Managing Procrastination

Simply put, procrastination is the act of delaying some task that needs to be completed. It is something we all do to greater and lesser degrees. For most people, minor procrastination is not a cause for great concern. But there are situations where procrastination can become a serious problem with a lot of risk: when it becomes a chronic habit, when there are a number of tasks to complete and little time, or when the task being avoided is very important.

Get Organized

The most effective way to combat procrastination is to use management strategies such as schedules, goal setting, and other techniques to accomplish tasks in a timely manner.

Put Aside Distractions

Distractions are the primary way people procrastinate. It is too easy just to play a video game a little while longer, check out social media, or finish watching a movie when we are avoiding a task. Putting aside distractions is one of the primary functions of setting priorities.

Reward Yourself

Rewarding yourself for the completion of tasks or meeting goals is a good way to avoid procrastination. An example of this would be rewarding yourself with the time to watch a movie you would enjoy after you have finished the things you need to do, rather than using the movie to keep yourself from getting things done.

Be Accountable—Tell Someone Else

A strong motivational tool is to hold ourselves accountable by telling someone else we are going to do something and when we are going to do it. This may not seem like it would be very effective, but on a psychological level, we feel more compelled to do something if we tell someone else. It may be related to our need for approval from others, or it might just serve to set a level of commitment.

The University of North Carolina provides more resources for overcoming procrastination. https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/how-to-tame-procrastination/

Source:

• Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-success/pages/1-introduction