She had said that right before an exam was the time to relax and just to soothe oneself. If I remember her suggestion correctly, then I think it went something like this: “Take a long bubble bath before an exam and just relax. What’s the point of worrying anyway?”[break]
What’s the point of worrying? What’s the logic behind it? I had thought then. But needless to say, if ever I could see a point clearly, it’s now. She was right. To be able to finish all the work on time is some kind of bliss indeed.
And believe you in me that this is the goal every time. Plans are set, organizers are made, and yet something always gets in the way. So today I write, hoping to reach out to all the pro-procrastinators out there in the hope of finding some sort of solutions.
Be it the middle-school kid struggling with his algebra homework, the high school student trying to crack that scientific equation, a collegian tackling the wonders of Confucius, the intern with a new deadline, or the jobholder with a permanent deadline – there’s always something to do, and somehow, someone always seems to be lagging behind.
But this ends now.
Illustration: Sworup Nhasiju
What with the Fight Procrastination Day celebrated on September 6, let’s work towards fighting procrastination!
Dr. Joseph Ferrari, Associate Professor of Psychology at De Paul University, identifies three basic types of procrastinators: arousal types, or thrill seekers who wait till the last minute for the euphoric rush. The second type includes the avoiders who may be avoiding fear of failure or even fear of success, but in either case are very concerned with what others think of them. They would rather have others think they lack effort than ability. And the third type, he explains, is the decisional procrastinator who cannot make decisions. He further explains that not making a decision absolves procrastinators of responsibility for the outcome of events.
Dr. Ferrari recently completed two large studies of the behavior that showed that between 20 and 25 percent of the population are procrastinators. But he explains that although everyone procrastinates, not everyone is a procrastinator. Psychologists define procrastination as a gap between intention and action.
And if you think you may in fact be a procrastinator, then we should now be concerned with how we can end procrastination once and for all, for remember that procrastination is a learned attribute and isn’t a one that we’re born with.
The foremost thing to do would perhaps be to reduce, or better yet remove, all sorts of distractions – shut that television off, log off from your social networking site, hang up that phone. And now, begin your work: well begun is half done, so said Aristotle.
Secondly, maintaining the resolve to stick with the task at hand can be quite an overwhelming challenge sometimes. Nevertheless, it’s a challenge all procrastinators will have to overcome.
When I say all procrastinators, I also mean writers. Writers, being one kind of pro-procrastinators, employ all sorts of means to help with their craft. Victor Hugo and James Riley apparently wrote naked so as to prevent themselves from sneaking off to drink with friends at the local pub. While this may be an interesting example, nudism isn’t practical for most of us, especially when we are in the office. So please, don’t try it. It isn’t the best way to deal with procrastination.
The best way to deal with this may be to summon all the willpower and remind ourselves of why we’re doing our respective tasks.
However, Canadian psychologist Timothy Pychyl explains in his article in Psychology Today, “A great deal of recent research clearly indicates that willpower is like a muscle. You can exhaust it more quickly than you might imagine and, when you do, you lose your ability to self-regulate your behavior.”
When you exhaust your willpower, Dr. Pychyl writes, “In order to keep you on task is to remind yourself of your values. This process of self-affirmation bolsters our flagging reserves of willpower.”
So re-strengthen that willpower, and if the wise words of psychologists don’t do it for you, then in the words of Nike, I say get out there and just do it.
The writer is student of Political Science at Thammasat University who enjoys exploring life and all that it has to offer.
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