Procrastinating

Procrastinating. The one thing that seems to be ruining my personal life. I have no time to do anything without worrying about something else that needs to be done. So I looked around the internet and found some interesting tips. I checked about 6 different places and they are all basically saying the same things... To summarize it all up for myself and for anyone else who wants to know I have a list of the five most important things about avoiding procrastination. Here we go!!!

1. Make a list.  If you make a list, you are organizing your things to do in a simple way. Don't spend a lot of time on it, but if it helps, be specific and write down notes and details. You should also spend the extra minute or so to guess on how much time it will take. Don't under-estimate. It's better to over-estimate but not so much that it convinces you that you will never get it done. Then label each thing with it's importance.

2. Organize when.  What do you start with? In the articles that I read, some said that starting with the most important thing first gets it done the fastest, and gets it done right. But also, some articles said that if you start with something small, you get started easier. For the big overwhelming things, break it down in little parts. If you have a month to read a 450 page book, read 15 pages a day. If you only have one night to write a small paper, do half of it at 4:00 and finish it at 7:00. Find what works for you.

3. Get to it. The hardest part might be actually starting. As my mother keeps on saying, "You are already half done once you've started". Don't wait to "get in the mood" or "get motivated". Motivation is good, but not if you are spending an hour waiting for it.

4. Continue and don't stop. Go and keep going! Don't stop for silly reasons like talking to someone, checking your email, or just getting board and goofing around. Ignore all distractions and only stop for things needed, like eating or going to a class. Just continuing can actually boost up your mood! Stay on the positive side and convince yourself that it's possible.

5. Reward yourself! Every time you finish something, cross it off and look at your progress. Then give your self a little reward. Like a bowl of ice cream! Yum! The bigger the accomplishment the bigger the reward. But if you still have more things to do, don't spend more than 15-20 minutes on your breaks. Because when you're all done, you can have a big reward like a dinner out, or time to goof around with stuff you REALLY like to enjoy!


Maple