Monday, November 19, 2012

Procrastination


I'll have one by tomorrow. If not, read this again.

Olson, J. (2008, Procrastination. Surface Fabrication, 14, 20-21. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.consortiumlibrary.org/docview/274705895?accountid=14473
(Link will not work if you do not have an account)

In this article, Olson describes procrastination as something that comes with a high price. Putting things off can be harmful not only to your money, but your health as well. In the Vancouver Sun newspaper, a study of 200 students found that the procrastinators suffered more from stress-related illnesses than others, ranging from a common cold, all the way to migraines. He was able to chalk up procrastination to 3 main reasons: time, habit, and attitude. Some procrastinators simply don't have the time to fix an issue they have, and don't want to miss out on other important things-- which will only let the damage get more costly. Others believe that they work best, or enjoy the rush of working, under pressure. Which can cause them to get into the bad habit of putting things off until the last minute, resulting in sloppy work that they don't have time to double check. And lastly, some don't have the desire or motivation to finish, don't feel like it, or simply want to do something else. A large problem here is the major lack of self-discipline in our younger generations, which isn't always the child's fault. If parents were more firm with their children's time and making sure all of their work is done before they can go "have fun," rather than allowing frequent (sometimes long) breaks, self discipline would also improve.*

While procrastinating is easy to do, it's not easy to succeed with, nor is it very rewarding even if you can. Because it has become easier than ever with all of the social media that has become available to us, many are able to pass the hours without even thinking about it. What makes us follow this pattern of putting something off until later? And especially, what makes us somehow believe that it's just fine if we do? There are many different factors, for sure, but where does this attitude start? And where does it end? As Olson said: time, habit, and attitude. I feel like these can all be rephrased, in a way. If your issue is time, you're probably very busy and are having trouble with prioritizing what is most important. If your issue is a habit you've gotten in to, you may need more self discipline. If your issue is attitude, which I believe to be the most common, there are many varying things you may need to change. You may want to do something else, might be bored of doing the same thing over and over again, or even just downright not want to do it. All of these cases need to be treated differently-- but you do need to find out which one you're dealing with if you want to make any progress. "Entertainment" has, in so many different forms, caused us to compulsively waste time. Especially in the form of social media, often times, restricting yourself from internet access is necessary to getting any work done. 

For those that have less trouble with self procrastination, but see it in others, finding out what each individual person needs (often times a group-wide system will do) to stay productive can be worth your time.

*Has many sides of the story, would take a long time to fully grasp the "real" problem.


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