How to Beat Procrastination

One thing that most people struggle with is how to beat procrastination. Procrastination has especially become common nowadays, with the amount of distractions that we hold at our very fingertips; texting, facebook, twitter, etc. This can be very detrimental to education and productivity and is a habit that should be broken as soon as it is noticed. Follow these tips to help your student( or yourself) beat procrastination and become more motivated and productive!

• Make a To-Do List every morning

           By taking time to write down everything that needs to be done, you are setting yourself up to be productive for the day. This is also a sure way to make sure you do not “accidentally” forget to do something. Tasks on your To-Do list can range from very small and simple things such as “Have Breakfast” to bigger tasks, like “Work on College essay.” Having tasks that range in difficulty make the day seem less overwhelming. This way, you are able to cross things off your To- Do list without even trying, and this will motivate you to keep working on the tasks which require more effort. These lists can be made on paper, or through a To-Do list app.

• Break big projects  down into smaller chunks

           Rather than trying to complete a huge task all at once, try breaking it down into smaller pieces. This will make it seem much more attainable, and less frightening. Take a book report for example. One of the major reasons why you would procrastinate doing it is because the thought of taking hours out of your day to work on it sounds terrible. Nobody wants to do that! So instead, by working on it a little each day, the work load will not seem overwhelming and frightening, making you more likely to do it.

• Once a (manageable) task is started, finish it

           Nothing will encourage procrastination like a half finished project. When starting something is when you are the most motivated, and it is crucial that you make good use of this motivation! Tasks that are half finished seem boring and very time consuming, and you will be far less motivated to return to them. Whether this task is reading a chapter in a book, or working on your daily chunk of your essay, it is best to finish what you set out to do before moving on to the next project.

• Commit to working with a friend

           If you struggle to sit down and diligently work on tasks, find a friend who is usually motivated and focused and agree to meet up and work together. By seeing your friend’s motivation, you will be inspired and determined to be as productive as they are, rather than playing on your phone while they work hard. Having a commitment to working with them will also make you sure you have a pre-designated time to do work, not allowing time for procrastination.

• Eliminate distractions

           By far, the most common reason for procrastination are distractions. It is much more fun to watch a movie on TV or play videos games instead of doing homework. Add social media to this, and it is a recipe for disaster. Leaving your phone or computer somewhere you can’t see it is one option, but if this is not possible, there are also apps to help eliminate distraction. Some of these are the SelfControl App which can be downloaded to Macs, the StayFocused Google Chrome Extension, and the SoundCurtain App, available for Androids and iPhones. These applications all allow the user to blow certain websites for a time period, and will not grant access to them until this window of time has expired. If your distractions come in the form of siblings, pets, or TV, choosing a quiet place to work such as a library may do the trick!