I procrastinated writing this headline

LUCAS TOUTGE
lmtoutge17@ole.augie.edu

I’ve got a problem.

And the most frustrating thing about it is that it can easily be fixed, but I can’t get myself to fix it.

I am an incredible procrastinator.

I imagine that many people reading this are also guilty of procrastination and it’s not something to be proud of. It causes unnecessary stress, it degrades the quality of my work and it wreaks havoc on my circadian rhythm.

Why is it so difficult to quit procrastinating? Well, if you’re looking for the answer here, sorry—I don’t have that.

If you’re like me, you’ve kind of pathetically accepted the fact that nearly every homework assignment you do will be done hours, if not minutes, before it’s due. This is bad.

The worst part of the whole thing is that I hardly ever have an excuse for putting off my homework. Sometimes I’ll kid myself with the idea that I simply function better at night and can be more productive at 2 a.m. than at 2 p.m., but that’s just not the case.

You see, I am a very “go with the flow” kind of guy (adaptability is one of my top five strengths, mind you). I could be in my room, sitting at my desk, pencil in hand, ready to get things done and I’ll get a text from a friend or a knock at the door asking if I want to [insert unproductive activity here]. At that point, I’m toast. My mind is distracted from my homework and now instead of pondering over the psychoanalytic implications of Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking, I’m getting my butt kicked at cornhole.

This happens all too often.

Despite usually finishing my homework in classic hysterical fashion, the consequences of procrastination have yet to be severe enough that I’ll actually make a respectable attempt to change my horrible habit.

There will be times, usually in two- or three-day spurts, that I’ll do my homework early, socialize with friends, wash my clothes, do some yoga, make some tea without feeling overwhelmed or pressured for time. Those are good days.

Also, I’d like to point out that my ascension to the outrageous level of procrastination only happened after coming to college. Procrastination just wasn’t something I indulged in in middle school or high school.

I suppose that makes sense, though. College brings an assortment of new opportunities, responsibilities and distractions. Prioritizing your tasks and following through with them, I think, is the first and hardest step of breaking a procrastination problem. And because the consequences of procrastination will only get worse as you progress through life, it’s not a bad idea to try and stop them while you still can.

Now.

Go do your homework.