For two weeks, I searched online for information to write my research paper. I read and re-read the question that we were to answer, until it was just a jumble of words that made no sense. Truth be told, I didn’t like the “how” part of the question. It’s easy to explain how. Explaining why takes a little more effort.

And essentially, that was the direction I took. I started and stopped writing my research paper several times. So many times, in fact, that by the time the due date rolled around, I had a hodge podge of paragraphs that made up roughly 1.5 pages of the required eight.

The library grand opening was Friday and I worked from 8 to 5 that day, on two hours sleep. When I came home, I fell asleep for an hour and then kicked myself for wasting time on such a worthless activity. Real women don’t need naps.

A cup of coffee later, I was ready to begin. I wrote. For a solid 4.5 hours, I wrote. I looked up further research to support my points. At the end of it all, I was a page short. But I was sick of it. I didn’t care anymore. I finished my bibliography and started to proofread it one last time. I made it halfway through when I realized my brain had already turned in for the evening. In a stupor, I submitted my paper with 12 minutes to spare before the deadline.

There were challenges that faced me over the past two weeks, for certain. I can’t escape the fact that my own procrastination played a part, though, and I was angry with myself for submitting what I felt was sub par work. (I just read it again and it’s not as terrible as I feared, but I’ve still done better.)

Even so, I told myself that I wasn’t going to be upset with the outcome. I have a history of choosing classes based on their workload in relation to other classes I’m taking and what’s happening in my life otherwise. Had this assignment been listed on the syllabus, I would have dropped the class immediately and taken it during a semester that wasn’t already fraught with chaos.

Still, it was with great trepidation that I logged into my course last night to learn what grade I’d received. Out of 100 points, I earned… 100 points. And her comments were glowing. I’m a wonderful writer. I express myself so well. My paper was very well researched and I did a fantastic job.

So, now I have to wonder… if I stop procrastinating and put forth the greatest effort for every little thing I do, how long will it be before world domination is mine?

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