Understanding and Overcoming Procrastination

Awareness –  Think about the reasons you procrastinate, your habits and thoughts that lead to procrastination.

Evaluate –  What emotions lead to procrastination and how does it make you feel? Are these positive, productive emotions: do you want to change them?

Perspective –  Change your perspective. Looking at a big task in terms of smaller parts makes it less daunting. Look at what appeals to you or what you want to get out of an assignment beyond the grade.

Commit –  If you are feeling stuck, start by committing to completing a small task, any task, and write it down. Finish it and reward yourself. Only write things on your schedule or “to do” list that you can fully commit to, and if you do write them down, follow through no matter what. By doing this, you will gradually rebuild the confidence that many procrastinators lose, that you will actually do what you say you will do.

Environment –  ​​Choose wisely where and with whom you study when doing school work. Repeatedly putting yourself in situations where you’re not doing much, such as “studying” in bed, at a coffee shop, or with friends, can actually be a form of procrastination, a method of avoiding work.

Goals  –  Focus on what you want to do, not what you want to avoid. Consider productive reasons for doing a task by setting positive, concrete, meaningful learning and achievement goals for yourself.

Be Realistic –  Achieving goals and changing habits takes time and effort; Don’t sabotage yourself by having unrealistic expectations that you can’t meet.

Self-talk –  Pay attention to how you think and talk to yourself. Talk to yourself in ways that remind you of your goals and replace old, unproductive self-talk habits. Instead of saying, “I wish I hadn’t,” say, “I will…”

Unscheduled – Make a largely unstructured, flexible schedule where you accommodate only what is necessary. Track all the time you spend achieving your goals and reward yourself for it. This can reduce feelings of overwhelm and increase satisfaction with what you are doing.