I meet with so many students who are admitted procrastinators. They want to do well in school, and they want to be on top of assignments. However, when it comes time to do the work, they are easily distracted by something else. When I work with these students, I break it down into 2 parts: why we procrastinate, and how can we stop?
Part 1: Why Do We Procrastinate?
Simply put, we procrastinate for two reasons. One is that we don’t find the task enjoyable. Think about it, when was the last time you procrastinated from watching television or hanging out with friends? If the task (i.e. homework) isn’t fun, we don’t want to do it. The second reason we procrastinate is that we find the task overwhelming. I met with a student recently who hand-washed his car 4 days in a row because he feared his math homework and did not know how to get started. Granted he had a clean car, but, in the end, he withdrew from that math class because he got too far behind. Don’t want that to happen to you? – Then don’t get distracted and keep reading:
Part 2: How Can We Stop Procrastinating?
When working with students, I have discovered 4 approaches that help them with procrastination. Some students use 1, some use all 4. Take a look and see what would work for you:
1. Reward Yourself. For every task that you complete, reward yourself with something that makes you happy. I worked with a fashion student who loved to shop on-line. She often procrastinated from doing homework because of her love to shop. Then, she let on-line shopping become her reward. She would not go on-line until she did her homework. She wound up being very productive and saving money!
2. Buddy System. If you can’t get motivated for yourself, maybe you can for someone else. Tell a friend, classmate, family member, or Counselor, what you want to accomplish. Then, pick a time when you will talk to that person again. Knowing that you have to tell someone else your progress could be great motivation.
3. Stay Busy. Ever notice the busier you are, the more you can actually handle? Believe it or not, when you have limited time to accomplish a task, it actually "forces" you to stay organized and tackle assignments as planned...there's no other time to "put it off" to! Now, of course, you have to make sure you actually have enough time to do everything - be realistic and reasonable with your goals. But staying busy can sometimes help filter out distractions.
4. Ask For Help. If you are procrastinating because the task is too overwhelming, ask for some help! As a Berkeley student, you have people waiting to help you in ASC, Counseling and SDCL. Sometimes talking through the task with someone can get your creativity flowing. Get support and, I promise, you’ll get started as well!