Hey guys! So it's that time of the year again where everyone dreads..back to school :( .
And I wanted to talk about something that I'm sure many of us are a victim of: Procrastination. You know, holding off a project, homework and studying until the next day and the next day and when you finally decide to start, you've realized that whatever it is you have to do is due the next day. And I myself am a victim of procrastination. It started in kindergarden, jk I don't remember when but now that I'm starting grade twelve in September (the most important year of my life possibly to decide my fate), I realized that there's no room for procrastination and if i want to be successful when I'm older, i need to break this habit now. This is probably one of my biggest habits and possibly the hardest to break and I know some of you guys out there are struggling too, but that's okay because we can all get through this together!
Honestly, I don't even know why we do it, it doesn't benefit me, you or anyone and it puts a tremendous amount of stress on us so why do we torture ourselves like that?? For me I do it because I'm lazy haha yeah..that's not a very good excuse. Let me just put this thought into your brains: don't wait until the last minute because either way whatever it is you have to do has to finish sometime, so why don't we just do it now and celebrate tomorrow? Like my dad always says "DO IT NOW NOT TOMORROW!!" My dad tells me this all the time and I know he's right but I always take those words for granted and evidently, it leaves me in a rut because I'm always up late scrambling to finish whatever i had to complete or cramming for a big exam.
If you want to be a somebody when you're older theres no room to procrastinate. Like my teacher once said "We come to school to learn how to learn" and high school is just a baby step until we reach post secondary, that's when hell really begins. Think about it, Einstein, Galileo, Edison, none of those geniuses procrastinated and if everyone did, what would we accomplish in life? Maybe gaining five pounds on the couch. Is that something to be proud of? Elementary, Junior High and High School prepares us and gives us time to make good habits so we can be successful in post secondary and become the doctors that our parents want us to be..L O L as if..
So what can we do to break this habit? Well personally what I do may be different from what you do or your best friend does and it might not be right, but for me it works.
1)Be organized: I like to write down everything in my agenda and whatever due dates are coming up. This allows me to plan ahead and make early study notes or pick up any materials for an upcoming project.
2)Make a timetable/schedule: this follows into organization but is very helpful. Write down on a calender the subjects you wish to make time for and how many hours you want to spend on that subject. Tip: alternate between subjects and give yourself small breaks, because doing one subject for a long period of time often bores us and our minds slowly drift off into space...
3) Reward yourself: This one is my favorite! Once you finish whatever task that's waiting to be done, reward yourself, whether its pampering yourself with a facial mask or going to the movies with some friends, do whatever it is that you want ONLY AFTER you complete your task.
And just remember you don't have to study all day, leave some time to cool off, laugh a little, talk on the phone, go for a walk because I know how stressful school in general can be. I don't know about you guys but i love the feeling of accomplishment, it makes me feel happy! The earlier you break the habit, the easier you're life will be.
I hope this helps you guys and if you have any procrastination tips leave it as a comment! Good luck in school, study hard and remember to start TODAY NOT TOMORROW!
~Nicole
