Procrastination is a choice.
If you’re like me then you know all too well about the panic that sets in, the stress that builds and the relief that comes from finishing assignments or projects moments before they’re due.
I call that the “procrastination panic.”
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to procrastinate means “to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it or to put off a task intentionally and habitually.”
That definition couldn’t be more true. I am an avid procrastinator; I spend time on the things I want to do and l will often just save the rest for later.
I’ve turned blank pages into completed assignments 15 minutes before they’re due, when I had weeks to work on them. I’ve written stories 30 minutes before my deadline. I’ve even applied to colleges one day before that deadline and I can’t tell you the last time I actually studied for a test that wasn’t right before it started.
Procrastination is a lifestyle choice and it’s not for everyone.
There’s this common misconception that people who procrastinate are lazy and I would like to point out that the definition of procrastination never mentions laziness. So, lets set the record straight: people who procrastinate are productive.
Being able to turn out quality work hours or minutes before it needs to be done is a skill. Granted, not everyone who is a procrastinator can do this.
There are two types of people in the world: planners and procrastinators. Planners are great organizers and are good at time-management. Whereas procrastinators like a deadline to serve as the ultimate motivator to get work done.
The downside to being a procrastinator is the moment when everything catches up with you and explodes in your face.
The unknown and unexpected is the downfall of procrastinators and in that moment when you feel like the world is crashing down, they wish they were planners. But they don’t sulk in the downfall of their decisions for too long, instead they find a solution.
If people want to be procrastinators, let them. At the end of the day they are making decisions for their life. So wether you’re a planner or a procrastinator, do you.
As a procrastinator, I know that I will continue to put things off because there’s always time later to do something. I’ve seriously considered changing my ways but I’ve never gotten around to it.
I need to apologize to the Opinion Editor of The Union who was waiting for me to finally turn in this column. In case you were wondering: yes, I wrote this column an hour before it was due.
