What’s the Rush?

We’ve all heard that we shouldn’t procrastinate. That we should start writing as soon as possible to develop our ideas and allow for any potential changes. And sometimes we do start writing early. But more often than not we bide our time and wait until the last minute to do the bulk of the work. Why do we do this, when it limits the time we have to work, makes us panic, and can result in sloppy papers?

 

Most people would say it’s because we’re lazy or that we have poor planning skills. I will be the first to admit that I’m not fond of working nor am I great at following a self-made plan. So, those may very well figure into why I procrastinate when I know not to. But I think there are two other reasons for why we procrastinate. The first is that we need the rush that comes from racing the clock. The adrenaline that’s produced when worrying about a deadline heightens our senses and allows us to understand the gravity of our situation. When you rush, every word and thought counts because you won’t have much time to fix it. So, you have to commit to an idea and run with it as far as you can. I am terribly indecisive, so if I have too much time on my hands then I will try to explore every possible route. And I can’t impose a limit on myself because I will just change the limit whenever I feel like it. But time is the one restriction I can’t change, so it’s the only one I need.

 

The second reason is that we’re like crocodiles. Crocodiles spend most of their time floating on the water. If you were to see one, you’d think it was lazy and not worthy of its fearsome reputation. But you would change your mind once you saw it eat. When prey appears, crocodiles jump into action with unparalleled speed. They expend their energy in one swift and brutal attack that lasts only a few seconds. They clamp their jaws onto their prey and refuse to let go. While they appeared to be “lazily” floating on the water, they were conserving their energy for this one moment. And writer’s who procrastinate are the same way. Rather than spend our energy in short work sessions over multiple weeks writing a paper, we prefer to expend our energy in extended work sessions over one or two days. It allows us to conserve our energy while maximizing profit.

 

That’s not to say procrastination is a perfect writing method. If you’re not careful you can make mistakes in your haste or burn yourself out if you work on too many assignments in a short period of time. As such, I would never advise anyone to procrastinate. But for those like myself who work best with a countdown over their heads, I won’t advise you to change either.

 

 

Contributed by: Cameron Weekes, Writing Center intern