Procrastination Why You Do It, When It Helps, And How

Procrastination: Why You Do It, When It Helps, and How to Stop Jim has appealed to his boss for months: â€Å"I’m ready for more responsibility. I’m ready to be taken more seriously.† Finally, his boss gave in. The motherload of projects lands on Jim’s desk. One with the power to make or break his career. One that can show his boss that he’s more than capable of becoming an office manager. On the outset, Jim is amped up and ready to get started. He reviews the parameters of the project. He delegates a few tasks to some subordinates and makes a weekly schedule to move him towards completion. However, when the time comes to actually do the work, Jim puts it off. Co-workers needed his help on another project. â€Å"They need me,† Jim declares. This†¦show more content†¦Surprisingly, procrastination isn’t a new issue born from the many temptations of the World Wide Web. No, human beings in ancient civilizations were just as prone to habitual hesitation as we are today. Even Shakespeare wrote of procrastination. This pesky habit was a major theme in the renowned work, Hamlet. Referred to as a â€Å"delay,† procrastination drives the plot of the play, in which the lead character spends a great deal of time making plans to avenge his father’s death all the while second-guessing his decision. He becomes frustrated, and incredibly distressed, with himself for hesitating, yet he continues to do so. Effects of Procrastination As demonstrated by the Shakespearean hero, stress is a pervasive symptom of procrastination. Tons of research dollars have generated the same consistent results: those who procrastinate report higher levels of stress. However, it seems stress isn’t simply a product of procrastination. A higher stress environment like a busy, results-driven workplace naturally causes stress. Yet, for people prone to procrastination, the level of stressful conditions they are exposed to leads to even more procrastination. Put simply, the conditions of your job cause primary anxiety, which prompts you to procrastinate on important tasks. The act of procrastinating adds more stress (i.e. secondary anxiety) and inhibits your ability to perform. As a result, you put off the task even longer.[2][3]Show MoreRelatedStrategies for Overcoming Procrastination1081 Words   |  5 PagesStrategies for Overcoming Procrastination Keanna Jones Gen 200 March 18, 2010 Instructor: Jenta Young â€Å"You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step† says Martin Luther King Jr. (Finest Quotes, Lift Your Spirit Up, 2010). Sounds simple enough to some, but for many people taking the first step can be quite difficult. In other words, putting off something intentionally that should be done is called procrastinating (Merriam-Webster, 2010). There are lots of reasonsRead MoreProcastination855 Words   |  4 PagesProcrastination, and my college experiences Joaquin Cabrera HCOP Summer Program Mrs. Andrea Reily Helzner Monday, july 17, 2000 According to the article (Magazine: Journal do- Genetic Psychology, December 1999), procrastination is referred as the act of needlessly delaying a task until the point of some discomfort. This is a behavior problem that many adults experience on a regular basis. In this paper I will be talking about two studies that researched about how procrastination hitsRead MoreSteps For Overcoming Procrastination By Michael Locklear Essay1196 Words   |  5 Pages5 Steps for Overcoming Procrastination By Michael Locklear | Co-Author: John Mac Kinnon | Submitted On February 12, 2011 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Expert Author Michael Locklear Millions of peopleRead MoreProcrastination On The Web And Turns Out1131 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"I’ll do it tomorrow.† In these tough times, I love to tell myself that while staring at the pile of books that was meant to be my work. Not only that they were overdue but I completely missed the deadline by miles. I find things even more amusing, spending the time I don’t have on things I don’t have to do well not right away, not as urgent as the work due last term. The opposite of what I was meant to do is called procrastination. According to the dictionary, it is pronounced as [proh-kras-tuy-ney-shuhn]Read MoreEssay about Overcoming Procrastination is Not an Easy Task1333 Words   |  6 Pages Procrastination is the act of putting off doing things at a later time or date for no particular reason. For the person experiencing procrastination it can be either functional or dysfunctional according to the degree of the behavior (qtd. in Sweitzer 11). A person that procrastinates must realize they have a problem and find effective ways to overcome procrastination because they are putting their health, family and job at risk. According to Joseph Ferrari, a Professor of psychology at DePaul UniversityRead MoreWe Must Work to Overcome Procrastination Essay1486 Words   |  6 Pagestomorrow and you better get studying. You open your book and notes only to realize it might take all night to review those 13 chapters! Now you have no choice but to ignore Netflix, your DVR list, and bring out that extra caffeine! Didn’t you plan to study during the week? Oh wait†¦ you did on Wednesday, but instead watched funny cat videos on YouTube. Well those cats were hilarious and at least you spent the day doing something you enjoyed. These arguments we have with ourselves when faced with tasksRead MoreEssay On Procrastination1405 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"I have a ton of homework to do, but let’s go hang out anyways!† This is an example of procrastination. Procrastinating is an action of delaying or postponing something. The problems of procrastinating effects a lot of students in college and can sometimes keep them from receiving better grades on their assignments. Procrastination affects around 90 percent of college students. (qtd in Hubbard) Procrastinating occurs when students feel lack of motivation, not having accountability for their â€Å"extraRead MoreA Contagious Disease1565 Words   |  7 Pagesimpendi ng assignments that I decided to do last minute. How did I get here? Well, I’m a victim. No, not of terrorism, and surely not of a deadly contagious disease! But- Procrastination. Chances are, you are too. The habit is often looked and now has intervened its way into society- unfortunately. If you think you’re doing yourself a favour, you’re only risking the chances of increased stress and a problematic life. And if it’s not evidently clear that you shouldn’t procrastinate passively, thisRead More Procrastination Essay1020 Words   |  5 Pagesto change later; â€Å"I will do it tomorrow.† 2.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 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 aspectsRead MoreI ll Do It Tomorrow Essay1210 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"I’ll do it tomorrow†. In these tough times I love to tell myself that. I have spent most of the days gawking at my work, the ones that were supposed to be finished by the end of the week. I have also watched half of the seasons of Breaking Bad and breaking out badly too. I even started baking. I suddenly find things amusing and interesting. I even decided to re-organise my whole wardrobe just to get out of the work I wa s intending to do. Wait†¦. what was I talking about? Well, I’ll explain later