Living in the Shadow of Procrastination

Hey everyone! I’m Angus, one of the editors here.

“We need 20 slides for the presentation? No problem! There’s still half a day left. I can totally finish it in time. I’ll just watch five more minutes of this video first.”

Sound familiar? That’s exactly what I told myself back in April while preparing for a school club event. And yeah... that’s also one of the many times I gave in to procrastination. I’m sure you’ve been there too. You tell yourself it’ll only take 30 minutes, maybe an hour — but next thing you know, it’s been three hours and you haven’t even started.

“Ugh, this is all procrastination’s fault...”

That thought always pops into my head whenever I miss a deadline. But is procrastination really all bad? And more importantly, how do we deal with it?

Let’s rewind a bit. Even though I knew putting things off would only lead to regret and guilt, I still kept making excuses. Part of me doubted whether I was even capable of doing the presentation well. Another part just didn’t want to “open Pandora’s box” and deal with the stress that might come with starting it.

We’re kind of like slingshots — the closer the deadline, the more pressure builds up. And when that pressure gets too intense, we just want to run away, like when we see a snake. So instead of getting to work, I kept scrolling through my phone, trying to escape. In the end, procrastination stuck to me like a shadow, dragging me down and messing up all my plans.

And when it’s all over, not only do I have to deal with late submissions and being seen as irresponsible, but I also end up blaming myself for not stepping up.

Honestly, we all procrastinate — whether it’s schoolwork, studying, or even simple things like eating or going to sleep. It’s super common. So instead of forcing ourselves to be “productive” all the time, maybe we should start by understanding why we procrastinate.

Procrastination is actually a signal. It’s our brain telling us something’s up. Take me for example — sometimes I just want to watch more videos. Not just because I enjoy it, but also maybe because school’s been overwhelming and I need a break. Or maybe I find a particular assignment so boring or frustrating that I just want to avoid it.

In those cases, a little procrastination might actually mean that we need to take a short break. And that’s okay — we don’t need to feel guilty about taking breaks. But if you start noticing that procrastination is getting out of control, like missing deadlines, always rushing things last-minute, or staying up till 3AM to finish stuff — then it’s time to ask yourself: “What’s really going on?”

For me, I try to have honest check-ins with myself. When I catch myself procrastinating, I’ll ask: “Am I scared of failing? Am I confused about how to start? Or do I just need rest?” I give myself a quiet moment to reflect and feel what I’m feeling. Then, I’ll set a short “buffer time” to rest — guilt-free — and use an alarm to remind myself when it’s time to get back on track.

Here’s another tip: If you’re always missing deadlines, try setting an earlier internal deadline than the real one! (This is a trick we always use in our student club to make sure everyone submits things on time OwO). For example, if my economics exam is on September 7, I’ll write “Revise Econ” on my planner for September 1. That way, I give myself some space to procrastinate a little, and still have time to fix things if needed.

Looking up at Lion Rock from the ground, the top might seem super far away. You might feel like giving up before you even begin. But no one becomes great overnight. Every successful story has its own behind-the-scenes battle with procrastination — whether it’s finishing homework or surviving public exams. Don’t think you can reach the top? Then break the journey into small steps, and take it one bit at a time.

No motivation to study? Try resetting your goals like short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. For me, I set a short-term goal of studying 6 hours of Math a week, a mid-term goal of scoring over 80 on my Math midterm, and a long-term goal of getting a Level 5+ in DSE Math. Step by step, I move closer to my ultimate goal.

If you can push through the nightmare of procrastination and survive those long, tough nights, you’ll find the most beautiful sunrise waiting for you.

Let’s keep going — we’ve got this! 💪

[Yeh tbh... I actually procrastinated for a whole month before finishing this article too. But hey, what needs to be done will eventually get done. Just believe in yourself! When life gives you lemons, make lemonade and lemon cakes -w-]