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Procrastination
technically refers to the avoidance of a specific task or work
which needs to be accomplished. But this technical explanation
doesn't begin to capture the emotions triggered by the word. For
most of us, the word "procrastination" reminds us
of past experiences where we have felt guilty, lazy, inadequate,
anxious, or stupid--or some combination of these. It also implies
a value judgment; if you procrastinate, you are bad, and as such,
you lack worth as a person.
Procrastination seems to be a chronic
condition of many college students. Why is it so prevalent and
what can be done to prevent or manage
it? People who procrastinate often are consider themselves lazy,
but it is usually not so simple. What are some of the common
causes and possible cures?
COMMON CAUSES OF PROCRASTINATION:
- Being overextended
Is it humanly possible to meet all the obligations you currently
have? If not, can you omit or reschedule some of these obligations?
- Low
motivation
Is the task relevant to you personally? If it is another person's
goal rather than your own, try to find some personal reward or
relevance for your completing the task. Are you really interested
in the project?
If not, can you find a way to make it interesting or let go of
it?
- Lack of training
Are you unprepared or incapable of completing the task? On
a new task do you find you afraid of the unknown? Are the
expectations
ambiguous? You may want to ask for guidance, support, or a new
perspective from someone who is more familiar with the process
or skilled in
the area.
- Faulty assumptions
Are you assuming that if you ignore the task long enough it
will disappear? Do you tend to underestimate how much time
and effort
the job will take? Do you have a tendency to over-estimate the
difficulty of getting the task done? Try sitting down and writing
out each step
of the job, how long each step will take, and then tackling the
job one step at a time.
- Perfectionism
Are fears of doing a less than perfect job interfering with your
productivity? Remember that perfection is unobtainable. Often it
will feel worse to not do a job at all instead of doing it in a
less than perfect manner. Try to assess how important the task
is, and
what level of performance really matters in relation to the task.
Ask yourself "what level of performance on this task would
I expect from a friend/co-worker?"
- Fear of Evaluation
Are you over concerned with another individual's response to
your performance. Try to evaluate how much total impact upon
your life
this one reaction will have. No one performs highly all the time,
or in every area. Try to focus on completing the task in with
a goal of lessening your workload and anxiety, regardless
of the
evaluation.
- Avoidance of negative experience
Do you just HATE DOING THIS TASK? Does it rate up there with
dental visits or cleaning out the refrigerator? Is there
any way to make
it more pleasurable or enjoyable? If not, try doing the dreaded
task first, while you still have energy. Often it can be helpful
to have
a friend or co-worker nearby for encouragement (and to keep you
on task!).
PROCRASTINATION TIME MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES:
- Create a work area
for yourself free from distractions (phone calls, roommates,
tv), and commit to staying there for a one to
two
hour period.
- Recognize that your obligations and resulting stress are as
important as other people's needs, and set limits around being
interrupted
or rescheduling your work time.
- Break larger tasks, such as papers
or projects, into smaller goal steps. For example, most papers
have at least five stages: picking
a topic, researching the topic, reading and taking notes
on the articles, organizing the information, and writing the
paper.
- Create a schedule
for yourself, by doing the following:
- First list all projects,
exams, and papers with their due dates.
- Break larger tasks into
smaller goals, such as "library
research for paper 2" and select target dates for completion
of the smaller goals.
- Identify what time of day you have the highest
energy and what time of day is your low energy period.
Plan to schedule
tasks that
take your greater effort (concentration, enthusiasm)
during high energy periods and plan rest breaks and more
mundane tasks
(such
as laundry) during low energy periods.
- Plan out a weekly schedule
hour by hour. Remember to schedule time out every day
for sleep, meals, social time, and some
exercise and/or relaxation time. It is important
to create a realistic
schedule for yourself.
- If possible, have someone who knows
you well look over your tentative schedule and give you
feedback.
- Try your new schedule. Remember, you're trying something
new. It's okay to fine tune it or adjust it after you give
it a try
for a week.
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