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=This I Believe = Allyson Green is studying Communications at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado.

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= = = = = = =//I believe in Procrastination. //= ==People may say that procrastination has negative consequences, may damage credibility or makes you a lazy person. I disagree. I believe that procrastination has brought out the best in me. Procrastination has helped me slow down and simply enjoy my life. == == My sister recently got married and asked me to be her maid of honor. Although this was a huge privilege for me, I knew this also meant that I had to give a speech in front of a large crowd. I am not someone who enjoys standing up and confessing my emotions in front of a few hundred people, but I knew I had to do it. My sister got engaged on October 1st, 2009 and got married on December 31st, 2010. This gave me exactly 457 days to prepare. For some people this might have meant 456 nights tossing and turning in anxiety, or 456 days practicing in front of the mirror worrying about every facial movement. Instead of pulling out my hair due to stress, I chose to call upon my old friend procrastination and enjoyed my life in the mean time. == == By procrastinating, I was able to have fun at the bachelorette party, enjoy the dress fittings and get wrapped up in whatever small wedding detail seemed oh-so important. I was fully engaged in the role of maid of honor, which meant I could actually enjoy myself and devote my energy toward helping my sister. I simply balled up all the stress into one single night instead of being stressed out for 457 days. On day 456 I was able write the speech and express everything I wanted to say. After seeing my sister and family wiping tears from their eyes, I knew I had given a good speech. == == The old saying of walking and chewing gum at the same time pales in comparison to the society we live in today. We are expected to be constantly updating our social networking status, text message while on the treadmill, and follow the latest fad diet. We do all this while juggling school, careers and a social life. I believe procrastination gives us a chance to slow down and gives us well-needed breathing room. Personally, I feel like a rebel when I have a huge assignment due but instead I choose to veg out on the couch and watch re-runs of //I Love Lucy//. Instead of being tired and stressed out, I procrastinate and give myself a break. Although I admit that procrastination has led me to some late nights with my coffee maker working over time. But for me, being a little tired and strung out on caffeine is a worthwhile sacrifice for being able to enjoy my life. We hear people say all the time that life is short and this is all we got, so why not fill it with things we actually enjoy doing and deal with the not-so-fun things only when we have to. == ==By procrastinating, I am replacing high-priority tasks with low-priority tasks, and putting off important tasks to a later time. I understand procrastination may not be everyone’s choice for dealing with things, but for me, the positives greatly out weigh the negatives. I believe in procrastination…I just hope this assignment isn’t late. ==