Of all the lows I’ve hit in my academic career, nothing can compare to the time I submitted my assignment 17 days late and had to practically beg my professor to not fail me entirely. The worst part about this experience is that there weren’t even any concrete reasons as to why I submitted the assignment so late – I just kept procrastinating it till days turned into weeks and weeks turned into a massive F on my report card. We can all agree that we have procrastinated important work at least once in our life. With that being said, understanding the psychology behind procrastination leads to the 4 types of procrastinators, and here is some advice on how to not be one!
The “I work well under pressure” nincompoop
This person believes that shrinking the amount of time spent on a task will help them focus their efforts and produce better quality of work. More often than not, this person is actually a perfectionist and subconsciously feels as though spending less time on their assigned task will stress them out less, as there will be less time to nit-pick the work. The biggest challenge for a person with this mentality is getting started, so flip the page and just do it. Nike said it first.
The self-depreciator
This type of procrastinator will often gaslight their own experiences and shrug off their exhaustion as laziness. They blame their inaction on their own character flaws instead of showing themselves compassion and practicing self-care.
The solution here is to take a break! If you are lacking motivation to complete a task, chances are this is because you are burnt out and rarely showing your body and mind the compassion and love it needs. If you took scheduled breaks in between work and took the time out of your busy week to care for yourself, it would get rid of the devastating consequences of procrastination.
The over-booker
Procrastination is a common symptom of people who overbook themselves and leave little to no room for flexibility in their schedule. They set unrealistic expectations for themselves and blame their lack of punctuality on having other more important things to do. When being busy comes up as an excuse for not doing something, it’s usually an indication of avoidance. Take a moment to introspect and ask yourself what you’re really avoiding? Consider coming to terms with your mental health, you may find profound solutions to your dilemma!
The novelty seeker
This procrastinator is always taking on new projects and then forgetting about their old ones a week later. They are intrigued by the latest trend but fall short in implementing the task all the way through. Your biggest problem is completion, so break up with the Shiny Object Syndrome and finish your task already! Mind over matter, baby. Shiny Object Syndromeis the situation where people focus all attention on something that is current and trendy, yet drop this as soon as something new takes its place, by the way.
So, did you identify yourself in one of the categories above, or are you proudly realizing that you’re the punctuality queen? Regardless of your answer to that question, these helpful archetypes are an important knowledge set that every college student should have. Practice self awareness and hold yourself accountable to your word and commitments. Punctual Girl Fall?