How To Fight Procrastination

Top 10 Tips To Fight Procrastination

"Procrastination is the thief of time." Edward Young

One of the biggest reasons why students are not successful in school is because of PROCRASTINATION. Procrastination is defined as "putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time."  Approximately 95% of students are prone to procrastination, 50% procrastinate consistently, and 20% are CHRONIC procrastinators.  

What triggers students to clean out closets or wax the car when it's time to work on their statistics paper? Usually it's self-doubt, says procrastination researcher and Carleton University psychology professor Timothy A. Pychyl, PhD.  Other students may actually think they get a thrill out of delaying their work and believe they work best under pressure.  

So, how do you fight procrastination?  Here are 10 Steps to help fight this DISEASE!  

1. Write Down Your Goals
• Write down all of your goals for the next day the previous night -- Goal setting is most important but take it day by day to keep from being overwhelmed.
2. Set A Schedule
• Set a schedule for all of your tasks and assignments and don't stop until you have finished all of your tasks one by one
3.  Positive Self-Talk

• Replace negative messages with positive ones, like "I can sit down, concentrate, and get this done," or "I have good ideas that I can communicate to other people."
4. Get Your Friends to Help
• Get a friend to call you every 20 minutes or so to make sure you're working and see how far you've gotten.  This friend is your "Accountability Partner."  They will hold you accountable and responsible for doing what you say you're going to do.
5. Focus on Fun!
• Think about the pressure-free good times you'll have when you get your work out of the way.
6. Give Yourself a Break
• Allow yourself a little "controlled" procrastination, Play ONE game. Text a friend. Get on Facebook or Twitter.  But promise yourself afterwards, you'll get down to it.  Then follow through.
7. Take a Nap
• Restless?  Can't settle down?  You may be sleep-deprived and not even know it. A 20-minute nap can do the trick.
8. Remove Distractions
• Turn off all electronic devices and communication. Just use only what you need to accomplish your task.  If you're going to need the computer, turn off all notifications and log out of all of your social networks.  If you must have your phone on (so your accountability partner can call you), place it on vibrate and send out a DO NOT DISTURB  message to your other friends.
9. Shape Your Space
• Pick a work area.  Set it up the way you like it.  For some, it's a nice, clean place where it's quiet.  For others, it might be the kitchen table.  Try to avoid your room, especially the bed, because your brain and body associates sleep with your room.
10. Treat Yourself
• Make a cup of tea or a smoothie.  Set out some candies or nuts.  Reward yourself once the tasks/assignments are complete.

Are you a procrastinator? Which category of procrastinators do you fall into: chronic, occasional, consistent?  What makes you procrastinate? Thanks for sharing your comments with us. Don't forget to share this article with your friends if you found it helpful.

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About the author:

Aquarius Cain is the CEO of Accelerated Learning Educational Services. She is a full-time tutor with more than ten years of combined teaching and tutoring experience.  As an educator, Mrs. Cain is a lover of learning and any opportunity she gets to spread knowledge through training the mind, she does, in her own unique way!

Connect with Aquarius Cain on LinkedIn

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About Accelerated Learning Educational Services (ALES):

ALES is a tutoring company that provides comprehensive tutoring services. Students in grades K-12, college students, and adult learners can get quality tutoring through an online course, live virtual one-on-one tutoring, or in-home tutoring.  For more information on the world-class services and service areas provided by ALES, visit the website: www.acceleratedlearningservices.com. 

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