Overcoming Procrastination: Strategies for Success

QUESTION

Strategies for Preventing and Overcoming Procrastination Listed below are strategies for reducing the tendency to procrastinate and preventing it from happening in the first place. Consistently use effective time-management strategies. It’s been found that procrastinators are less likely to procrastinate when they convert their intentions or vows (“I swear I’m going to start tomorrow”) into concrete action plans. Studies show that if people consistently use effective time-management plans and practices (such as those discussed in this chapter) and apply them to tasks that they procrastinate on, their procrastination habit begins to fade and is replaced by more productive work habits. Organization matters. Research indicates that disorganization contributes to procrastination. If our workspaces and work materials are well-organized and ready to go, we’re more likely to get going and start working. Having the right materials in the right place at the right time not only makes it easier for us to begin work, it also helps us maintain momentum by reducing the need to stop, find stuff that’s needed to continue working, and then have to restart the work process all over again. For procrastinators, anything that delays the start of their work, or interrupts their work once it’s begun, can supply them with just enough time (and the right excuse) to postpone doing the work. The less time and effort it takes to start working and continue working, the more likely it is that the work will be started, continued, and completed. A simple and effective way to organize college work materials is to develop a personal file system, in which materials from separate courses are filed (stored) in separate notebooks or folders—paper or electronic. This keeps all materials related to the same course in the same place and allows for immediate access to these mate- rials when they’re needed. A file system not only helps with organization, it also reduces the risk of procrastination by reducing the time (and effort) it takes to get started. Also, by having everything “in place,” it reduces stress triggered by the un- settling feeling of having things “all over the place.” Location matters. Effective time and task management include effective management of one’s work environment. Where work takes place can influence whether work is begun and gets done. Working in an environment that minimizes distractions and maximizes concentration reduces the risk of procrastination. Intentionally arrange your work environment to minimize social distractions (e.g., friends nearby who are not working) and social-media distractions (e.g., texting or tweeting). Better yet, remove everything from your work site that’s not related to the work you’re doing. Procrastination can also be reduced by working in an environment that includes positive social-support networks; for example, working with a group of motivated students who make your work more attractive, less distractive, and more productive. Make the start of work as inviting or appealing as possible. For many procrastinators, initiating work—getting off the starting blocks—is their stumbling block. They experience what’s known as “start-up stress”—when they’re about to start working, they start having negative thoughts about the work they’re about to do—expecting it to be difficult, stressful, or boring. Start-up stress can be reduced by sequencing work tasks in a way that allows you to work first on tasks you find more interesting or are more likely to do successfully. Beginning with these tasks can give you a “jump-start,” enabling you to overcome inertia and generate momentum. Once this initial momentum is created, you can ride it and use it as motivational energy to attack the less appealing work that comes later in your work sequence—which often turns out to be less onerous or anxiety-provoking than you thought it would be. Many times, the anticipation of a daunting task is worse than the task itself. In one major study of college students who didn’t start a project until just before its due date, it was found that that they experienced anxiety and guilt while they were procrastinating, but once they began working, these negative emotions subsided and were replaced by more positive feel- ings of progress and accomplishment. Another study found that the areas of the brain where pain is experienced are active before procrastinating students began doing their work but became deactivated once they started working. If you have trouble beginning your work due to start-up stress, try starting your work in an environment that you find pleasant and relaxing while doing something you find pleasant and relaxing (e.g., working in your favorite coffee shop while sipping your favorite beverages If you don’t have trouble starting your work but lose motivation before completing it, schedule easier and more interesting work tasks in the middle or toward the end of your planned work time. Some procrastinators have difficulty starting work; others have trouble continuing and finishing the work they’ve started. As previously mentioned, if you have trouble beginning your work, it might be best for you to start with tasks that you find easier or more interesting. On the other hand, if your procrastination involves stopping your work before completing it, then it might be better to attack easier and more interesting tasks at a later point in your work sequence—at a time when your interest and energy tends to fade. Knowing that there are more stimulating and manageable tasks ahead of you can also provide you with an incentive for completing the less enjoyable or more difficult tasks first. If you are close to completing a task, “go for the kill”—finish it then and there—rather than stopping and going back to it later. As the old saying goes: “There’s no time like the present.” By continuing to work on a task that you already started, you capitalize on the momentum you’ve already generated. In contrast, postponing work on a task that’s near completion and going back to it again later means that you have to overcome start-up inertia and regenerate momentum all over again. There’s another advantage of finishing a task that’s already been started—it provides a sense of closure—a feeling of personal accomplishment and self-satisfaction that comes with knowing you’ve “closed the deal.” Seeing a task checked off as completed supplies you with a visible sign of achievement that can motivate you to keep going and tackle the next task. Divide large work tasks into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Work becomes less overwhelming and less stressful when it’s handled in small chunks or segments. Procrastinating about large work tasks can be reduced by using a “divide and conquer” strategy—divide the large task into smaller, more manageable subtasks, set deadlines for these smaller tasks just like you would the final product, and attack the small tasks one at a time. By breaking down the total task into smaller pieces, you can take quick jabs at the tall task, poke holes in it, and whittle down its size with each successive punch. This divide-and-conquer approach reduces the pressure of having to deliver one, big knockout punch right before the final bell (deadline or due date). Don’t underestimate the power of short work sessions; they can be more productive than marathon sessions because it’s easier to maintain motivation, con- centration, and energy for shorter periods of time. First, select two strategies on overcoming and preventing procrastination that you think is important and could be put into practice. Next, search the internet for another resource for a third strategy. Don’t forget to consider the validity of your internet source. To complete the assignment, address the following: Explain why you chose each strategy and how it can be used in daily life. IMPORTANT – Where you found each strategy should be presented when answering this question. Address the challenges that could come with implementing each strategy. What support would be necessary to have to make the strategy successful? Let’s have a reference section/page. Let’s have A formal reference section for (1) the textbook chapter and (2) additional source found on the internet.

ANSWER