Rose Bialk/The Mossy Log
According to Mark Twain’s account, Benjamin Franklin once said “Never leave that for tomorrow, which you can do today.” Franklin’s words encapsulate the ultimate solution to procrastination. Have you ever felt like there are not enough hours in a day? Well, so did Franklin. And though Franklin was not responding to Moodle discussion posts or looming over study abroad applications, he did struggle with meeting his own high expectations and pursuing his academics. If you are looking to be the most productive version of yourself, to overcome procrastination — to say, “2026 is my year,” then look no further.
At the forefront of every period of procrastination, is a mental block. Mental blocks are nothing rare, especially not to the average college student. However, it is important to remember that they are only mental. Blocks can appear for a variety of reasons: the task takes too much time, too much energy, too much focus or is just something you really do not want to do. Any justifications as to why the task is too difficult are merely excuses invented to protect our sense of comfort.
The truth is that nothing difficult has ever been accomplished by staying within one’s comfort zone. You have to make yourself uncomfortable to move forward but mitigating the discomfort is a big help to taking those first steps. If it is starting your homework, study in a comfy spot; if it is sticking to a workout routine, go with a friend to the gym; or if it is eating healthier, look into fun new recipes to try.
If you still feel stuck in your bad habits, you need compartmentalization. Doing something uncomfortable is easier said than done, so what can be done? While having ambitious goals is commendable, it is infinitely more practical to go about achieving these goals a little at a time. If you
take tasks in parts, for instance, You make consistent progress, lighten the expectations for yourself and come that much closer to seeing it finished. For example, if you have a stressful looming assignment, instead of fitting the task into the last days before it is due, you can start dividing it up on day one. After you have started the smallest possible thing you can, move on. Upon returning to it, you will already have taken the first step.
Once it comes time to finish the assignment, you will have been thinking about it for long enough to develop a plan of action. Each day, having thought about it, the task shrinks, becoming smaller and less daunting. This concept does not only apply to homework, but to any area of goal actualization. If you are looking to be more social, improve wellness practices, show up for others — you cannot do it all at once. You can hang out with someone you have not connected with recently, learn about self-care practices, ask more questions of those around you. Having started something is always better than having done nothing.
The second step in the cycle of self-improvement is awareness. Once you recognize your discomfort and are able to manage the mental blocks you face, a shift in productivity occurs. To become a proactive participant in life, it is up to you to look beyond your current circumstances. Again the concept of gradual progress becomes stringent here.
When you remain aware of your opportunities and seek to know all your chances for development — for any goal — you broaden the expectations of your progress. Improvement cannot simply be made in doing a sufficient bare minimum, but going beyond what is thought capable, one step at a time. So do what you can today, you will have that much more opportunity tomorrow. As the wise Ben Franklin wrote, “You may delay, but Time will not.”
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