“Ah I can’t believe it is 2:30 a.m. I wanted to be in bed by 10,” I thought to myself last week as I was running on empty and two energy drinks.
“How did this happen? I still have my math homework to finish; I was going to read ahead in English, I was going to call my grandparents to check in, where did the time go?” I pondered as I stared blankly at my physics textbook.
Procrastination - it consumes my time and takes as much effort to do as it takes to prolong. So what is the cause for my newfound addiction to procrastination?
What could be keeping me sleepless at night and dragging me behind in my schoolwork? Unfortunately, it is a combination of many things. It essentially stems from prioritizing and budgeting my time.
Lately I have been pretty consumed with my friends, making new ties and strengthening old ones. I have been getting Starbucks coffee with friends on weeknights and going to the gym with them, late night strolls, you name it, and I am there!
While it is important to be social and be there for friends in their time of need, I should also take care of my own business before helping people with theirs. After all, I cannot really help others if I cannot help myself and lately I have been helpless and hopeless when it comes to all-nighters.
Another culprit is technology. I have been texting incessantly on my phone and find myself gazing at Facebook or chatting it up on AIM until the wee hours of the morning. I should probably tell my computer, “Lights out and power off by 9 p.m.” Same with my phone, I should turn it off so I am unavailable to talk and text after a certain time in the night.
Perhaps my biggest downfall is the little things. I will wander up to my room, listen to my iPod, scour the cabinets, take one-hour showers, and find myself at the grocery store strolling up and down the produce section when I have a precalculus test the next day. I am always on the lookout for a good excuse to put off my homework.
Unfortunately, my bad habits have started taking a toll on me.
I have grown dependent on coffee to get me through the day. I am constantly too tired to workout. Most of my junk food snacking occurs at bedtime.
I need to budget my time better and prioritize my workload. I have to make a checklist of homework and get it done so I can get to bed early.
Then I will be able to focus on my extra-curricular activities again.
I hope my tragic story has inspired you to get off your chair and take action. As for myself, it is 1:30 a.m. as I am writing this, I still have math problems to solve, a birthday card to make, physics chapters to read, and miles to go before I sleep.
I am at it again. I am training for the Alaska Mayor’s Midnight Marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training.
Help me get one-step closer to a cure by donating on my fundraising webpage. By all means, everything certainly counts!
https://www.active.com/donate/tnttxgc/tnttxgcMBaker2
