One of the biggest problems I’ve found among nearly all college students (and all students, really) is procrastination. There are so many easier and more enjoyable things to do than start that daunting essay for CAL 103 or opening Gradarius to look at all the problems that you’ve yet to start. And with technology making it more difficult to shut down and tune out all the distractions it offers, it’s become nearly impossible to strictly focus on a task.
But you’re in luck — because you’re reading the words of a non-procrastinator!
You read that right: I don’t procrastinate. At least, not nearly as much as I used to. Now, that’s not to say I don’t want to procrastinate. But over time, I’ve discovered a few tricks that really help with getting things done when they need to get done. And after hearing many of my classmates talk about their struggles with procrastination, I’ve decided to share what I’ve learned. Hopefully these tips will help you gain control over your time and overcome the beast that is procrastination.
Tip one is to take control over your phone. I think everyone can agree that our phones are probably the most distracting thing when it comes to getting things done. Notifications immediately take us away from whatever we’re doing and I’ve read it can take up to 15 minutes to get fully focused again. So when you sit down to get something done, don’t fall into the trap of “I’m just gonna look at Instagram for a bit before I start.” Immediately turn your phone on “Do Not Disturb” (that’s right — vibrations can be distracting too!), then flip it screen down and put it somewhere you can’t see it. Out of sight is out of mind, and once you’re in the midst of your work, you probably won’t even notice your phone is gone. In fact, as I’m writing this, my phone is on “Do Not Disturb” in my bag! I promise you that your texts can wait the 20 minutes it takes for you to do some Gradarius or Mastering Chemistry.
Next, set a reasonable goal for yourself and then give yourself a reward. Instead of just setting a pile of work in front of yourself and diving in headfirst, decide beforehand what you’re going to do once you accomplish your goal. Food always works as a good motivator for me, one example being, “Once I finish this column for The Stute, I’ll have another piece of the cookie I got from Red and Gray.” Make sure that the goal can be accomplished in a good amount of time and design the reward to be roughly equivalent to the amount of work you’re doing. Basically, be realistic in your goals and rewards. It’s a great way to give yourself motivation to get started as it means you’ll get your reward sooner.
Finally, don’t pretend that procrastination doesn’t exist. When your mind is telling you, “I really don’t want to be doing this,” don’t just ignore the thought. Acknowledge it, then tell yourself, “Okay — but I don’t care. We’re doing this now.” Winning those little mental battles can be difficult at first, but with practice, your inner mind will forget to even argue with you and you’ll just start getting things done when you want to! It sounds strange, but I promise it does work.
Using these simple tips, I’ve found it a lot easier to get things done. It definitely takes practice and patience with yourself, but I promise that you too can virtually remove procrastination from your life. You’d be surprised at just how much free time you have when you get things done when you first intend to. And I bet that you’ll be able to enjoy your free time a lot more when you don’t have an assignment leering over your shoulder. So enough with this “due tomorrow = do tomorrow” stuff. Go make it happen now!
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