Procrastination is the act of postponing certain actions or tasks, regardless of their importance, due to a lack of motivation, boredom, or other reasons. On the one hand, it might not appear like a huge deal. After all, what can go wrong if you do something a little later when you don’t feel like doing it right now? Probably nothing, if that’s a one-off case. But the truth is that many people are occasional and even regular procrastinators.
According to studies, more people suffer from procrastination than from depression or alcoholism. Among college students, the approximate number of procrastinators is between 80% and 95%. And while only 50% of students feel like that’s a problem, psychologists insist that a lasting tendency to put tasks off can have devastating psychological effects and cause many problems in your academic and personal life.
But how can one fight it? In this article, a professional essay writer from the top paper writing service EssayService will share a few tips that will help students stop procrastinating and reach greater success in life.
1. Define the Reasons
There might be different reasons for self-sabotaging your studies and other matters. The most common ones involve:
- Perfectionism;
- Fear of failure;
- Lack of goals;
- Excessive exposure to technology;
- ADHD, depression, or anxiety;
- Mood regulation issues, etc.
If you can pinpoint your tendency to procrastinate for a specific reason, it will be easier to find the right ways to address the problem. Namely, if the key reason is one of the first four, this guide will help you get on the right track. However, if the problem goes deeper and is associated with ADHD or other disorders, you might need extra help to break current behavioral patterns. In any case, knowing the specific reason is 50% of finding a working solution.
2. Start Delegating
According to experts, delegation might be the most powerful cure for procrastination. When there is a task that you don’t want to do, and you start procrastinating, this can hold you back from moving on to other tasks. As a result, your productivity is at its lowest level until you finish that task. However, if it is something that can be delegated, you can go back to being productive.
The solution is simple – whenever there is a task that you don’t want to do on your own, ask yourself these three questions:
- Do I have to do it on my own?
- Can it wait?
- Can someone else handle this for me?
For example, according to college procrastination stats, students tend to procrastinate academic writing the most (46%), followed by reading assignments (30%) and test prep (28%). Obviously, no one else can read the learning material or prepare for an exam instead of you. However, there are a whole ton of specialized services that can handle academic writing for you. All you need is to browse a trusted essay services review platform to find a reliable helper and delegate your papers. As a result, you will rid yourself of the task you wanted to procrastinate on and will be able to move on to the ones that no one else can handle for you.
3. Get Organized
Often, procrastination is just a result of being unorganized. Making the first step is incredibly hard when you don’t have a plan and don’t actually know what this first step should be like. So, the next tip for avoiding procrastination is to get organized.
How to do this? First of all, invest in a physical planner or get yourself a planner app. Then, make it a habit to keep track of all your assignments, chores, events, deadlines, and other things that matter. And finally, start planning for the future. Have a set plan for every day that includes everything you need to do during the day. It will give you a measured and orderly framework for your daily activities. Moreover, this way, you’ll also make sure you won’t miss anything important out of sight.
4. Prioritize
Prioritizing your tasks is an important part of getting organized that deserves a separate mention. When making your plans for a day, week, and even month, identify the overall scope of work and then group all tasks by priority levels.
Always have a list of top-priority matters that have to be completed in a specific timeframe. List tasks with lower priorities underneath, and work your way down the list when you get to work. By dealing with the most critical and difficult stuff first, you will ensure that you complete the most important tasks on time and also make the rest of your plan seem much more manageable.
5. Set Goals
Professionals often link the lack of motivation and procrastination to improper goal setting. Getting your tasks done without any idea of why you need to do this can feel overwhelming. But if you have a specific goal in mind, tackling your matters will be much easier.
If you don’t know where to start, establish a big ultimate goal first. For example, “I will graduate with straight A’s.” Then, break down this goal into smaller ones that will bring you closer to it. For example, to graduate with high grades, you need to ace that exam next week. By breaking down your big goals like that, you will make them look more attainable and thus will make it easier to stay motivated.
Pro tip: To make this tip work even better, make sure to keep your goals time-sensitive. Set specific deadlines in which you have to attain every goal. It will help you stay productive and achieve your goals even easier.
6. Reward Yourself
Having a big goal in mind will surely help you stay on the right track. But often, especially when the expected outcomes are too far in the future, it can be easy to lose your motivation as you move toward them. And that’s where rewarding yourself for little achievements can save the situation.
Pamper yourself with something pleasant for completing every task you want to procrastinate on. It can be anything. For example, you can let yourself have a movie night with friends or eat out after studying for an exam. Such rewards will help you stay productive and complete your tasks easier.
The Bottom Line
Procrastination is a modern curse that can face anyone, especially young people in college. According to experts, it can destructively affect one’s mental health and boost stress levels. 94% of people say that it negatively affects their overall feeling of happiness and well-being. And it sure can cross out all the efforts you’ve already put into getting closer to your goals.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to avoid this. Follow the tips from this guide to stop procrastinating ASAP and become your most productive and successful self!
