Anyone else a procrastionator - tips?

Disorganised_Me

Not sure if this is the correct place to post but see that you are a helpful bunch so thought, perhaps, you might be able to help me?

As the title suggests I am a terrible procrastinator, to the point where I feel that it could ruin my professional life! I have a strong sense of self awareness so I'm aware that I'm doing it and have done it for most of my life but I want to stop and change my mindset....

I had a opportunity to career change in my late twenties so took up a degree whilst working full time. That was difficult but I managed to pass and was/am so proud of doing so. I was fortunate enough to get a position that allowed me to get the professional qualification I need to become qualified in my field - yup, you guessed it more exams.... and this is where my problems are.

I really struggle to study. I have never really needed to in the past, no more than a few days, and whilst that was enough to cut it at uni it's not the case now. I know I need to do more and here I am 2 weeks before big exams panicking which, ultimately, makes things worse.

I know I'm capable, more than capable, and the only thing that has saved me in the past, when I've failed, is being good at my job. Is this some form of self sabotage? I beat myself up so badly and the anxiety it causes me is unreal but that doesn't make me do it in the same way it would others.

I find myself doing 'anything' rather than studying all the while having it hanging over my head. It horrible but I can't seem to stop this destructive cycle. This has been on rinse and repeat for the last 6 years. It really gets me down.

I tell myself all the usual platitudes - 'the only person you're harming is yourself', 'it'll be worth it in the end', 'think of the financial incentive', 'visualise how you'll feel when you pass', 'this is your dream job, go get it', ' you'll be able to move on to the next goals in your life once these are passed' - nothing works.

I'm hoping that someone here has dealt/dealing with this and can offer some help. I would really appreciate it!

Sorry for the long post...

FBaby

Ok, your problem is: you think too much and waste your energy by doing so! I am a thinkwe too and I can't count the number of times I have started getting all anxious about doing something, torturing myself mentally about it, all to realise that once I'd done it, it wasn't half as hard or demanding or time consuming as I had worried about! Yet still I do it regularly.

I have got better though. As soon as I start getting anxious about starting something, I kick myself about it and get on with it. If I can't concentrate properly (I usually delay things because I am exhausted), then I don't beat myself up about it and give it up for the time being. Sometimes you really can't get on with something and insisting will just make it worse, but at least I have tried and therefore don't feel so bad about it. Then there come times when I get going and it is bad at all, even times when I actually enjoy doing the things I was totally dreading.

Good luck with your exams. Just make it your absolute priority right now and set some time just for it by taking away all possible distractions that will take you away from it.

elsien

My suggestion would be that if the big picture feels too overwhelming, stop looking at it and break it down into more manageable chunks. Start with something small and comparatively easy. Then completing that will help you feel you've got somewhere and may help with motivation. If you think about everything you haven't done it can paralyse you. And build time into your routine, same time everyday if you can, when you make yourself get on with it.
(Handy hint - do not use that time to procrastinate by drawing up pretty coloured timetables so you can pretend you're working when you're not. That one's my speciality.)

Angry_Bear

Yes. I do this and I've never found a foolproof solution (I still do it).
It's not just work for me, it's exercise, cleaning, you name it!

The only thing I have come to that helps (more in some cases than others) is to have a strict plan of blocks of time that you work completely uninterrupted in. And stick to them, no matter what.

For work, I use the "pomodoro technique", which is basically setting yourself a 25 minute "no interrupt" timer - turn off your phone/emails etc and do 25 minutes full focus work. Then allow yourself a short (5 minute) or long (10 minute) break to check emails, poke about on the internet, have tea etc. Sad to say, I also use this now for housework

For things like exercise, I schedule it in days in advance (so for example Tuesday from 13.00 - 14.00 I will go out running) and absolutely make that start time. No excuses (even good ones, as good excuses lead to bad excuses ).

I don't know about you, but I find that once I've started it isn't too difficult but getting started is a struggle every single time.

Andy_89

Very much the above.


I always try to do the easiest thing first regardless of when its due. I always left the hardest thing until the last minute.


I find its best to just bite the bullet sit down and remove ALL distractions.

Flyonthewall

You need to stop over-thinking it. It won't be as bad as you think, you know you can do it and you'll feel better when you do. Only person that can make you do it though is you.

So get together the things you need to study. If it's a lot of books/notes then put some of it to the side and focus on one thing at a time. It won't look so bad if you're looking at just one book or a few pages of notes. If it's on the computer, just have one document open at a time or one browser page.

You could put music on or a film/tv show on the background. That way you'll feel you're doing something other than just studying even if you're not really paying much attention to it.

Also make sure to take regular breaks, although not too long otherwise you'll spend more time on a break than studying.

Is there any way you can turn it into some sort of game or challenge or it feels less like studying and it's less boring/worrying? Perhaps study with a friend or someone else who's on the course? You could then quiz each other, you'll have someone to talk to and if they're focused it might make you more focused too.

You've built up studying as a really bad thing in your mind so you just need to find a way to make studying more interesting for yourself. Different ways of studying work for different people. Once you start you'll realise it's not as bad as you think.

Errata

Do it for five minutes and STOP. It's the open endedness that's givingy you the problem.
Wait - then do it for another five minutes and STOP.
You need a concrete goal which a five minute session will give you.
Even you can manage five minutes!

Gloomendoom

Lots of good advice here. Setting goals, marking off allocated time slots in your calender, breaking things down into manageable chunks, sometimes with a reward at the end (cup of tea and a biccie etc.) They all help, as does biting the bullet and making a start in the first place.

I'm a procrastinator extraordinaire. I try to put everything off to the last minute. I blame my grandfather. When I was a little boy he told me: "Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow, as tomorrow you may not have to do it."

LandyAndy

I'll reply later.

HarryJames

your problem is you take tension .Its solution is you must be cool and don't panic

engineer_amy

Im exactly the same when it comes to studying, however in work, im very much a "get it done early, because you don't know what else you will have to deal with before your deadline" type of person.
Its probably down to the fact that in work, its someone elses business at stake, and I am getting paid to do a job so I darn well better do it to the best of my ability, whereas with the studying, that was for me and I would only be letting myself down.


when I was doing my part time degree and it came to exam time we were advised to start the revision early, weeks before the exam. I couldn't, even though I would maybe take a study day from work, or turn down an invite out for the night with friends, actually getting the books open was a problem. On the plus side in the run up to exams, my house could not have been any cleaner. I hate cleaning, but at that point it was more preferable than studying.


I do work well to deadlines and have a great memory though so "cramming" the day before worked for me. im not a natural worrier, very much a "if its for you, it will happen" type of person, so that helped me out a lot, going into the exam relaxed.
I don't know what area you are studying, but does it help to break up the studying into topics, and each topic into a sub topic? Then allocate a set time frame to do one sub topic, say 15 or 30 mins (depending on the length of the topic). sit down and time that period and read that chapter or make notes or do a sample question on that topic.


breaking it up into bitesize pieces can all of a sudden just seems like so much less of an obstacle to overcome, and instead of worrying and putting off revising a whole subject, you will be chipping away at little subsections of it. before you know it, you will have the majority of it covered, and can tick off the topics as you go.


Just realising this is similar to Angry Bears pomodoro technique mentioned earlier.


Good luck with whatever method you try