Have you ever been asked not to procrastinate? I do, and so many people have from time to time. While it is effortless to be said than done, it is sometimes helpful for people to hear it now and then. Of course, we all tend to have many essential obligations we NEED to work on, but we end up pushing it towards the very last minute because we simply could become lazy and makeup excuses that we’re “too busy.” Not only can we make up excuses, but we could easily lie, saying that we are busy, but in reality, we have enough time to do it.
One of my first experiences of procrastination is when I struggled in getting my assignments in on time with having a “busy life.” In my senior year of high school, I lived a very independent life and focused on many other responsibilities. While running cross country, building up a strong prayer life, taking care of a house, and having a social life made it “easy” to forget about my schoolwork. There have been times I have completely forgotten about an assignment and end up working on it the day it’s due or not even doing it at all. It was in September of my senior year, so it was pretty early to get my head together. Still, it is something that needs to be avoided. Also, because it’s not good for your mental health to procrastinate. I’ve learned that if you continue to wait to the very last minute, that will only stress yourself out more and have you go nuts trying to get it done. Not only that, but if you decide to get the assignment done a lot sooner, you will have the product done better because you have a lot more time to work on the finishing touches.
Procrastination doesn’t just rely on schoolwork; it connects to everything you do in life. For example, running. Most people who are not runners may not know about this but over the summer, we try to build up our mileage so we can start the preseason with a substantial base for the rest of the season. As a distance runner, having good summer training does help your body for the long run and gives you time to prepare for workouts in the upcoming season. If I were to not run over the summer, I will probably not get the results I want in the long run. That goes with any sport; if you don’t physically prepare yourself beforehand, you will struggle to perform well when you want to.
Not only could procrastination be a struggle with sports and academics, but it can also affect your spiritual life as well. As a practicing Catholic, I tend to spend a reasonable amount of time in prayer each day. While it can be a struggle at times, it is something very meaningful in my life and the lives of others around me. However, there have been times where I procrastinated in my prayer life as well. It is straightforward to get out of bed in the morning and go about your day without having time to pray. But that is something I have gotten out of. What I normally do, I pick up my journal and start writing as soon as I get up. I write down who I am praying for, then I start praying the Rosary, and afterward, I read the daily readings and the gospel for that particular day. Of course, I don’t always do that, but I tend to make it a part of my life now because it is such a powerful moment to spend time with the Lord and The Blessed Mother. Of course, I know not everyone who is reading this isn’t Catholic but simply put it, if you spend time just a moment to relax and meditate, it’ll make your day run so much smoother. While it is easy to say, “I don’t have time,” find the time because having that moment of peace is so important.
In today’s world, it is elementary to push off things last minute. While we are so manipulated into doing things we want, sometimes we can easily forget our priorities. It is more of a struggle for future generations to hold off things last minute, mainly because technology is advancing over time. Of course, that is a good thing, but as items become more accessible, the lazier people can be. It is so easy to spend the whole day just watching youtube videos and forget about the things you need to get done, but that is something we need to overcome to teach future generations good habits in the near future. Procrastination will always be here one way or another, but at the same time, we shouldn’t make it a habit and learn how to control it as much as we possibly can.
One of my first experiences of procrastination is when I struggled in getting my assignments in on time with having a “busy life.” In my senior year of high school, I lived a very independent life and focused on many other responsibilities. While running cross country, building up a strong prayer life, taking care of a house, and having a social life made it “easy” to forget about my schoolwork. There have been times I have completely forgotten about an assignment and end up working on it the day it’s due or not even doing it at all. It was in September of my senior year, so it was pretty early to get my head together. Still, it is something that needs to be avoided. Also, because it’s not good for your mental health to procrastinate. I’ve learned that if you continue to wait to the very last minute, that will only stress yourself out more and have you go nuts trying to get it done. Not only that, but if you decide to get the assignment done a lot sooner, you will have the product done better because you have a lot more time to work on the finishing touches.
Procrastination doesn’t just rely on schoolwork; it connects to everything you do in life. For example, running. Most people who are not runners may not know about this but over the summer, we try to build up our mileage so we can start the preseason with a substantial base for the rest of the season. As a distance runner, having good summer training does help your body for the long run and gives you time to prepare for workouts in the upcoming season. If I were to not run over the summer, I will probably not get the results I want in the long run. That goes with any sport; if you don’t physically prepare yourself beforehand, you will struggle to perform well when you want to.
Not only could procrastination be a struggle with sports and academics, but it can also affect your spiritual life as well. As a practicing Catholic, I tend to spend a reasonable amount of time in prayer each day. While it can be a struggle at times, it is something very meaningful in my life and the lives of others around me. However, there have been times where I procrastinated in my prayer life as well. It is straightforward to get out of bed in the morning and go about your day without having time to pray. But that is something I have gotten out of. What I normally do, I pick up my journal and start writing as soon as I get up. I write down who I am praying for, then I start praying the Rosary, and afterward, I read the daily readings and the gospel for that particular day. Of course, I don’t always do that, but I tend to make it a part of my life now because it is such a powerful moment to spend time with the Lord and The Blessed Mother. Of course, I know not everyone who is reading this isn’t Catholic but simply put it, if you spend time just a moment to relax and meditate, it’ll make your day run so much smoother. While it is easy to say, “I don’t have time,” find the time because having that moment of peace is so important.
In today’s world, it is elementary to push off things last minute. While we are so manipulated into doing things we want, sometimes we can easily forget our priorities. It is more of a struggle for future generations to hold off things last minute, mainly because technology is advancing over time. Of course, that is a good thing, but as items become more accessible, the lazier people can be. It is so easy to spend the whole day just watching youtube videos and forget about the things you need to get done, but that is something we need to overcome to teach future generations good habits in the near future. Procrastination will always be here one way or another, but at the same time, we shouldn’t make it a habit and learn how to control it as much as we possibly can.