Ways To Deal With Procrastination As A College Student
Dealing with procrastination entails accepting and overcoming your fear and embracing your failures. Everyone procrastinates at some point in their life, but little do they realize that their own fear actually brings a false sense of procrastination. No one tells you exactly what the college experience will be like and how testing it will be when facing those challenges. With that being said, procrastination is one problem to which here at Society19, we’ve got you with the means to handle it!
Don’t Assume The Worst.
More often than not, people procrastinate because they are under the impression that there is a much worse situation than they genuinely are or exaggerate the difficulty entirely. Likewise, that fear frequently keeps us stagnated and unable to obtain our goals. To accept one’s fear and embrace failure, we must realize that nothing worthwhile comes easy. We must also learn from those situations and find inspiration to move past them within our everyday lives. In reality, the obstacles we face and the hard work will not be our end. However, procrastination is directly linked to stress, so focusing on your end goal would be imperative.
Stop Excuses
Let’s be honest we’ve all said the words, “I can’t do it, I don’t have enough time, I’ll do it tomorrow, etc.” Stop this, these words cause us to be at a standstill, and it could potentially and drastically affect grades and accomplishments. These are our excuses, and they will hinder you from staying on top of your game and going for the opportunities in front of you. In the face of an overwhelming task or project, chances are you’ve made excuses; we must seize the moment head-on and positively look at the situation to overcome. Words are powerful, and they could have adverse effects. With that being said, for example, instead of saying “I can’t,” say ” I will.” “I don’t have enough time; I will make time.” I’ve got this because tomorrow doesn’t wait for no one.”
Examine Your Purpose
We’ve all been there the moment of questioning what we were doing with our lives. Procrastination is the enemy of progress, and like Denzel Washington said, “To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.” With this in mind, use this in your lives to acknowledge that you have a responsibility to live and thrive in your purpose and grasp every moment. Additionally, one must believe in something bigger than themselves to truly acquire a sense of wholeness upon those values to accept failures and create equally acceptable triumphs.
Be Realistic
Set yourself up for success! “Work smarter, not harder”, said Allen F. Morgenstern. Make things easier on yourself. We all know that anything could happen, so ensure that you have a bit of extra time to complete anything. It’s best to be practical, say, you are not a morning person and intend to wake up an hour early. Don’t take that chance, knowing it’s highly unlikely that you will follow through with it if you know it will not happen.
Manage Your Time And Scheduling
Time, Time Time! Is it truly on our side? I guess not when the insistent ” I will do it when I have time” comes into play. It is best to set those priorities if you want to get anything done. Scheduling is necessary when trying to reach a goal or working on that college essay. You do the math! When it’s time to do the work, manage your time appropriately, set timers, and focus. It is vital to establish your schedule to use that time wisely.
Avoid Disruptions
Who knew that college party would go on all night? The circumstances can help or hinder your productiveness, and the rabbit hole that is social media, stay away from it. Individuals who spend a lot of time on the internet knowing they have a deadline don’t let this be you when you know it will push you off track and feed into your procrastination. Beware of distractions. I’d recommend holding off on the excitement until after completing your task. I know it’s better said than done; however, the reward is better than the consequence. Put your disruptions on the back-burner and your devices on “Do Not Disturb.”
Organize And Prepare Ideas
Organize your thoughts when things seem overbearing because procrastination is sure to follow. Want to feel less overwhelmed and more empowered? To do that, you would have to develop a planning system such as prewriting, brainstorming, and making a to-do list. To get the job done, you have to remain laser-focused. Getting organized and staying prepared is one sure way to reduce stress. Being ready means, you won’t have to get ready. Don’t work twice as hard, leaving things to do last minute because it only creates problems, not progress.
Realize That Perfectionism Is Overrated
We as humans strive for perfection, to which Michael Hyatt once said, “Perfectionism is the mother of procrastination.” It is either perfection or failure. That all-or-nothing mentality chalks up to be all but nothing when things need to be executed at the end of the day. It is overrated and selling yourself short due to unwarranted thoughts or unneeded opinions regarding your future. So strive for excellence without being consumed with expectations in the false sense because nothing is perfect, which most certainly is impossible.
Establish A Reward
Isn’t it amazing when you set out to do something and accomplish it? Reward yourself; you’ve worked hard for it. When you establish a reward, make them contingent on completing that paper or assignment that you planned for through a careful process. You’ve earned it, so own it, and appreciate those achievements, whether it be something simple like binge-watching your favorite tv show or going out with friends. Kudos to you!
