For me procrastination is a powerful tool to determine the need to do something else instead. Everything but the task that needs doing seems terribly attractive, very alluring.

For example, weeding or watching TV; washing the dishes or texting back a reply to one’s best friend; folding the laundry or baking a chocolate cake; a no brainer for me really. I prefer to do what I like doing, what I enjoy.

So I fall into the gap of something else and it takes precedence over what needs doing. I surprise myself in how I persuade myself unconsciously and at times consciously with a number of mind comforting reasons why something else has more priority.  Something else is always easier to do than what I have to do right now.  

My mother points this out to me and I deny this is so. Later as part of my daily reflections before falling asleep, I think about the validity of her observation. 

Sometimes it is the last minute adrenaline rush which pushes me to answer homework questions more efficiently, to remember facts more clearly, complete assignments quickly. However this process is also stressful. By procrastinating, I find myself rushing. This can sometimes be more stressful, less exhilarating. Why am I doing this?

I decide to take a radical stance and ditch something else in favour of Nike’s three powerful words, “Just Do It”. A few minutes are wasted as something else wrestles just do it. I give myself an incentive – a wonderful bar of chocolate if I do it the Nike way. It has sweetened the deal.

I also negotiate with something else and tell myself I will enjoy it more once I do what needs to be done. Unfortunately, once the task is completed, the chocolate consumed just too quickly, I find the allure of something else disappearing as quickly as my chocolate, which by the way had generous amounts of crunchy almonds. Looks like I will just do it, ahem, later. Now where can I find more chocolate?