How to stop severe procrastination?

Question

Ok, so I'm a horrible procrastinator. Everything gets done at the absolute *last* moment to the deteriment of my health. Surfing the internet, checking email, doing favors for other people, chatting online, eating food, random stupid things... absolutely everything seems to kill my time. Heck, at this very moment I'm wasting time on Yahoo answers. The fact that I live in a dorm-like setting means also that a) my roommate is a severe distraction and that b) people wandering into my room in the wee hours of the morning make it worse. I'm not a bad student either, so I try to perform well on items at hours long past when normal people would have given up. The simple techniques touted for "curing" procrastination just do not work (ie: tell yourself you'll work on something for five minutes and then after five minutes promise yourself again).

I have some serious issues with procrastination that need to be fixed before I end up dying of sleep deprivation. Can anyone please help??

Answer 1

Ok, Procrastination is my middle name. I did it through college and now that I'm in my career it still follows me around like a once fed stray dog. It is stressful and at the same time it has forced me to be productive and do my best work underpressure, but its not necessary for that type of stress.

Its about time management. Do only one thing at a time rather than multitasking. I know people really think you accomplish more by multitasking, but you don't. Things arent completed like they should and it takes more energy.

Make sure that when you only do one thing at a time, you prioritize it. Do first what is needed the most. Distractions are so easy for me, but try to stay focused with a list that you have infront of you or pinned to your dorm-like room door before you walk out.

Sometimes I have used a timer to get things done. I give myself an allotted time frame and let the timer ring when i should be done, if i'm not done, I won't go on to the next thing until I complete what I set out to do. And reset the timer.

And most of all, your friends probably know you procrastinate. If they don't, tell them. My sister used to call me at night right before a paper was due and tell me to get back on track and stop surfing the web or turn off the TV. LOL.

Tell them to help you stay on track. When they come to your room in the wee morning. Have a sign up that says, "I'm procrastinating. Kindly remind me to stay on task" Its sometimes funny, but it helps you to get the job done.

I hope that helps. It works for me.

Answer 2

If you want something done give it to a busy person to do. If you are busy all the time and nothing is getting done then you are not able to organize your thoughts and actions. Once you settle down and move and speak after you think you will find you are feeling a sadness ,depression. This is what you are hiding from by being so chaotic in your activities. You are an outsider and your friends and family have pushed you into a corner. Be safe in a safe place and find one new friend who is an outsider too. Then you will find peace and happiness. stay with your kind of people on your wavelength.

Answer 3

i find myself butt naked apart from a towel from my recent shower, instead of getting ready to meet for lunch in 5 minutes, so i'll answer this question inbetween now and when i leave...

The first step is to stop answering questions on yahoo. Actually I bet if i could go cold turkey and chuck my whole pc out i would be alot better off.

I've tried writing lists of things to do. IF i manage to eventually get pen to paper to write a damned list i usually follow the list pretty well. Problems happen if I get to something on the list and decide that there are complications i need to deal with, then I become engrossed in rectifying the complication.....

anyway I think i will finish this answer later... toodle pip.

Answer 4

I think most people procrastinate, however, what works for me is - as soon as something comes to me to do, I start on it immediately and try to finish it in one go (if possible).

Since I hate having things partially done, those things that aren't done in one pass tend to get finished too (although with varying success).

Also, for me, that if things go onto a list to get done, they tend to stay there. (Then I forget - which might be worse than proscrastination).

Learn to say "no - not now"... (favors, chatting, random stuff). It is no surprise that this is a hard thing to do, but it could be the most liberating.

Answer 5

This is a very hard to get out of, but I would try and study in a quit room without any electronics by you so you don't get distracted.

Answer 6

if it weren't for the last minute, a lot of things wouldn't get done.

i procrastinated my way through college and it worked for me, i think it was the pressure of "i have to do it now or i'm **** out of luck". your life won't always be that way, i think every student feels that way