Picture the scene. You’re given a month to complete something. In two weeks’ time, there’ll still be two weeks left. That’s ages.
Right?
Twenty-seven days later, it's less than 6 hours until your deadline and you’re drowning in a rapidly expanding accumulation of books, notes, Google Chrome tabs and self-pity.
Though I’m far from conquering this problem, I’d like to share a couple of methods that I’ve found to be effective.
Mostly, lists.
That would be the first sentence of my autobiography. I do love a good list. However, an infinite catalogue of every task can be rather overwhelming.
Instead, I create a daily checklist when I wake up in the morning. This gives me an achievable list, aligning with how I feel that day, rather than setting my plans in stone a week in advance and allowing the dread to build.
As well as this, incomplete tasks can be carried it into tomorrow’s list, without the guilt of ruining a pre-planned schedule. Yes, this may mean occasionally delaying things by a day, but if I put it at the top of my next list, I’m unlikely to postpone it further.
I prefer to keep my plans flexible, because if I feel guilty about breaking a promise to myself, I’m far more likely to leave things until the last possible minute.
Another tip I recently discovered is to spend a few hours in a reasonably quiet atmosphere with refreshments available, such as the library or a cafe and just get things done without distraction or the temptation to take a nap (unless you enjoy public humiliation).
I always thought I was capable of working in my room, but I’ve found that a change of scenery significantly boosts my productivity.
I’d love to hear your procrastination busting tips in the comments below.
For more like this, check out my previous student life post.
Then run along and do that thing you were going to do before you started reading this one.
These are all really helpful, thanks!
One tip I have is to make sure I'm taking regular breaks whilst working. I find that after about half an hour my concentration has decreased a considerable amount, so I like to have a little tea break every 20 minutes for around 5 or 10 minutes. I try to move away from my work area and into a different setting, and I never do work in bed or on the sofa, always the desk. I find that this puts me into a focused mindset every time I sit there, ensuring I am ready to get my work done.
I hope this helps! :)