Procrastination?

Question

I am a university student and I put off things til the last minute every time.. can anybody help and give me advice on how to avoid procrastination or 'overcome' it???
Thanks

Answer 1

set goals like "order a pizza after the first page" or crap like that. try and imagine how much better you will feel after it gets done.

Answer 2

I have that problem too but it has slightly improved over the last year. I think that looking up procrastination (even though it is procrastinating in itself!) helped because I got to learn about why people do it etc. Another thing I did (which you will have to wait now until midyear) was do heaps of silly things in the summer break- like pay xobx heaps until I got sick of it etc. It might sound silly but it worked because now I am sick of the xbox so am no touching it.
Also maybe think about why you are doing your degree and what you will get to do afterwards with it. What I am doing is at least once a session I am going to speakers or reading books based on my field of study to keep me on track, full of new ideas and opportunities and inspired- it has helped because it kind of overtakes the pull of procrastination. I am doing a science degree so the last speaker I saw was David Suzuki.
Also goal making helps.
Another thing is the 5 minute rule- just tell yourself you are going to do some study for 5 minutes and then you are allowed to go do whatever you feel like, you will hopefully find that once you get started it won't be that bad and you will want to continue.
Another idea is study groups- you can motivate each other and also learn from helping others.

Answer 3

I'm supposed to be studying right now, and I was thinking about this just this morning.

I'm 35 and have studied for countless exams, presentations, interviews, speeches and so on in my life so far. I have large projects at work that have deadlines, every couple of weeks. What all these things have in common is that I have left it until the last possible minute to get myself in gear every time. Every time without fail. Doesn't matter what's at stake - money, looking stupid, failure, getting a rollicking from my boss, you name it. Maturity hasn't helped. Perspective doesn't change it. Financial motivation hasn't made a difference. Even outside pressure (clients calling me and so on) doesn't get me going.

I am starting to think that my subconscious mind knows exactly when the last minute is and will just not kick itself into gear before then. After all, if the pass mark's 55%, who needs 85%?

Have you ever actually failed an exam, or been kicked off a course, or been sacked from a job, or missed something really really good, due to not having done enough?

Because thinking about it, I never have.

This is what's helping me to be more relaxed about things as time goes by. Every late essay, every "forgotten" homework, that time I had to learn double-entry book-keeping pretty much from scratch the night before I sat an accounting paper and was literally in tears on the kitchen floor at 1am thinking "Sheet! I've finally lost the gamble - I've misjudged how much work was involved so badly that I'm gonna fail" (I passed)... none of it has actually mattered. I've always been able to pull my finger out just enough to scrape by, just enough to get through, or just when it's been important.

I blame (since of course it's not gonna be MY fault, is it!) being one of the bright kids at school. I never learned how to work steadily over a long period of time starting from the second I was given the task, because I never had to. I could mess around or daydream right until the last minute and still produce a piece of work that was just as good as everyone else's. You and I, after spending our formative years like that, we're stuck with it I'm afraid.

My advice is to relax and enjoy the procrastination. Because one thing I do know is that relaxing and doing nothing is never, ever as much fun unless there is something that you are supposed to be getting on with.

Good luck in the exams!

Answer 4

Do the work the day it is assigned. You will feel so accomplished. You will also have more time to improve on what ever you are doing. I procrastinate a lot too. I force myself to do things most of time and once I start working I cant stop. Getting yourself to actually start something is the hardest part.

Answer 5

I totally have this problem, and have had since school. I also relate to being the bright kid in class, I never had to work that hard because my memory was great. At my worst procrastination wise, I've just abandonned the idea of work, and resigned myself to retaking - not a happy situation to be in!

But here's something that is working for me:
On the desktop of your PC, change the names of files to positive affirmations, like:
I love to Work!
As the title instead of 'internet explorer'. This way, every time you double click on the icon, its like affirming the phrase to yourself. Change the peripheral icons too, and they will affect you subconsciously.
Seriously, this may sound ridiculous, but it works. I used this method to change my parents' minds about getting a dog, veritable results for you :)

Answer 6

I heard procrastination is connected to low self-esteem, which I can understand. I don't think there is a simple cure. Plan out everything you need to do before you do it on a seperate piece of paper and complete your work in steps. Get into a headspace that can focus on work, put a bit of music on in the background, get comfy, make a hot drink and a snack and crack on! You'll feel brilliant afterwards.

Another thing would be to invest in some really fancy study materials (fancy new pens, pencils, calculators, whatever you need to complete the work) so that you look forward to using them and thus look forward to working slightly more!

Answer 7

I was trying to write an essay a couple of weeks ago and I searched procrastination on wikipedia, they had some things that helped, although I've reverted back again since that essay.

Answer 8

Remind yourself of what you will not achieve by procrastination. Try to see he good side of the outcomes before they happen. Visualize where one achievement will lead you to.
Not much else help for me.
With essays i used to remind myself that i really wanted to know if my work would be up to scratch. Didn't help me do it any faster but it kept me focused instead of finding an excuse for not having gotten around to it, and handing in something that i not thought good enough of to start with.

Answer 9

Well my husband is the king of procrasinators so we developed a system where we every night write a list of things that need to be done,And every morning i make copies and tape them everywhere so he has no choice but to see them and get the job done....this one applies to weekends but we have the same deal after work but with less responsibilities,,,give it a try ...annoy yourself...lol

Answer 10

Nothing enables procrastination like "Yahoo Answers".

I gotta get back to work...right after I look at one more question...