Procrastination in Three Easy Steps
I’ve been procrastinating my whole life, and I am now a self-proclaimed expert on this subject matter. I always follow through and complete tasks, but I tend to leave things to the last minute because my mind has no concept of how time works. For some reason, I always think that time is going to magically slow down. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work like that. Oh, how I wish I could be like Zak Morris on “Saved by the Bell.” He was able to freeze time. Yes, that would be my superpower if I could have one. Would people ever get unfrozen? Hmmm…it’s tough to say. I may keep putting it off.
The earlier I start getting ready for something, the longer it takes because I relax too much and take my time. Then I rush around like a chicken with my head cut off at the last minute. This is never more obvious than when I’m tasked to write something, or I have to get ready for an event. By get ready for an event, I do mean just myself, not the event planning. Writers have deadlines, plain and simple. But most of the time, I just don’t feel ready to write until the very last minute. It’s like the ideas really don’t come into my head at all until the final moment. You can ask my yearbook editor from my junior year in high school. I’m pretty sure I gave her a stroke every time a new deadline came up. Silly girl, she liked to have things turned in early and did not understand that writing was something spur of the moment for me.
Some people might think procrastination is easy, but it certainly is NOT! You have to tell yourself over and over that it’s ok to be distracted by your Pandora play list or now is the perfect time to unsubscribe to the thousand emails that you’ll never read. Also, anytime that you’re getting ready to go out, is an excellent time to reorganize your makeup, right after you’ve watched a twenty minute YouTube video showing you how.
In the spirit of sharing, here are some steps I came up with to be an exceptional procrastinator:
1. Relax-You’ve probably got plenty to time to work on whatever it is that needs to be done, so just chill and don’t worry about it for the time-being. Find something to do like watching TV, reading a book or listening to music. Choose something soothing, and ignore the looming deadline.
2. Focus On an Entirely Different Task-If you have something that really needs to get done, this is the best time to do something entirely unrelated. Need to clean the house before your in-laws come over? It’s actually the best time to give yourself a pedicure. Have a work deadline coming up? You should most likely respond to all the emails sitting in your inbox, check your messages or just start a new project entirely.
3. Figure Out the Last Possible Moment to Begin Working-This is where it gets real, and you may be sweating profusely but just think of the calories you’re working off! This takes practice because you have to get that timing just right. I for one feel totally accomplished each time I brilliantly pull off turning in an assignment seconds before the deadline. Or maybe I’ve cleaned my entire house 15 minutes before company comes over.
This is what it takes to be a procrastinator. You too can become a procrastinator extraordinaire by following these tips. My final piece of advice is to have plenty of caffeinated beverages handy, as this will be your fuel. Procrastination may be difficult for those not used to it, but don’t give up hope! You can always start tomorrow. 
-Amanda Scott, Program Manager for the Liberty County CVB
The Right Blend Blog is written by three different authors employed by the Liberty County Chamber/CVB. As we are able, we rotate weeks and each write about our individual experiences, opinions and let our writing reflect our personalities and creativity. All content provided on The Right Blend blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.
