Video Transcription
Procrastination
Narrator: Ah, classic procrastination. You know it can be a lot of fun, but just remember that in the end, you’ll be right back here. Just ask these guys.
I procrastinate doing any type of administration, like replying to things, filling out forms, or doing things that need to be done. I guess I procrastinate a lot when I get uni assignments and stuff. Most things. Ah, life in general—exercise, going to bed, getting out of bed, clothes. I usually procrastinate about school, uni, going to uni. Cleaning my room is a big one that I don’t do for a month.
Narrator: Okay, so let’s lay this out. If you find yourself indulging in distractions like watching YouTube videos, checking if food has magically appeared in the refrigerator, or even cleaning your room, or maybe you’re making up excuses for reasons to not complete the task, like, “There’ll be time later on,” or “I can’t start this until that other thing happens,” you are procrastinating. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Narrator: Why do you procrastinate?
Uh… The task at hand always seems more important. I think I procrastinate because I believe that what I want to be doing is so much more interesting than the things that I’m supposed to be doing. I procrastinate a lot when I get uni assignments and stuff. I mean, they always seem so easy when you get them, so you’re always just like, “Yeah, I’m going to do that later. I’ll get it done.” Yeah, exactly, and then it ends up taking hours.
Narrator: So, how do you procrastinate?
I force myself to find new things on the internet. I make myself about a thousand cups of tea. Allie’s HSC procrastination pancakes. Looking up YouTube videos and things related to what I’m researching. And they tasted so good. None of them ever help. I work my way through every movie in my cupboard. You know when you’re like, in your head, “I’m procrastinating, but I’m doing a positive thing”? You’re like, “I’m not just sitting in front of the TV, I’m going for a walk.” But in your mind, really, you’re just procrastinating. I don’t know, no excuses.
The thing about study is once you’ve started, I just keep going until I need to take a break. And then I’ll take a decent break; it’ll last a fair while, and that’s when procrastination becomes a problem. After the break, you get back into it. Momentum is lost, but most of the time I can convince myself that it’s important enough to start again.
The best thing to do, really, is when you’ve got something to do. I know everyone says it, but the best thing to really do is just do it from the start, as soon as you get it.
Oh my god, yes. When they say, “Do it the first night you get it, do it the first night you get it.” That’s probably the best advice because it’s so true, and but no one does it. But if you did, you would have so much free time, and you would have a clear conscience to enjoy that free time. I’m not going to say stop all your procrastination, but time your procrastination into areas that are more useful.
Starting is always the hardest bit, so if you look at it that way, you’re going to do the hardest bit first, and then everything else is going to be easy, so just start. I think it’s really good if you reward yourself or give yourself rewards for things that you do. So, say, “If I do an hour of work, I can have some chocolate.” I mean, that’s a really bad example, but if you give yourself rewards, then I think you’re more motivated to do the work.
I think the last thing I bought was a lamp, and I was like, “I need a lamp instead of going to work.”
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Video by Reach Out
