“I’m not good at the last minute. It’s really fraught with risk and extra expense. I’m much better doing things the first minute instead.”
If you’re a senior who’s starting your holiday break with unfinished applications staring at you, the opportunity to complete the work in the first minute passed long ago. I know you’re not happy about it. I know you realized they were important and you wanted to start earlier. And now you’re here, wishing circumstances were different and that you’d gotten much further than you have. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that you’re not quite at the last minute, yet. You’re actually at the second-to-last minute. So if this sounds like your situation, (1) Don’t lament what’s happened (or not happened), and (2) Double down on your application efforts.
Regret isn’t a useful emotion for you right now. It will only sap both your energy and your creativity at the very time that you need your full reserves. You can’t change what happened before—you’re better served redirecting all that mental energy towards your applications.
Starting today, make applications your most important daily priority. You still have the opportunity to avoid the frantic scrambling to press the “Submit” button just before the deadline. And even more importantly, an earlier finish will mean there’s more of your holiday break to enjoy, application free.
The first minute may be gone, but the last isn’t here yet. So make the second-to-last minute count.