How to get things done at the last minute

When it’s too late for I-told-you-sos, here’s the pep talk you need.

Obviously it’s a bad idea to leave that assignment to the last minute, but sometimes you’ve forgotten all about it, been too busy, got distracted by something shiny or needed to put some more work into your fursona. Whatever. The time for excuses is over and the time for crunching is here. Let’s do this thing.

Get your bodily needs met

Grab some snacks, some caffeinated drinks and whatever else you think you’ll need for the next few hours. You don’t want to give yourself any excuses to get up until this thing is done. (OK, fine, we’re not saying you should use a bedpan at your desk. It’s alright to use the toilet if you’re busting.)

Turn off your phone and other distractions

Until you finish this assignment, you’re not scrolling Insta, watching “just one” Netflix ep or Googling anything that isn’t directly relevant to the task at hand. You’re an assignment machine.

Pump that motivational soundtrack

If you don’t have a personalised motivational soundtrack, pencil that in for another day. Until then, find one online – there are heaps on Spotify and YouTube (this one is pretty epic). Don’t spend too much time on finding the perfect one – press play and get to work. For most people, music without lyrics is the best option here, but it really is a personal thing.

Do a super-quick scoping of the project

Your instinct is probably to dive in, all panicked and start cranking out nonsense to get this thing done. A better idea is to take a breath, eat a handful of snack and have a proper think about what you need to do. Quickly break the project down into sections – it’ll help you get motivated, and you’ll do much better work if it’s broken down in separate, smaller tasks.

Don’t worry about things being perfect

Honestly, it’s too late for that. Your priority here is to get something down on paper. The scoping you did in the last step will help you smash through this thing, but it’s important to keep the momentum going. When you finish a section, cross it off, stand up and stretch, then get back to work.

If you have time, review your work

Even if you’ve pulled an all-nighter and collapsed into bed an hour before you have to get up to hand it in, take a moment to reread what you’ve written and fix anything glaring. In this scenario, every mark counts. (If you have slightly more time, ask someone else to give it a once-over – especially if they got a better night’s sleep than you.)