Procrastination is an enemy to many. Unfortunately, I am one of the “many” that could not escape it. No matter how much time I have, I always wait until the last minute to start working on assignments. When there are no impending deadlines, I tell myself that I deserve a break which ends in assignments not getting done. The reason why I struggle with procrastination is because I let deadlines stress me out to the point where I get overwhelmed. This struggle appears in academic and personal aspects of my life.
With academics, when I am assigned something that isn’t due in the coming week, I tend to forget about it until I either remember or am reminded. In my fall 2023 semester, I am taking an Astronomy course in which we have problem sets due every Friday at 5 pm. Even though it’s stated on the syllabus, and we are reminded, I have an issue with not starting the assignment more than 24 hours before it’s due. I look at the problem set questions ahead of time and create the document to put all the questions in, yet I can’t find a way to start. My procrastination is also fueled by my perfectionist mindset in that I cannot move onto another assignment until I am satisfied with the first one.
In my personal life, procrastination is present mostly in my journey of healing. My healing process involves having important conversations with people who have contributed to my trauma. Instead of having these conversations, I put them off and let myself dwell on my trauma . At first, this occurred with family members, but it now affects how I interact with my closest friends. If I can’t find the courage to talk to those I consider to be my safety net, then how am I going to find the courage to talk to anyone else? Procrastination has forced me to neglect important academic and internal tasks that I need to complete.
