In college, I would have a paper due in two weeks. I’d handwrite my notes and do some research 📓, but it was always in those final 48 hours that I’d really buckle down 😳. I’d stay up into the wee hours of the morning 🌙, scrambling to finish. Yet, somehow, the work always turned out great! 🤷♀️
But once I got to grad school, this strategy stopped working. One professor my very first quarter told me my writing was awful for a graduate student 😬. It was a reality check! Thankfully, a Wordsmith friend sat down with me, and we went through my papers, restructuring them 🖊️. Afterward, my professor told me my improvement showed because I was receptive to his feedback. That mindset shift is probably what helped me earn my master’s degree 🎓.
Now that I’m in my doctoral program 📚, procrastination doesn’t work anymore. There’s just too much reading 📖, too much writing ✍️, and the mental effort is unbelievable 🧠. Waiting until the last minute? I’d drown in the workload 😅.
Old habits die hard, though! 🌀 I still catch myself slipping, saying, “I'll just take a quick break, I’ve earned it!”—then suddenly, hours have passed 🕰️. Or I convince myself that I’m doing “productive procrastination” by cleaning my house 🧹 or organizing my desk 📂. But I know the truth… I'm avoiding the grind 😬.
The biggest difference now is that I can’t afford to procrastinate anymore 🏃♀️. My goals are too big 🎯, and my vision too clear 🌟. So I’ve started using some tools to keep me on track 🛠️:
✅ Setting timers (hello, Pomodoro!) ⏳✅ Creating to-do lists 📋✅ Rewarding myself with small treats 🍫 when I check things off!
At the end of the day, procrastination is really just fear in disguise—fear of failure, fear of the unknown 😳. But the only way to conquer fear is to face it head-on 💪. It’s not easy, but every small victory counts 🏆.
So, here’s to overcoming procrastination, one day at a time! 🎉
With gratitude and a dash of courage,
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