into an extension for many assignments in High School, only to procrastinate on it.

However, some of us can't deal with doing all that so last minute but we don't feel like doing it anyways. It's either too big of a project, too long term to the point where you you don't see the need to, or you just don't have the motivation. So here are 2, I repeat TWO, Faraway Tips that are fairly easy to understand:

1. Do it. I HATE doing homework, or starting a new story that I have no idea how I'm going to write, waking up, showering, socializing, and so on. But I do it. Why? I think about how it's similar to me and working out. I don't want to run 5 miles or do those insane amounts of bicep curls or pull ups, but after I force myself to do it, I think about how great it feels to accomplish it. So even though I have no desire to do absolutely anything, I do it and as soon as I do, it's easy to find a rhythm and keep to it so I can get everything done. So if you don't feel like doing whatever it is that needs to get done, force yourself to. Once you start, it's not that bad.

2. Schedule it. If it's one of those long term projects where you want to do, say, 10000 words before a certain date, make sure to stretch out over time. For example, if you need to do that many words over the course of a month, aim for a certain amount of words each week. So each week, write 2500 words. Then break it down from there. How are you going to do that 2500 words in the week? Are you going to do it over the weekend? Or do a few words every other day? Then when you schedule when you'll do what, resort back to the 1^st tip; DO IT! This kind of thing doesn't just apply to writing. Obviously it goes for homework, projects, essays, business stuff where business needs to get done.

I know you're probably thinking to yourself, “Ian! Surely there's more to it than that!” No. That's cutting past all the bull crap and getting right down to the point. I could probably come up with 5 or 10 reasons but it'll all come down to the two points I mentioned above. Besides, I don't really feel like coming up with more reasons than that!  

WRITE ON!

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