How to stop procrastination

How to stop procrastination –

You might be asking: procrasti-WHAT?!

PROCRASTINATION is the act or habit of procrastinating or putting off or delaying something, especially something that needs to be done. Yes, indeed, like putting off studying for that important test or exam coming up! Bet you know what that feels like!

Wikipedia explains procrastination as follows: Procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished by a certain deadline. It could be further stated as a habitual or intentional delay of starting or finishing a task despite knowing it might have negative consequences. It is a common human experience involving delay in everyday chores or putting off tasks such as submitting an academic assignment.

It’s beginning to sound more and more familiar, isn’t it…

Here are some procrastination solutions:

  • Determine what, when and why you tend to procrastinate. If you know your ‘enemy’ it’s much more difficult to be defeated.
  • Establish a study/daily routine. Stick to it. Remember that an exam routine will differ from a typical school day routine.
  • Manage your desk or wherever you study. Ensure that there are no distractions. Many successful people believe that a neat and orderly desk is reflective of an orderly and organised mind.
  • Minimise distractions in general e.g. turn of social media whilst you are studying, switch the television off and don’t take any calls.
  • Make a to-do list. Stick to the list.
  • Draw up a timetable. Enter the to-do list tasks on your timetable.
  • Develop a mind-set of doing rather than avoiding. Also act as you go – tackle tasks or homework as soon as you receive it; don’t let it build up over a period of time.
  • Tackle the sections of work that you find the most difficult or like the least first. This means that once that is out of the way the rest of your study session or your day will be less stressful and more pleasant.
  • Break the work you have to cover into smaller sections. Tackle each section on its own before you move on to the next section.
  • Look at the bigger picture – the joy of getting good marks, the pride in what you have accomplished and the fulfilment of a task well done.
  • Ask someone you trust to check up on you in a non-confrontational way.
  • Give yourself a reward – a sweet treat, a walk in the park, playing with TikTok – once you have accomplished a task or you have finished a section of studying.
  • Do not fall prey to the following coping responses of a typical procrastinator: avoiding a situation or task, denying or trivialising (making light of) what needs to be done, engaging in behaviour that allows you to be distracted, blaming other people or situations and using humour to draw attention away from your procrastination.

Never forget… procrastination boils down to a waste of time. And, time is precious.