Jul 23, 2009

Procrastinator Speaks...

As I read this post @ Neophyte’s Blog,
I was dragged down into the dark dungeon, which had a brightly-illuminated, shiny something. A MIRROR.

It was as if reading about myself, the way I have survived the 4 years of my Medical School till now. I would not reiterate the way I did have a zeal during my high school. To achieve something, to perform well. No, To Excel in what-so-ever task assigned.

With my entrance into medical school, came a sense of carelessness, or rather, I would out it as - - > a sense of mediocrity.

Somehow, I didn’t feel like excelling, didn’t feel like being exceptional, but just being someone amongst the ordinary. Just another medical student.

I convinced (and consoled) myself by believing that I had actually been through this really-tormenting-stress-situation,(referring to the Pre-Medical Tests), which had taken a mammoth chunk of my energy and left me prostrated.
And like a women, who has gone through recent labour, I wanted to rest, and replenish, and regain my energy with time, so that I am prepared for another pregnancy ..errm…..Another such arduous task, some time later.

Even a female takes 2-3 years to be back in form, But, I just couldn’t.

All these 4 years (the time I was supposed to be recharging myself with the ‘will to be extraordinary’) I has such fun, had such an easy life. A life, I have fallen completely in love with. The life where I talk, have fun, with friends, all ‘sans’ the turn-off component – Studies. It lured me into a place where I started procrastinating.

I agree, I never had it by default.
But, now, it just seems to be an essential-added-feature of the new version (Beta version of Tele! – Medica version of Tele !! )

Such is this long-acting drug, that it has reached rocket-high levels in my blood, and I have become psychologically dependent. (And, to confess, actually-physiological dependence too has started culminating)

Once a procrastinator, always a procrastinator !

I would not like to believe it, But, I have to accept, this DOES happen.

I have deferred my studies, so many times, for such long times, that I have been stationed at a particular point. << Feels like being stagnant through ages. >>
And also, to note, I have required my friends, the current of water, which have pushed me some meters away from my previous points. And, now, I always need a constant optimum push from them.

I have become so much disabled, that I have forgotten my own-inherent-ability to drift.

Or, would say, have kept it dormant. Consciously & willingly & deliberately.

I do get up from this sleep, occasionally, only to discover that a book in hand, thoughts in mind, and a somewhere-else wandering brain, does no good. And alas, end up hibernating again.


For the past few months, I have been awake. ( I would-like-to-believe-so)
Awake, as regards Studies. Have tried to do some tit-bits, at damn slow speed. * I appreciate that, at-least, I have been in motion!
~ Although, the relative motion graph pictures me clearly losing the battle, but, I am MORE-THAN-HAPPY.

Witnessing the change in me over this period, I thought that, Hey, I really am outta the ‘Procrastinating Phase’.
But, No.
If it wasn’t acads, it had to be something else.
This something else – happens to be my Research.

Over-zealously, I started this stuff,
maniacally, I fought for it (during my the thence going ‘University Pre-Final exams’)
and impractically scheduled it for Final Part-2.
The toughest year of any medic’s life. Not to forget, the cruelest, the meanest, the the morale-shatterer & the psychiatric-disease inducer.

Research made me re-search for the procrastinating element of my soul.

And here I am, after having discovered it, am wearing this good-old-attire of mine & not been doing my self-chosen job since the past 3 weeks.

I have been left with very less time & lots of work.
And to add to it, the pressure of one more dream project of mine – The College Magazine work is keeping me on my toe-nails.

All this is seriously gonna kill me, or at-least stupor me once. Very soon indeed.

I, praying-ly hope, that I successfully overcome the procrastinator in me & rise from the ashes !! (Ala Phoenix !)

;-)

12 comments:

Aniruddha Agarwal said...

Oh don't write such stuff...

This is infectious :(
But nice you're a part of coll mag. I had a gr8 time doing it. Best of luck :-)

Ketan said...

