My Battle Against Laziness by Jackson

My Battle Against Laziness by Jackson - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

In the entirety of my education, I have struggled with procrastination. My grades never suffered from procrastinating, but my mental health did. The weeks leading up to the assignments' due dates would be amazing; I would put off all my work, and I was happy doing whatever I wanted, which half the time was doomscrolling on my phone. The day an assignment was due was like a war was taking place in my house. I would be stressed out of my mind trying to complete an assignment that was meant to take weeks in a matter of hours. The worst I’ve ever procrastinated was on a fifteen-page history paper that was assigned two months before the due date, but I waited until the literal last day. I had to skip school to complete this essay, and it was the most stressful and excruciating day of my life. I was more stressed out from that paper than the first time I played quarterback in a varsity football game. After all of these years of unnecessary stress, I’ve finally found a habit to reduce my procrastination, prioritizing.

I prioritize by listing everything I need to do that day or week, so I don’t forget anything. Then I complete tasks from most to least important. For example, I study or do homework before going to the gym or meeting friends. I thought this would worsen my mental health, but it had the opposite effect. Now, assignments are turned in on time, and I don’t need to rush. Instead of sitting at home stressed, I enjoy time with friends doing what kids should do.

Without the habit of prioritizing, I wouldn’t have been able to escape the clasp of procrastination, and most importantly, wouldn’t have been able to turn my assignments in ahead of the due date. If it wasn’t for prioritizing, a few months ago, I would’ve never turned this in, but I would be on my phone doing nothing with my life.