I'll Get Around to My Zombie Later

There are many "zombies" in my life, to put it that way. I stay up super late watching YouTube videos of Good Mythical Morning and Markiplier. I go on Tumblr and just scroll through for hours on end, even if I know I don't want to waste my time doing something mindless. I go on Buzzfeed and take brain numbing quizzes, such as "This scribble will tell you how tired you are" and "which animal are you based on your zodiac sign?" . Recently, I've gotten obesessed with a game on my phone called Neko Atsume, which is basically this generation's version of Tamagotchi (I have a cat named Joe DiMeowgio and I am in love). These multiple vices have been keeping me up late at night and distracting me for hours on end. But the worst vice I have isn't electronic; though my constant connection with online media certainly does not help. The biggest zombie that I've never been able to kill is procrastination.

I have tried to win against procrastination ever since my days in middle school. There will be times where a sudden burst of motivation consumes me, and I rush to do as many assignments as I can before my usual lethargy takes over and I'm back on my phone. It's just a constant battle that I cannot seem to win. It's like this zombie can regenerate over and over again. I can take it down for a measly hour or two and then it's back again, ready and raring to take me down. My parents have attempted numerous times to help me kill this zombie. They have gotten me procrastination help books, day planners, and calendars to schedule out assignments and projects that aren't due the next day. I have heard the foreboding warnings of teachers going "You shouldn't wait until the last minute!" and "You'll regret it when you're staying up all night finishing the paper/project!". And yet it is impossible for me to heed these warnings and actually do something about it.

Now, do not get me wrong. It is not like this zombie is completely in control all the time. I'm not in honors classes for nothing. When I know that I have work to do, I will not rest until all of that homework is completed. I literally cannot fall asleep unless I know that every piece of homework is complete and I have at least glimpsed at any material for a test or quiz the next day. It just takes me forever to do it. I distinctly remember one instance of procrastination that still haunts me to this day. It was freshman year (and that year was difficult, getting used to the curriculum and the fast pacing of my classes and such) and I had a choice board project for the Odyssey and a history paper due for Kenny K. Now, I thought that I would be able to handle a couple of small projects from the choice board and writing a three page paper comparing Christianity and Islam. I was wrong. So, so wrong. I had my parents helping me until 1 AM with the choice board project, and I stayed up until 6AM doing the paper. I got about a good half hour of sleep, but I had done it. I finished the projects and slept soundly for that half hour. The next day I felt like the walking dead, so I knew in my heart of hearts that I am not cut out for all nighters.

It feels like I will have the words "time management!!!" ringing in my ears for the rest of my life. But, like the article pointed out, we just need to beat back our bad behavior until we eventually seize the day. I just beat my zombie right now, just by writing this blog. So I'll keep up the good fight and pray I don't have any all nighters planned in the fates for me. This zombie may regenerate, but I have a ton of ammo and I'm not afraid to use it.