The Procrastination Trap

Here we are. The bane of high school and college students everywhere.

You're given weeks to do a project, which would be simple, but who can deny the temptations of more desirable activities such as hanging with friends, playing games or sports, and watching some good ol' tv. We tell ourselves over and over to focus on schoolwork, but it rarely works. Everyone's got this problem, in one form or another. But how do you solve it?

Well, I'm here to say that it's possible. Through an honest desire to cure oneself, it is entirely easy to turn a potential problem into the solution. What do I mean? Well, perhaps waiting until the last minute isn't such a bad thing. For example, it heightens the desire to do an activity substantially. Out of the need to accomplish an assignment, motivation skyrockets.

The only thing is, you have to strategically procrastinate. By this, I mean plan your work. Compose a list of the meaningless tasks you see as potential hazards to your project. By doing this, you will gain peace of mind in knowing the things that lie before you. And then it's time to work. You will switch up between working on your large goal and doing the small things. Slowly but surely, you will begin to accomplish your large goal, while feeling satisfied in completing the small tasks that you have written down. Your list will become your loading bar toward the end game.

If you're anything like me, this will help tremendously. I find myself thinking of all sorts of compromises to stave off working on large projects, and through making a list, I can organize anything and everything that needs to get done. Try it out, and if it cures your problem, you're welcome. If not, you tried: no harm done.

Summer's On Its Way

Ah, the time of year when it's warm and bright, when you can stay inside and stay up all night. It's about to be summer, and everyone knows it. But what are you going to do?

A lot of the people I know will spend that extra time studying and preparing for the school year to come. LOL. But seriously, what's better than hanging out with friends and maybe some family, chilling out and having fun all day long? Nothing I can think of. So that's where I'll be found all summer long, in the company of fellow fun loving teenagers.

But that's not all. I had almost forgotten about the five weeks of intense "learning" I'll be doing due to my admission into the Governor's Scholar Program. While I'm very glad to have been accepted, I can't help finding myself a little disappointed to miss out on such a long period of summer fun with friends. But I simply keep telling myself that I'll have fun with the new people I meet there. After all, plenty of other high school students are going to be at similar camps and things, so I'm not in the minority. Plus, I've decided to have a little extra fun with it.

I was thinking of how to mix up my experience, and I've come to the conclusion that it may be entertaining to act a little differently around the members of the camp. I haven't chosen how to act yet, but among the possible faux personalities are: Hardcore Conservative, Stuck-up Snob, and Foreigner. So, I'll pick one and stick to it. Hopefully it'll be worth some good laughs, and an interesting series of events.

My Music Review

So I know everyone's been wondering this very questions, "What music should I listen to?"

Well, I'm here to help, because I've decided to share knowledge of music, as well as my adept ear for classy music to influence whoever will listen. So here we go.

Easy Listening

Red Hot Chili Peppers - If you've never heard of the good ol' peppers, you've missed out. Cruising into the popularity scene in the 90's, they've maintained a significant role in music ever since. They've got some big hits, like "Under the Bridge" and "Scar Tissue", but unlike most bands today, their music is of such a quality that you could listen non-stop for hours to every song on an album of theirs.

Heavy-ish

Chiodos - Not for the faint of heart, this music will surely get your blood pumping. They're not of the same variety as most, and aren't too heavy for someone interested in an array of music genres. The lead singer makes the band; but along with the inventive melodies, Chiodos has constructed a truly unique sound.

Feel-good Music

MGMT - While I'm sure not everyone could agree with me, MGMT is by far one of my favorite bands. Their songs truly inspire me, and every time I listen to them, I feel a little better. They have an interesting electric/techno-ish sound that's catchy.

Well, that's all I'm going to grace you all with tonight, so investigate and hopefully you will take a liking to these artists.

Attaining Happiness

When you think of being happy, how do you see yourself?

I ask this because many would say that they want to be rich, good looking, have a nice house or have a hot boyfriend/girlfriend. They may not even say it out loud, but I would venture to guess that there are plenty who quietly yearn for these things. But what really would make you happy? I'm talking smooth sailing, relaxed, raw joy that seems to only be achieved after work is over and old age has caused an end to a hectic schedule. And even then, it's not a guarantee that you'll be happy and old.

I'm not claiming to know the secret to happiness; there isn't one. I believe that we make our happiness ourselves, and that we're all in charge of this. When you let the bad stuff take over your mind, you'll find it very difficult to keep the shiny outlook that you'd like. So what I'm saying is this: take things into your own hands, and out of the world. Take responsibility for your own actions, and through this you can revel in the bright side of things. Keep telling yourself to block out the bad, and you'll be able to. It's a common rule that you tend to find what you look for. Look for the good things in life, and you'll surely find them. But you have to believe it; if you don't, there's still some part of you that's saying you're not going to be happy, and you have to get rid of it.

To wrap up, it's all in your head. Over time, controlling your emotions is achievable, and should be learned by everyone. It IS possible, I'd know. As collected as I am now, I was once an off the handle anger junky. But not anymore, for I've learned to control my own happiness. And man does it feel great.