It should be a simple answer, but it’s not. Procrastination is an action every person on this planet has done at least once in their life, so me doing it too shouldn’t be shocking. 

People who procrastinate do so simply because they want to prolong the time before they have to do something they don’t want to. Now, I’m not saying that my reasons for procrastinating are different. They are the same. But, I feel like there is a larger underlying reason for it.

As soon as I was old enough to have my own responsibilities, I began to procrastinate. My responsibilities back then are still pretty similar to mine now. Normal obligations for a child like homework, cleaning my room, washing dishes, etc. These aren’t difficult things to accomplish, but for some reason I would always avoid doing them.

When I would procrastinate in the past I’d usually just do other things I’m obligated to do, but I would always end up completing the original task  within one or two days.

For example, if I had to do homework I would clean instead, and if I had to clean I’d do my homework. 

This is a normal example of how one acts when procrastinating. Not completing a task because you don’t want to do it and finishing another one in its place instead. Which, like I said before, was how I used to procrastinate. But now, the way I procrastinate has changed.

Now when I procrastinate, I end up doing things that I don’t have to do instead of the things I need to do. Instead of replacing my obligations with completing a different obligation, I play games, watch shows, or go on social media to avoid doing it. I’ll leave my clothes lying in piles on my room’s floor and I tell myself I’ll clean it, but I never do. I always play a game or something and I can see the clothes around me, but I never clean it. 

The fact that my clothes are on the floor is always on my mind, bothering me, but I still never clean it. I’ll be playing a game and I think to myself, maybe I should clean it up, and I’ll try, but I only put a few things away then go do something else.

This applies to me having to do homework as well. Like right now, I’m writing this essay one day before it’s due when it was assigned almost two months ago. I’ve had plenty of time to complete it and I didn’t. And it’s not like I forgot about it. I thought about this assignment everyday since it was assigned and always said I would do it, but I never did. 

I avoided doing this summer homework because I wanted to spend my summer doing things I enjoy. But, pushing off this assignment only caused me to be stressed and do less things with my summer time. Everyday I would stress over deciding whether I should complete the homework or have fun and play a game or go out with my family.

I’ve never felt this overwhelmed before when procrastinating. Which is why I became so invested in finding out why I procrastinate.

After honestly reflecting on myself I think I found the answer.

I avoid my responsibilities because I’m afraid it will waste the time I have to do fun things. But the longer I avoid it, I end up not doing anything at all with my time because I’m too busy stressing about whether I should be productive or not. And as the due date for completing these obligations draws near, I’ll be even more overwhelmed trying to complete it in a small amount of time.

My fear of wasting my time doing things I don’t want to do and not having enough time to participate in the things I enjoy is why I procrastinate.