Stephanie Marinelli ‘25, Managing Editor
In all my 19 years of living, I have never struggled with procrastination as much as I have this year. I honestly don’t know what happened between last May and this September, but whatever it is, I don’t like it. I feel completely unmotivated to start any of my assignments early, and have to take frequent breaks when I’m working on something. Maybe it’s because I was on such a roll last year, and so the universe has decided it’s time to humble me a bit. In that case, I’ll continue to put my head down, and silently fight it. But I truly don’t think there is anyone or thing to blame here but myself–I am completely in control of my life balance.
Once the soccer season ended, things only got worse. I was given more time to waste, which I would spend rotting away in bed for hours, as if I was “making up for lost time.” Now relaxation is absolutely necessary for one’s well-being, but in moderation. Sometimes, you have to work for the rest a bit, which, in turn, makes the rest much more fulfilling. But if all you do is rest, the activity’s value starts to diminish– and you find yourself still worrying about the things you are putting off, laying paralyzed under the sheets. It’s a horrible feeling, but the safety of it often trumps these unpleasant thoughts, making it incredibly difficult to change your ways.
Image Sourced from: The Pitt News
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But it’s necessary. I know it. Experiencing failure, while painful, creates a beautiful contrast against success. “Playing it safe” makes life mundane, and dulls the everyday highs and lows.
I need to stop living in fear–it’s preventing me from socially, mentally, physically, and spiritually progressing. If I fail a test, so what, it happens–just work to make sure it doesn’t happen again (and guess what, it probably will anyway!).
