Many procrastinators tell themselves—and others—that
they procrastinate because they work better under pressure or time constraints.
This is almost never true. We tell ourselves this for two main reasons:
· Waiting
until it’s almost too late and then finishing the essay or project triggers the
risk-and-reward chemicals in our brain. It
feels good to procrastinate and then somehow get it done. It’s the same
type of reward stimulation that makes driving too fast feel fun, and it’s the
same type of risk that makes driving too fast dangerous and stupid. There are
safer, more interesting ways to stimulate your brain than putting off your
work. Play a video game (as a reward after you’ve finished your work);
challenge yourself to build something in less than an hour; get up the nerve to
ask that person out on a date; go for a run—all of these are better options.
· Very
often it seems we work better under pressure because it’s only when we’re under pressure that we give ourselves time
to focus. It’s 1 am and you have a paper due at 8? And you haven’t even
begun it yet? You’re going to focus and “power through” on that essay, and you
might think it’s the powering through that made you write a good paper. It’s
actually the focus that made it good. Had you allotted two or three hours to
focus and work only on the paper when you weren’t sleep-deprived
and in a panic, you would have written an even better paper. Give yourself time
for deep focus, and don’t always make it in the middle of the night before
something is due.
So, next time you have a big essay or project due,
allot yourself a big chunk of time before the last night to work on it. Turn
off any distractions. Reward yourself with something creative and fun when you
finish. If after trying this a few times you still think you’re the rare genius who works better under pressure,
go for it. But there’s a 99% chance you’ll just do better work and get better
sleep.
