2011-02-20, 05:00 PM
What's the point of procrastination? It's not like putting it off means it won't have to be done at some point. Hell, getting something done early usually makes you feel accomplished. Perhaps I'd rather have my instant gratification than do work. Maybe I can't think of work in terms of its long time benefits rather than the immediate displeasure of not doing something "fun." By rationalizing it as such, have I accepted laziness as an inevitability? I do my immediate duty by going to school, but is it not just as much of a duty to do well in school? I mean, I might as well not have gone if I was going to skip the part where I get a decent grade.
What's actually happening: I rather dislike public speaking (which I believe is the most common fear in the country), and I've been a procrastinator for as long as I remember. On things I don't like/want to do, I tend to procrastinate even further, to the point where I'm doing the work for the class within 12 hours of it being due. In spite of that, I've somehow gotten into a good college. I have a speech due tomorrow (Monday). It's a demonstration speech (5-7 minutes), where we demonstrate something for the class, and 3/4ths of the class has already given theirs. My group is scheduled to give their speech tomorrow, it's 3:56pm, and the only thing I've done is choose my topic: password security. I still have to make an outline, find and document 3 references, make a powerpoint, figure out a second visual aid, make notecards, and practice a bit. If my history is any evidence, what will likely happen is that I'll get half of that done tonight and sleep for 3-4 hours, then do the other half tomorrow before class.
Again, I might be trapping myself with my own logical thought process. It's very possible that I only even do that because I expect it of myself. I would like to just do it now (or better yet, a week ago) so I can enjoy what little of my day would remain. Is it that I don't have the willpower, or that I don't think I have the willpower?
What's actually happening: I rather dislike public speaking (which I believe is the most common fear in the country), and I've been a procrastinator for as long as I remember. On things I don't like/want to do, I tend to procrastinate even further, to the point where I'm doing the work for the class within 12 hours of it being due. In spite of that, I've somehow gotten into a good college. I have a speech due tomorrow (Monday). It's a demonstration speech (5-7 minutes), where we demonstrate something for the class, and 3/4ths of the class has already given theirs. My group is scheduled to give their speech tomorrow, it's 3:56pm, and the only thing I've done is choose my topic: password security. I still have to make an outline, find and document 3 references, make a powerpoint, figure out a second visual aid, make notecards, and practice a bit. If my history is any evidence, what will likely happen is that I'll get half of that done tonight and sleep for 3-4 hours, then do the other half tomorrow before class.
Again, I might be trapping myself with my own logical thought process. It's very possible that I only even do that because I expect it of myself. I would like to just do it now (or better yet, a week ago) so I can enjoy what little of my day would remain. Is it that I don't have the willpower, or that I don't think I have the willpower?