Bhondoo @ MIT: Procrastination Defined - excerpts from his diary

It’s an unpredictable disease. It creeps up on you . . . if you let it. And it can be contagious. . . If you are not careful. You can’t see, taste, hear nor smell it. But you can feel ill. The symptoms are: worry, frustration and tension. What is it? Procrastination.

A countless number of people allow themselves to become victims of this disease. Why? Because if there’s something we don’t want to do, we delay it as much as possible. It’s a way of showing protest. However, some people could take the pressure and do their best work under it. I, unfortunately am not one of them.

Whenever we are assigned to read chapters, my book goes untouched until the middle of the semester. I let the assignments pile up and I try to tackle them all at once. When a term paper is involved, I always believe I have all the time in the world. Then the last two weeks before it’s due, a wave of panic hits me. I practically dash through the research and write my paper haphazardly. Meanwhile, I guzzle down lots of black coffee, and stay up till wee hours of the night.

Then, I type my little fingers away the night before its due. The results? A burnt out mind, body and a “7 point GPA for my paper. “Cram” is my middle name when it comes to finals, I try desperately to digest a whole semester’s worth of material in a few nights, but to no avail. I become so exhausted that I fail to even concentrate on the exam.

I have found there are some things that can help you recover from procrastination. Make a list of things you want to accomplish each day. However, don’t list too many at first. You can gradually increase it each day.

Take one day at a time. Don’t dwell on the past or the future. It’s what you do today that will determine your future. So put your ultimate concentration on the present. In order to avoid being late to appointments or class, set your clock about ten minutes ahead. That way you’ll beat the clock.

If procrastination goes untreated, it can destroy you and poses a threat to others.