procrastination- how do you get over it?

burf16

Make lists and keep them moving. Take control of your life and what you want to achieve.

Focus on a goal and list everything you need to do to get there.

Terri_009

Keep a strict and regular schedule, that is the key. I read an article a few years back where some psychologist basically used the analogy of a muscle to describe how to 'develop' your discipline. The more you practice it, the more efficient and easy it becomes

no_control

Is anyone else still struggling with this?

I have an assignment to hand in on Monday and I just can't get into doing any of it. If I had spent as much time doing it as I have worrying about it I would have finished it long ago.....

I'm so useless.

patwa_2

For once I'm having the opposite problem. I want to start work on my essay due end of MArch and my presentation due mid March but I'm stuck waiting for the lecturer to approve my chosen study topic. Nothing I can do until that happens as I could end up starting work on the topic only to find it's not acceptable. Grrrr.

H.

burf16

I wrote this article on time management and facebook addiction a while ago...

Managing your time might seem to be an overwhelming task, but fear not: when you know what to do and what to prioritize, you will be able to schedule your day more efficiently.

1. Make a List. List down all the things that need to be accomplished. Examples are: essay done, going swimming and doing the shopping. Whatever task you need to get done, always start with listing them down. Seeing them lined up helps you keep these tasks in mind. Use the taskmaster application in Facebook.

2. Prioritize. Once you have written down the things to do, start ranking the entries according to the most important or the most urgent. Prioritize the tasks according to the time/deadline by which you have to do the task. If some tasks have do not have a deadline, prioritize according to the most important, or the most profitable. Knowing what to prioritize will keep stress away because you know you are in control of your day.

3. Set the Timer. After prioritizing, make a clear deadline on every activity that you will do before you get overwhelmed and forget the other things that need to be done

4. Discipline Yourself. Once you have started something, have the discipline to finish it. If you have set a specific time limit for an activity, stick to it unless you really need to extend. Get things done and when you DO get things done, reward yourself. Watch some TV, take a break, do something different!

5. Stop procrastinating. Although relaxing is a good way to pause from all your activities, doing it excessively would definitely have you crying over lost hours. Say “No”. Stop overloading yourself. If you are overbooked, then simply say "NO". Be kind to yourself. You only have 24 hours a day, and no matter how good you are in managing your time, if your schedule is already full, squeezing in more would simply be torture. Increase your productivity today!

6. Make it a Habit. Sticking to your plan may be easier said than done, but you can make it feasible if you will stretch your patience a bit. Sure, it’s hard to juggle all your activities given only 24 hours in a day, but once you make it a habit to plan every activity, then stick to your schedule; it will be easier on you in the long run.

Increasing your productivity as a student is a great skill to have and can even be stuck on your CV.

It is a skill that can be applied to the workplace and will make you a much more valuable employee.

Just imagine what a managing director of a company is going to think of you if you can hold down a part-time job, fit in 40 hours study, be part of the sports team and still have an active social life?

Gold dust. That’s what they’ll think of you. Trust me.

Increasing your productivity will make you a happier person; you’ll accomplish more in life. Although you think Facebook might cheer you up a little occasionally with the odd poke and funny photo tag, it’s nothing compare to living an accomplished and successful life.

ames123_2

Anymore where that came from lol?!

burf16

hmm, I might well do! I'll let you know soon...

Stephen_Leak

studentphil wrote: »

As many people seem to be suffering procrastination here, how do you solve it?

I simply put off all my procrastinating until later.

kevinbarry

The full title is "How to Increase Your Motivation and Tackle Procrastination: A Practical Guide for Students".

You can get to it by clicking here:

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977244196&nav=Namespace

It seems you cannot simply copy and paste the link (I just tested it) as it abbreviates in the posting.

The article is too long to reprint here and I'll just say that decades of teaching students, especially first-years, as well as supervising dissertations went into it.

burf16

There is a fair amount of decent information at this student site - the free e-book they give away has a load of useful information.

Kev's linked article is pretty decent too.