TJ,

This was a very touching post. I could totally empathize with you.

For me, this kind of procrastination happened because of certain kind of aimlessness--not finding any point in learning about useless information that didn't have any immediate practical application. Having to memorize all those things, rather than understanding them.

Also, college life, especially if spent away from home is a period of self-discovery, as well as testing ground for theories we'd have learnt about people and the world. We see loyalty, disloyalty, jealousy, affection and get caught in it all.

But believe me, life's not all about how many people you leave behind you. When that becomes your goal, you actually end up living on terms set by those you beat! You have to do that thing better that those you're leaving behind are doing.

But then life is also about survival and livelihood and not developing contempt for the self.

I've seen far too many people who try to run too fast. All the times. They don't realize and then that fatigue is permanent. You've a forty year-long career ahead. :)

So don't worry. Make sure you enjoy whatever you do. Try to learn things conceptually.

I'd dealt with related issues in this poem (click) and this small diary-like entry (click). Do go through them if time permits.

All the best!

TC.

S.S. said...

hehe.

I miss the desperation.

YEah, Neophyte's post set me thinking too.

High time, I am fed up of stagnancy. Want a blast and burn. lol

lolz

Arps said...

OMG!! the was sooo me!!

okay maybe not the 'i-wasn't-always-like-this' bit ...coz i have been the laziest person amongst my lot since pre-med days!!
but of course, med has helped me reach new highs! \m/

as for you: well final has the nasty habit of making you feel like the dumbest person there ever was in med school! but dont worry, it all ends well in the end!

:D just keep moving!

and waiting for the mag!

Arps said...

oh..and love the image u got!!
lol.

deluded said...

haha.

of course, that touched a cord.

the spinal one :)

yay for TJ!

Suruchi said...

aw...it's just a phase and u'll find ur way...once the realization of something dawns in..clear bright sunshines generally follow:)
loved the terse yet flowy way in which u've put up things here...
great job:)

Dr S. said...

Oh yes...this post certianly brings back memories of medical school hell.

Our course was designed to have three preclinical years followed by three practical clinical years. Those preclinical years still give me palpitations when i think about them...hours and hours of being snowed under by heavy textbooks. Having to learn an entirely new vocabulary of words which have no meaning besides the theory one has learned.

I'll happily admit that I was depressed...and as such constantly cavorting in the place of procrastination.

I soon learned that procrastination is the mother of all fuck ups, not assumption!

Which is why i failed three out of my six subjects in my first year.

After being a golden all rounded wonder child at school, I slipped off the radar into "couldn't give a shit anymore" rebellion. I think I went through proper puberty at med school, having missed out during my school years!!!

So, in summary, I feel your pain!!!!!

It gets better though, I promise.

Like Tim Robbins said in "shawshank redemption", sometimes you have to wade through a river of shit to come out clean on the other side.

mgeek said...

"...the way I have survived the 4 years of my Medical School..."

Seriously,some body Should make a reality show on us ;-)

Tele Jane said...

@ Anirrudha-
Yeah, It IS a Community Acquired Infection.Highly Contagious. More communicable than the ongoing flu. :D
I, too, acquired it thru Neophyte. :(

@ Ketan-
Thanks for your valuable advices, Sir. Its ur experience that's speaking. Thanks. :)

Tele Jane said...

@ Chiya-
@ Arps-
I just hope I come out of this year, alive with my confidence unscathed. Don't wanna actually end up being a REAL DUMBO. (Altho, I happen to be a certified one!!) :D

@deluded-
haha :B !!

@Suruchi-
Yeah, dear...its a phase. But, wanna get past it asap.
Thanks !! :)

Tele Jane said...

@ Dr S.-

"sometimes you have to wade through a river of shit to come out clean on the other side."

Loved it !! ;)

@mgeek-
Naah...Such a reality show shouldn't ever be made!!
It would lead to another pandemic. We would be responsible for bringing this disease in the mainstream.
haha !
:)