Historically, I have been what one might label as a habitual procrastinator. Readings and problem sets get put off until there often quite literally is not a last minute left to spare. It’s a stress-inducing habit, but one way or the other, the work always gets done. It’s like a just-on-time economy, where everything arrives but nothing is ever early. Procrastination like this can feel like it doesn’t come with real consequences. As a result, in the lead up to every project, I find myself sitting around doing anything but getting started. It can feel like waiting for some kind of invitation to begin the work. If you’re reading this and aren’t just sympathizing, but instead thinking about something you’re actively not doing, you’re in luck. This is your personal invitation to get started.
The most dangerous part about procrastination is something I mentioned above, the fact that it feels like there are no consequences. This is in part because procrastinating reframes and limits our goals. I’ve found time and again that because I’ve put something off for ages, I can only focus on just getting it done, not on the quality of what I’m doing. While this can be workable for smaller tasks, for larger papers and projects, procrastinating means compromising quality at a much higher level. This becomes especially problematic considering the fact that research is often a collaborative endeavor. In these contexts, the consequences of procrastination don’t just remain localized. Instead, they disperse among everyone connected with the project. Dragging out the timeline you work on complicates the research experience for everyone else connected to you, from those providing feedback on your writing to those who are going to use your work to begin the next steps for the team.
In any case, there are always trade-offs with how we use our time. Every minute spent watching a movie or hanging out with friends could be spent writing a procedure or searching for literature. This is not to say that the latter is more important or more valuable than the former. In fact, I’d argue that spending time with friends and family is one of the most important things anyone can do in life. Oftentimes though, when looking back after the dust has settled and the deadline has been met, it can be more challenging to remember those moments fondly. That’s the true personal danger of procrastinating, it’s not just that you end up wasting time to avoid starting something, quality experiences can feel retroactively devalued after being stained with guilt.
I’m really glad if you’re still reading this, but I’d be even more excited if you would start working on that thing that you’re avoiding. Assuming that you’re going to get right on that as soon as you’re done reading this, I thought I’d share the most important thing you can do before you get started. You have to make sure that your environment is working for you. If you just get started thinking any environment works, you run the risk of having to split your focus between actually accomplishing things, and fighting against distractions. For me, making my environment work means finding somewhere quiet (that is not within eye range of my bed) without my phone on, and setting a timer to remind myself to take breaks. Taking a few extra steps like these have stopped me from wasting all of the effort it can take to get started by scrolling on Reels.
I’m currently staring down the barrel of the longest and most complicated piece of academic work I’ve ever attempted. The senior thesis feels like a uniquely Sisyphean task. No amount of reading I do could bring me to the clarity I feel is needed. No amount of time outlining could make me feel prepared to understand how I will structure this. It honestly feels like there’s no way to make a dent in this monstrous undertaking. And yet, I felt the same way about my JP, and the same way about studying for my CHM 302 final, and even the same way about the personal statement that helped me get into Princeton. In truth, even though the thesis is novel in its scale and form, it is just another project that can only get done if I actually start. I’m hopeful that whatever it is you’re avoiding, you can see it as just the next project you’ll conquer, starting now.
— Stanley Stoutamire, Social Sciences Correspondent