Procrastination is a problem that involves delaying projects, homework, or chores to an extent where one waits until the last minute to get the task done. Researchers have found that procrastination leads to a lot of anxiety. Procrastination can also affect those around you as well as have a negative effect on your finished product. Most people have had some experience with procrastination. Although some people work well under pressure, and can pull out a good project at the last minute, it doesn’t work well for everyone. For many, it causes a great deal of distress.

            Procrastination causes anxiety. You know that restless, gut wrenching, nauseating feeling you get when you’re having a great weekend but then remember Sunday night that you have an essay or a project to do that you haven’t even started? It’s depressing isn’t it? What a way to end a weekend, staying up all night doing a something you were assigned probably weeks ago. It creates nervousness as well. You’re trying to get a good grade on something that is supposed to take two or more weeks of good work to finish and complete. You will feel more in control and less anxious if you do your work in a timely manner and not put off your work until the last minute.

            Procrastination negatively affects those around you. Putting things off does not only just affect you, but the others around you as well. Procrastination can affect your family. I know it does mine. One time I had to get my mom out of bed and ask her to go to Wal-Mart for me to get a poster board that I needed for a project due the next day. She was incredibly angry and asked how long ago the project was assigned. It was assigned three weeks before. This caused her to get in a bad mood and I was already under the stress of trying to get a project done that I was given plenty of time to do.

            Another affect of procrastination is that it causes you to not show the best of your work or what you’re capable of doing. Can you really expect to turn in a prize winning piece when you spent two hours on it even though the teacher gave you three weeks to do it? I know I tend to hold back and be cautious when I start a project at the last minute. I know for me, when I wait until the last minute, I don’t want to get too detail oriented because I might not have enough time to finish it. I tend to simplify my work so that I know I’ll get it done on time. This means that I am not showing my creativity and ingenuity. Experts believe that procrastination diminishes creativity because by not planning or taking time to lay out a project, it is a rushed job at best. Procrastinating does not allow you to show off your talents and skills.

            I believe procrastination is a killjoy. It causes great stress and anxiety. Procrastination affects others around you and can harm relationships. Putting projects off causes the work we do to be rushed and to lack creativity. Funny thing, procrastination is. You delay what you’re doing and then have to rush to get it done. Is that smart, is that ideal, is that the best way? I’m asking you to not make the same mistakes that I’ve made. After hearing this, I hope you can see that procrastination is not really buying you any more time, because you’re thinking about it way before you start the work. As Thomas Jefferson said, “Never put off tomorrow what you can do today.”

Bibliography

"Procrastination." Procrastination. 17 Mar. 2009 <http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/procrastination.html>.

"Overcoming Procrastination." Overcoming Procrastination. 17 Mar. 2009 <http://www.causesofprocrastination.com/>.