By Daniela Lanning
Dear Procrastination,
Do I call you my friend or my enemy? I. Don’t. Know. How tempting it is to click “Still Watching” when I’m on Netflix during my Friends binge, yet how guilty I feel two hours later when I just finished another season. How necessary it feels when I click on Instagram immediately after the end of a long school day, but how much more stressed I feel when I waste two hours scrolling instead of working.
How do you get so many people to fall into your trap? I mean, do I think it sounds nice to have all of my work done faster so I can do things I actually enjoy? Sure. Does it sound nice to go to bed at a decent time so that I’m not a zombie at school the next day? DEFINITELY. Does it sound nice to spend time being productive with all of the things I have to do instead of wasting time being anxious about all of those things? Tell me about it.
It sounds ideal; yet, I always seem to push back the tasks that give me anxiety. I become even more stressed (if that’s possible) because I have a never-ending pile of deadlines just edging closer.
But maybe this year is the year. Could this be the year I finally fix the problem haunting me for most of my school career? Well, I’m certainly going to try — and not just “try” like I have every other year. You want to know my first attack against you? I almost procrastinated writing this piece, but then…wait for it: I just opened a Google Doc and started writing. Mind-blowing, if you ask me!
So from now on, when you tell me to go down the Ted Talk rabbit hole on Youtube or reorganize my whole closet instead of doing my homework, I’m going to try out a new word: no. And hopefully this time, my habit will stick.
Your old friend,
Daniela
Picture Credits: Getty Royalty Free
