Procrastination….

What is Procrastination? A common problem or habit Putting off doing high priority tasks and instead filling the time doing trivial tasks or nothing at all. What is your procrastination activity of choice?

Procrastination and its Causes 1. Poor time management If this is the cause, the solution would be to learn and develop time management skills

Procrastination and Its Causes 2. Lack of Relevance If something is neither relevant nor meaningful to you personally, it may be difficult to get motivated even to begin.

Procrastination and Its Causes 3. Acceptance of Another’s Goals If a project has been imposed or assigned to you and it is not consistent with your own interests, you may be reluctant to spend the necessary time to see it to conclusion.

Procrastination and Its Causes 4. Perfectionism Having unreachable standards will discourage you from pursuing a task. Remember, perfection is unattainable.

Procrastination and Its Causes 5. Evaluation Anxiety Since other’s responses to your work are not under your direct control, overvaluing these responses can create the kind of anxiety that will interfere with work getting accomplished

Procrastination and Its Causes 6. Ambiguity If you are uncertain of what is expected of you, it may be difficult to get started.

Procrastination and Its Causes 7. Fear of the Unknown If you are venturing into a new realm or field, you don’t have any way of knowing how well you’ll do. Such an uncertain outcome may inhibit your desire to begin.

Procrastination and Its Causes 8. Inability to handle the task If through lack of training, skill, or ability you feel that you lack the personal resources to do the job, you may avoid it completely.

Forms of Procrastination We act as though if we ignore a task, it will go away.  The mid-term exam in your chemistry class is not likely to vaporize, no matter how much you ignore it.  My appointment statistics cannot enter themselves.

Forms of Procrastination We underestimate the work involved in the task, or overestimate our abilities and resources in relationship to the task.  You tell yourself that you grasp concepts so easily that you need only spend one hour on the physics problems which would normally take you six.  I think I can enter my course evaluations at lunch time when I do not even know how to enter them as yet.

Forms of Procrastination We deceive ourselves into believing that a mediocre performance or lesser standards are acceptable.  You deceive yourself that a 2.3 GPA will still get you into the medical school of your choice.  I tell myself that I will make a good documentary film as soon as I get the rest of my life in order….

Forms of Procrastination We substitute one worthy activity for another.  You clean the apartment instead of working on a term paper or assignment.  I create this power point presentation instead of keeping up with my paper work.

Forms of Procrastination We believe that repeated delays are harmless.  You put off writing your paper or math assignment so you can watch five minutes of your favorite television program….  I put off doing my paper work by taking a little nap…

Forms of Procrastination We dramatize a commitment to a task rather than actually doing it.  You decline invitations to pleasurable events, but still you do not pursue the work at hand or get needed relaxation.  I don’t call my adult children on the phone because I have too much paper work to do.

Forms of Procrastination We become paralyzed in deciding between alternative choices.  You spend so much time deciding between two term paper topics that you don’t have sufficient time to write the paper.  Note on a nursing professor’s door: A “D” paper is an “A” paper that was handed in too early.

Overcoming Procrastination 1. Mind Management: Extract from the above examples, those principles which apply to you. Make honest decisions about your work. Weigh the consequences of various amounts of investment in a project and find optimal return for your investment.

Overcoming Procrastination 2. Task Management: Acquire an adequate understanding of what is necessary to accomplish a task within a given time frame. Develop an overview of the entire project and visualize the steps that are needed to reach completion.

Overcoming Procrastination 3. Time Management Do unpleasant tasks. Set a starting time. Assign a time slot for work on a task. Develop a daily priority list. Guard against diversions. Always have your datebook-calendar-organizer with you.

Reference Counseling Centre at the University of Illinois: