Most students in high school are guilty of procrastination. In fact, most people are. The definition of procrastination is the action of delaying or postponing something. Specifically, procrastinators purposely search for distractions instead of facing a difficult task.
But why do we procrastinate? Most of the time, people just believe that they are lazy, unorganized, or just don’t care enough. One reason why we procrastinate is the fear of failure. Many people fear that they will put effort into a certain project, but eventually end up failing. In return, they just decide to put off the project. Some people fear the opposite, success. They fear if they complete the project, people will raise their expectations of them. In return, they just decide to put off the project. Some people fear imperfections. They fear that they cannot complete the project perfectly. In return, they just decide to put off the project.
Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.
— Charles Dickens, David Copperfield
Some of these reasons fall under the three types of procrastinators. One type is the thrill-seeker, who waits until the last minute to get some sort of “rush” that will help him to exceed expectations. Another type, called avoiders, are the ones who fear failure/success. They are concerned about what others think of them. The third type is called decisional procrastinators. These people cannot decide when or how to approach the project.
Procrastination can cause symptoms including insomnia, immune system disturbances, gastrointestinal disturbances, and interrupted personal relationship/teamwork status in the workplace.
There is no way to completely eliminate procrastination, but there are ways to avoid it. Consider doing hard tasks before easy tasks. Make a list of tasks and due dates of when they need to be completed. However, the most effective way to avoid procrastination is to eliminate distractions. When we want to be distracted, we will be. Instead, try to isolate yourself. By following these tips, you will be more likely to avoid procrastination.
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