At the dawn of a new year, we all set goals to prioritize our lives and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past year. We enthusiastically embrace the "New Year, New Me" mantra and promise ourselves to do better. However, we often lose momentum, convincing ourselves that we still have plenty of time to achieve our goals. But do we really?
On the first day of the year, I resolved to shun procrastination in all its forms, as this is something I desperately want to change about myself.
Recently, the consequences of pushing tasks to a later time hit me harder than ever before. I believe that some behaviors can be forgiven in our younger years, but when we continue these same habits as adults, it becomes much harder to forgive ourselves. There is an unconscious urge to meet societal and personal expectations, and the pressure of limited time often leads us to engage in busywork rather than focusing on what truly matters.
I have come to realize that procrastination is not just the act of delaying tasks until a more convenient time; it's also the tendency to do everything except the tasks that align with our goals, often due to a fear of failure or an unfavorable outcome. For instance, consider an undergraduate who has five challenging compulsory courses and five easier elective ones. If they consistently focus on the easier courses and procrastinate on the difficult ones, it's likely driven by a preconceived belief that they will fail, regardless of how hard they study.
People procrastinate for various reasons: some think they can always do it later, while others dread the potential consequences of failure after completing the tasks.
My Anecdote
I have firsthand experience with the serious consequences of procrastination. During my undergraduate years, I faced a particularly challenging course that everyone acknowledged as difficult—even those ahead of us. This led many to seek extra lessons and tutorials to ensure they passed, as they didn't want to jeopardize their chances of achieving distinctions.
In contrast, I remained calm amidst the chaos, confident that I was prepared because I had been studying well in advance of the exam. Yet, procrastination had a different plan for me. I failed to study for the course even a week before the exam, choosing instead to cram right before, which resulted in an average pass.
Experience is said to be the best teacher, right? Unfortunately, I didn't learn my lesson; instead, I consoled myself with the excuse that the lecturer intentionally marked me down to prevent anyone from achieving a distinction. Ironically, none of my classmates received distinctions in that course either. What might have happened if I had approached it differently? I still wonder about that question.
A Personal Reflection
I am still a work in progress when it comes to overcoming procrastination. Whenever I sense it creeping in, I remind myself, "Whatever is worth doing well is worth doing now." This saying has been a great help and continues to guide me.
©️ Medemausi
The picture is mine.