The Problem With “I’ll Do It Later”

By: Inaaya Muktadir

Ever heard or spoken the phrases “If the due date is tomorrow, the do date is tomorrow”  or “If it’s not due today, I’m not doing it today”? Yeah, me too.. Despite knowing that it’s basically a trap, I think most of us have heard or said some variation of this. So what’s the harm with saying things like “I’ll do it later”? Let’s dive into it. 

The issue with putting things off like that is that you basically manifest your suffering into existence and put yourself up to struggle. Essentially, I’m saying you pre-determine your fate. So knowing this, why do people procrastinate anyways? When the human brain gets too overwhelmed by a task, it interprets it as a threat. Stress hormones kick in, and the instinct is to avoid it. The brain believes it’s protecting you and provides a sense of temporary relief.

A lot of students brush this off and claim that they “work better under pressure.” This phenomenon is often induced by the sense of urgency kicking in accompanied by an adrenaline rush. Though this can help with focus, too much stress can reduce the ability to critically think and plan. It’s just your brain forcing you to rush through and finish instead of letting you do your best work. 

Another big consequence of this behavior is that work piles up. One task due turns into two, then three, and possibly even more! Suddenly you’re overwhelmed with work and you may even fall behind in the process. This for one increases stress, reduces quality of the work, and makes it even harder to find motivation which will push you further into the loop. 

Everyone is different, so some things may be more or less efficient for different individuals, but here’s some tips to help break the pattern and to help prevent this.

• Plan ahead: Write a to-do list, organize what needs to be done, how you’re going to do them, and the order in which you will do them. Set mini deadlines to make your tasks feel more manageable.

• Prioritize urgent tasks: Focus on the most important or time-sensitive work first so you don’t get overwhelmed by everything at once. 

• Break it up: Divide large tasks into smaller pieces so your brain doesn’t see the assignment as a threat. This also helps to build momentum.

• Remove distractions: Put your phone in another room, log out of social media, or set a timer.

• Change your environment: If your current spot isn’t working for you, a quiet space or different study spot can help your brain focus.

• Reward yourself: After completing a piece of work, do something you enjoy or set aside a treat for yourself to have. 

As can be seen, “I’ll do it later” is a trap your brain sets for you, so next time you catch yourself saying it, take a small step instead. Your brain and future self will definitely be grateful.