Students can all fall victim to procrastination. Oftentimes, it feels unavoidable. Luckily, there’s a way to avoid it and push through victoriously. Here are some of my favorite tips to avoid falling into the procrastination pitfall.
- Use a checklist. Give yourself a little confidence boost to complete tasks by checking items off a list. Doing so can help motivate you to keep going.
- Mark important tasks and due dates on your calendar. Utilize Outlook by putting critical due dates and such onto your calendar. Then, you can set up reminders to stay on track and not miss anything important.
- Remember not to overload yourself. Set manageable goals one day at a time. If you overwhelm yourself, you’ll often waste mental space worrying about all the things you must do, resulting in you being too exhausted to complete the tasks on your list.
- Schedule time to work on specific tasks. For example, the best time to focus at home is between 2-4 p.m., so you block off your calendar to do just that. Or, you dedicate every Sunday morning to getting ahead on personal tasks to mentally prepare for the week ahead. Building a routine is key in helping push through procrastination.
- Focus on feasible tasks. If you have a big project that will take time, don’t tell yourself you will get it done in one day. Don’t stress yourself out by adding more stress. Take everything in smaller increments of time.
- Try the “Do Nothing” alternative. Author Raymond Chandler once said, “This idea asks you to select a task or do nothing at all.” For example, you might tell yourself to either study for an upcoming test or do nothing at all. As might be expected, it’s easy to pick up a phone, clean your room, hang out with a friend, or participate in a slew of other things, all of which take you away from the task at hand. Part of the reason why the brain is motivated to procrastinate is because it hates being bored. This method can encourage you, out of sheer boredom, to accomplish what you need and move on to other engaging activities.
Procrastination is a natural struggle for many people, especially college students! It might feel impossible not to procrastinate, but with the above habits, you can minimize the time you spend struggling with it. As you power through this semester, remember to be mindful of your time so you can be successful. You’ve got this!
Isabel Lauren Loewe is a graduate of the Texas State University Film School. She is currently the social media manager for the IT Assistance Center.
