Creating A Behaviour Change Plan; Procrastination Essay Sample

Growing up, my mother would constantly chastise me for being lazy. According to her lazy people tend to overwork themselves. I never thought myself lazy, no; after all I was always able to execute my duties and chores. It is not until recently that I was able to understand my problem; I was a procrastinator. I have the unenviable habit of delaying doing important things until the very last minute. This habit, for someone who seeks and glorifies excellence has proven self-defeating. I like to hand in a well-researched and impeccably written assignment but this has become harder with my progression in grades and increased number of assignments. The problem is, I have not given up my procrastination tendencies and the result is visible in my not- so- impressive grades.
I regard myself an honours student and, I have resolved to shun anything that prevents me from getting there. Procrastination is top on my list. This is not the first time I have tried to stop the habit but, I certainly have never felt a greater conviction and a stronger resolve for positive change. First off, I need to learn how to dismiss procrastination excuses. It will not be easy seeing as they are vast but it has to be done. My greatest challenge will be to give up fun activities so as to allocate ample time to more important tasks. I have always justified this habit by convincing myself that I work better under pressure. However, the results of my hurriedly done tasks speak to the contrary. For a long time, I have been a procrastinator, always avoiding the tasks that I need to accomplish until I cannot avoid them anymore. Consequently, my output continues to dissatisfy me, my family and my teachers. I have weighed the advantages and disadvantages of procrastinating and the scale tips heavily towards the disadvantages. I am convinced, now more than ever, that if I plan to make something of my life, I have to give up procrastination. I will no longer wait for tomorrow to do what I can do today. This is the only way, I believe, to attain optimal productivity.