You may not be the best at it, but everyone procrastinates at some point in time. Procrastination is defined as the action of delaying or postponing something. It’s more commonly used as the scapegoat for laziness and last minute work, but it’s not just an excuse. It can be an action done on purpose. Procrastination has earned a negative connotation in the present world, and if you let it control you then it has earned that bad reputation marvelously. I, however, don’t see it as bad until I let it get out of control. It’s like a bag of Lays Potato Chips. You can’t only eat just one, unless the bag is taken away from you. The way procrastination affects you and your life depends on the amount of control you give it. It’s a very common thing, but when un-monitored it can become a serious issue.
According to Dr. Joseph Ferrari of DePaul University, there are three types of procrastinators. There is the last minute procrastinator, who loves the thrill of working against the clock. There is the fear procrastinator, who is afraid of judgment and puts off the work to delay the outcome. Lastly, there is the decisional procrastinator, who is a perfectionist in disguise but can’t seem to make their mind up about what they want to do or how to do it.
Depending on my workload I can be anyone of the procrastinators described, but at this particular time I am definitely a decisional Procrastinator. I haven’t chosen a college to go to or which scholarships to apply for. I have a meeting agenda that’s in my head and not on paper, and did I mention that this was a last minute topic choice. Identifying that there is a problem and knowing where procrastination is negatively affecting you is the first step in this battle.
So, for this month, figure out what type of Procrastinator you are. Use the chart below, and DON’T WAIT TO DO IT. It’s just looking at a chart and answering at most 6 questions. Also try to figure out what exactly you’re procrastinating on. And if you really want to be ahead (which is very anti-procrastinator of you), determine what you’re procrastinating with. Are you surfing social media? Doing obscure projects? Spending all of your time panicking instead of working? Just remember procrastination is all fun and games, till nothing gets done.