Procrastination

That didn’t take long now, did it? Three weeks into graduate school and I’m already suffering, I’m behind on my reading in one class (in my defense, I’ve been to the bookstore SIX TIMES and they still don’t have the book), have papers piling up and....

I’m a procrastinator, in EVERY sense of the word. It actually got pretty bad as I was finishing up at my last job.  I’d wake up, go to the gym, shower, eat breakfast and get back into bed until 1:57, knowing that I had to be at work at 2. 

My SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) from middle school to the present

Due date -3 months: I get the syllabus and see that I have a 2500 word essay due.

-2 weeks: The professor goes over the paper, explaining what they want and how to get it done

-9 to 3 days: I've got time. I’ll get it done. I work well under pressure!

-2 days: I’ll do it tomorrow.

-1 day: I’ve got my sources and everything all ready. Let’s do this. Turn the TV on for background noise and... GOOD EATS MARATHON OMGWTFBBQ NOTHING IS GETTING DONE!

 -14 hours: CRAP! GOTTA FOCUS! CRAP CRAP CRAP!!!! Damn you Facebook! (no, I'm not talking with anyone or doing anything vital, but something could happen, and how would I know without hitting the ‘Refresh’ button every five seconds?)

-10 hours: Sacrificial rites to the patron saint of lost causes, because I’ve got an astounding 100 words written

-8 hours:   Break time! Grab a “quick snack” that turns into multiple plates of random foods (because I can’t decide what to eat, but I can’t focus when I'm hungry). Flog myself for waiting until the last minute and fight the urge to take a post snack nap. Swear to never procrastinate again as long as I live

-5 hours:  Write the paper, using as many block quotes and space-consuming graphs as possible

0 Hour: Turn it in. See, that wasn’t so bad. Forget everything I just experienced. Go out for beer (soda) and hot wings because the multi-page literature analysis due in 4 days can wait.

That is the problem. I always manage to get the work done, but never without making myself six kinds of crazy.

DON’T LAUGH, YOU KNOW IT IS TRUE!

But I suppose that I‘ll have to break out of the habit eventually. I’m trying so hard, but the universe is just against me! There’s a paper due next Friday. The topic is simple (at least when compared to the first topic from the same course), and I already have most of the information that I’ll need.  I sat down on Monday and tried to start it, but just couldn’t. Starting a paper 13 days before it’s due?! NEVER!

At least I considered it.  In high school, I’d never have even THOUGHT about considering starting more than a week ahead of the due date.