Procrastination Essay -- essays research papers

1. What am I talking about? I am the thief of productiveness and time. I sound simple, but in fact I’m quite complex. I am a strange phenomenon. My purpose seems to make my life more pleasant, but instead it almost always adds stress, disorganization, and frequent failure. I want to achieve some outcome, usually something myself and others can value and respect; â€Å"I’ve got to start.† I delay briefly thinking of real and imagined advantages of starting to change later; â€Å"I will do it tomorrow.† 2. Good evening gentlemen. My name is Bobby Hurley. I’ve been in the military now for just over nine years. All this time I’ve always said that I’m going to finish my degree but until this past year I have never been able to stay committed to doing so because I am a procrastinator. I’ve gotten some help with my procrastination from various web sites. That’s why this evening I would like to talk to you about three important aspects of procrastination. These include the reasons for procrastinating, some symptoms of procrastination, and how to cure procrastination, but first, let me explain what procrastination is. Procrastination, though not officially classified as such, is a complex psychological behavior that affects everyone to some degree or another and can have roots in several officially recognized "illnesses", such as phobia, depression, and even low self-esteem. For some people it can be a minor problem but with others it is a source of considerable stress and anxiety. 3. This brings me to my first point, reasons for procrastinating. One reason for this is poor time management. What this is, is not being able to manage your day or yourself effectively. You may be uncertain of your priorities, goals and objectives or may be overwhelmed with the task. As a result, you may put off your academic assignments for a later date. You may also spend a great deal of time with your friends and social activities. Lastly, but most importantly, you worry about your upcoming examinations, class projects or papers rather than completing or studding for them. 4. Another cause of procrastination is having difficulty concentrating. What this is, is your inability to stay focused on one subject or object for any length of time. When you sit at your desk y... ...er projects, use a timer or alarm clock to help you stick with your plan. If you know you will not be able to concentrate on a project for 3 hours, break up your work into 1-hour blocks for 3 days. It's much easier to face an unpleasant task if the time you are giving it is brief. 9. Another method to cure procrastination is to avoid perfectionism. If you accept nothing less than a perfect performance, you may never get to work on a task because you're worried that it won't be perfect. Remember that doing your best is fine, and that giving yourself enough time to do your best will reduce stress. 10. In conclusion, I have covered three important aspects of procrastination to include the reasons for procrastinating, the symptoms of procrastination, and how to cure procrastination. I’d like to thank you for your time and attention and urge you the next time you’re thinking about putting off an assignment or task to think carefully about the long-term side effects. Sure, you might get some good grades or praise from your boss or teacher but eventually it will catch up with you and by that time it will be too late. Thank you.