The Thresholds of Procrastination

Holidays use to give me the liberty to write whenever I want. There are fixed points in my routine, like meals and sleep, that I do not feel the need to change. I have preferred times for writing, but laziness, combined with other unhelpful traits and emotions, often prevents me from making the most of them. However, procrastination is the real challenge. Even with the possibility of starting early, I often postpone and postpone again. Below, I describe the different times of the day when I begin writing and what each one means to me:

5 AM — Breakfast

If I am writing at this hour, it is because I am ill during the night and can not sleep. Here is the last time this happened:

The house was silent, and wanting to stay in my room until my preferred time for breakfast, writing became an excellent distraction. Surprisingly, it worked wonderfully! Words flowed naturally, edits were made without resistance, and I spent hours immersed in writing, not wanting to stop. The room lights were off, and the only glow came from the computer screen, illuminating the book. I wish writing could always feel like this (minus the physical pain, of course). But as I like to say, channeling my pain into writing is essential.

Breakfast — Lunch

Motivation alone is capable of offering so much and such good things. Getting out of bed early can be challenging, but the thought of having a long morning to tackle complex tasks is deeply rewarding. Starting the day with a steady rhythm is fantastic, allowing me to incorporate the book into my daily routine, wake my mind, and reflect on the work even before the afternoon arrives. This sets the tone for making the most of the rest of the day.

Lunch — Afternoon Snack

For me, this is the moment, the most important one, the peak of possibilities. I have achieved great things at this time, and the book often progresses with remarkable fluidity. Nothing disturbs me, except distractions. The challenge of the early afternoon is that I want to do everything: study, play games, exercise, write, watch movies or series. It is a long period, but somehow it always feels too short to fit in all my ambitions.

Afternoon Snack — Dinner

If I start writing at this time, all is not lost, but discipline seems absent. Even so, there is still enough time to salvage the day. It is a melancholic period: the sunlight fades, the cold sets in, and I am unsure whether to turn on the lights. There are breaks to use the bathroom, distractions with sports results, mild hunger, and thoughts of dinner. Why start now, when mom is almost about to call for dinner (Even though there is a window of opportunity in the next five to thirty minutes). Few are the days when I start writing at this hour and end the day feeling satisfied. But I have realized that the real issue is a lack of belief. There is still time for many things. Just because I did not accomplish much earlier, does not mean I can not achieve a lot in one or two hours. Let’s go!

After Dinner

This is when things get critical. I am not a student anymore but when I was, this was always the obligatory time for studying and completing homework, right after arriving home and eating dinner. But on holidays, it was different, it was a free day. Where did the routine go, the discipline? I do not know; they seem to have vanished. Perhaps this was once a dreaded time that I now try to turn into something productive to lift my mood. But the sleepiness sets in, and my eyes can no longer bear to look at a screen. Finding excuses, finding excuses all the time.

11 PM — 1 AM

Sometimes I love to write; sometimes I do not. And here I am, not loving it. If I am writing at this hour, it is a clear sign I procrastinated. I have been lazy all day, and by the end, I do not want to fall asleep without writing something, just to avoid feeling terrible. Unfortunately, unlike the mornings, there is no rhythm at this time. As I fall asleep, the day officially ends. Worse, this could become a habit, and it is not a desirable one. Still, it is better than writing nothing at all, though far from ideal. It was a very bad day.