Teen Breathe Magazine

I’ll do it tomorrow… I’ll do it later… I’ll do it when I’ve slept better / have more time / finished this game… it’s so easy to put off a task that you don’t really want to do, even when deep down you know it needs to be done. The problem is, putting things off (also known as procrastinating) is a habit, and the more you do it, the stronger it gets.

The good news is there are things you can do to kick the ‘I’ll do it later’ habit and swap it for an ‘I’m doing this now’ one instead. Catching the stories you’re telling yourself can be a great place to start. You won’t revise now because you’ll feel more in the mood for it later… will you really? You can’t start studying today because you don’t have the right kind of notebook to work in… is that the only reason?

Catch the stories a couple of times, and soon they’ll get easier to spot. Then you can start to make decisions based on the results you want, instead of how you feel in that moment. Putting something off feels good, but accomplishment and satisfaction feel even better. Start small and build your ‘I’m doing this now’ habit bit by bit, and who knows what you might find you’re capable of?