Procrastination

Procrastination

Please answer one of the following questions that correspond to your Jolly Rancher. Please also state your name and major.

Watermelon: What are your favorite activities to do instead of studying?

Apple: Why do you think students procrastinate?

Raspberry: What helps you get started on something you don't want to do?

Cherry: If you could have one superpower to help you get things done, what would it be?

Tips on how to overcome Procrastinating habits

Grape: What are some activities that you never procrastinate on? What do you think is the difference between what you get done and what you put off?

Types of PRocrastinators

Many people believe that procrastination is because of laziness

For some, laziness may be the true cause behind procrastination...

However, other people may be procrastinating for different reasons they may not have known about

Reasons People Procrastinate:

Welcome to the Workshop on how to address procrastination

1. Skill Deficit:

• Lack the skills to complete certain tasks
• Having trouble admitting your skills deficit
• Procrastinating seems better than facing your need to improve/enhance the skills

Solution?

• Identify what the deficit/problem is
• Speak to a counselor/mentor/instructor to determine underlying issues
• When you know the problem, you can take action to correct it

2. Lack of Interest:

Many students lack interest in a course, but not all students delay studying or completing assignments

Solution?

• Just do it
• Attend classes
• Do assigned work on time
• This will give you "guilt-free" time to do more interesting things (hang out with friends or play video games)
• This solution won't make the course interesting, but at least you will not get the job done

What is procrastination?

3. Lack of Motivation:

• Common reason for not attending to unpleasant tasks
• How many people do you know feel motivated to complete their 10-page essays or do their taxes?

Solution?

• To believe that you have to feel motivated in order to begin, you have to view the task in order of reverse events:
• "Doing" comes first and then the motivation
• Thus, starting a task is the real motivator, rather than motivation needing to be present prior to beginning the task

Procrastination is the act of intentionally delaying or putting off a task that needs to be completed

"The project is too big!! I don't know where to even start!"

• Overestimate the amount of time they have to complete a task

"I got a text. What if ---- needs me? I should check it."

• Overestimate future motivation

"I work better under pressure."

" I don't know what I am doing!"

• Underestimate time it takes to complete a task

"Wow my room is a mess. I should clean it before I start..."

• Mistakenly assume they need to be in the right mindset

"I'll start at 2:00... oh look at that, it's 2:02, I'll start at 2:10."

We Procrastinate Because of...

Perfectionism: Perfectionist Procrastinators prefer to not try at all than to attempt work that they consider to be short of perfect

Fear of Limitations: Some people procrastinate to avoid the truth about what they can achieve

Uncertainty of Next Steps: If you become stuck on a task and do not know what to do, it may seem easier to put off the task than to make the effort in completing it

Facing an Overwhelming Task: Major projects/tasks provoke fear. If a person is afraid, putting off the task is obviously better than facing the fear