Procrastination is very common. It’s perfectly normal to procrastinate…some of the time…
Everyone feels a little stuck or unsure sometimes, you’re not on your own. Many of us also occasionally feel unmotivated, stressed out and prone to procrastination. It’s perfectly normal. What we don’t want is for it to continue over a long period of time.
We all know there are plenty of outside events that make demands on us, trigger internal responses which can have a negative impact on our day. De-motivators and stress can be caused by any number of factors and we’re sure you can write a comprehensive list – changes in your life, either good or bad; personal problems; illness; lack of sleep; or overwork.
The posters and fridge magnets say ‘Keep Calm And Carry On’ and we know it’s easier said than done. However, we’d like to stress (excuse the pun) that the key is not to let them affect your goals and your ability to make progress with your learning. Reaching the finish line and completing your course will be well worth the rewards!
It’s perfectly normal to have the occasional off day – but if you’re constantly putting things off and delaying work on your assignments; feeling unmotivated, then you could have a chronic dose of procrastination.
Procrastination is a time trap of major proportions….
Procrastination can be when you’re feeling like you’re moving nowhere fast. If you’re often saying to yourself, “I’ll do it tomorrow, it can wait” or “I’ll watch just one more of my favourite TV programmes” and “I know I need to finish my assignment but I’ll organise the sock drawer first” then you’re procrastinating.
The more you put off, postpone and delay, the more challenging it can be to start again. The good news is that the more you’ve postponed in the past, the easier it becomes in the future, because you recognise these signs.
Please don’t waste your time and let it pass you by. Time will always move at the same rate, but individually, you can control how it will be spent. Like money in your pocket, time can be spent foolishly or wisely. If wisely spent, there’ll be something of real value for your future. A few minutes studying here and there will add up to hours – bringing you closer to your qualification.
We want you to control your time not for it to control you. Here are some suggestions for freeing yourself from a procrastination time trap:
- Make a daily list of must do things and tick them off in bold, with satisfaction, when you’ve finished them
- Develop a reminder system as well by putting notes and reminders of things to do or check on a calendar in a place you can see them
- Clean your desk off clutter, magazines and even your phone because distractions hinder attention and slow you down
- Coffitivity: is a great free tool to help you focus
- Don’t start thinking about the difficulty of a certain job, just ‘get on’ with breaking it down into small parts before starting
- Avoid being a perfectionist… Mistakes will occur but avoiding doing projects because of making mistakes will slow your self-development
- Set time limits on projects to help you focus, as any good plan must establish a start point and finish. A simple countdown timer can help on study periods
Also, it’s good to make use of your tutor, the Student Learning Community and our Facebook Page to connect with fellow students and gain the help and support you need. It can take a strong effort to break some poor habits, including procrastination, and undesirable work practices but with these suggestions, we’re confident they’ll work for you.
Leave a Reply