When Procrastination Takes A Toll

A deadline is there, you know you have to make it by then. But, for reasons no body is aware of you, you delay work. You lie on the couch, sleep on the floor, stroll down the road, scroll the newsfeed aimlessly of facebook. But there seems no point of you returning back to resume / complete the designated work. Well, procrastination is plaguing the lives of many recently graduated school students. Which is evident, from the pile of Statement of Purposes (mine is left), nerve-racking e-mails from your blog-boss, and the list of documents to fill for paying the fees of the college you have been accepted to.

Arguably, there is a stark difference between normal, not-loss incurring procrastination of work and procrastinating work that causes irreparable loss to your career, your reputation etc. If the frequency of reminder, mild toned messages at first has increased, prepare for a sudden attack of reminders, with puns & pinching lines that can be equated with pummeling you !

Therefore, today I list down pointers to ward of procrastination and become pro-active. Remind you I must, that a week’s holiday is acceptable but not a week’s work at any cost.

Here’s a list:

1. For Writers:

The most common source the leads you to procrastinate work of writing Statement of Purpose, Essays, LORs, etc - is the absence of any inspiration. And, vaulting expectation of an awe-inspiring, pun-filled opening lines that you think will make the readers stand on their computers! Another catalyst of procrastinating work with regards to writing, is the infamous “writers’ block”. Just like a foot sprain doesn’t limit itself to a professional sportsperson similarly, writers block is not limited to the likes of Khaleid Hossaine and other writers. It can happen to you and will happen to you, when you are expecting, dreaming to write a man-booker prize manuscript instead of seeking inspiration, charting down the essential contents of your writeup and pointlessly stuck on the “Where to start this Masterpiece” ? If you are prone to such bouts of procrastination, read on !

1. WHERE TO SEEK THE INSPIRATION: Sitting in the comfort of your room, looking up at the sky like the artist you saw in a movie with a paintbrush placed over his ear, is no way to seek inspiration! Work up your tenacious memory and remember the “punch” lines, incidents, quotations you heard, read or even spoke somewhere ! If all fails, try picking a book, an editorial of a newspaper preferably click4college or read articles by journalists like Mr. Rajdeep Sardesi, Ms. Barkha Dutt. (All can be found on click4college site). Well another one that I am suggestion below is not recommended but is the last resort of inspiration and the weirdest one. I personally, after procrastinating work for the blog found some inspiration from this means. Try reading an e-mail sent by your Boss, and who knows you might find inspiration ? Believe me, I did! 
   
    
2. WHERE DO I START THIS MASTERPIECE: The most common question, I have heard and asked is the one aforementioned! But, a very essential piece of advice my teacher gave me was that you need not worry about which foot to start your first race with. Just start it ! Be it with a left or a right, just do it ! In course of your race and experience you gain, it will seem magical though, that you learn the art! Similarly, just write. Give words to your emotions, express the silence in your mind, pen down the reasons for why you want to study English, History at “X” College. But, just don’t blabber a perfect start. Instead, write an awful start and on the way refine it.

Well, seeking inspiration for writeup, blogs, essays, statement of purpose is a tough challenge. But don’t be disappointed even if you cannot find inspiration and the perfect beginning. Just read others, brainstorm but never procrastinate. Simply write and save it ! But, remember to give your brain rest and not over-exert it, while rummaging it for a perfect beginning, ending, content.

All The Best for your experiments with writing !

Post Script: Trust me, being regarded as an egg-head for delaying work is no-one’s definition of perfect Saturday morning.