Procrastination...

Over the course of this project, I have taken a look at my own procrastination. I have learned strategies to stop procrastinating, as well as why I procrastinate. I have tried to stop procrastinating, but to be honest, it really hasn't worked. I still do it very often, at least now I'm more aware of it though.

Overall, I'm pretty much the same. Maybe I should have chosen a different problem.

Procrastination...

I think that giving myself a deadline to stop procrastination would work, but only if I actually stuck to the deadline. Since no one could get me to stick to my deadline, there's no proving that I would actually stop procrastinating at my deadline. So pretty much, I could only hold myself accountable, and as we all know, that usually doesn't work too well. I probably wouldn't stop procrastinating at my deadline.

Procrastination..

Since I found out why we procrastinate, the next step is to figure out how to stop procrastinating.

http://www.lifeorganizers.com/cm_articles/21_7_easy_ways_to_stop_procrastinating_223.html

lists 7 ways to stop procrastinating:

You can stop procrastination by getting organized. Being unorganized leads to chaos and feelings of being overwhelmed. Stop procrastination and by organizing your life.

Breakdown tasks into manageable units to stop procrastination. Smaller tasks are less overwhelming that large jobs.

Have discipline. Allow your desire for success to overcome your desire to put things off.

Positive motivation. Talk yourself up with encouraging quotes.

Get someone else's help to stop procrastination. Ask someone to hold you accountable for completion of a task you have been procrastinating about. For example, if you are putting off cleaning the garage ask you wife to question you about when it will be completed several days before the due date.

Do the easiest or most enjoyable task first so that you get off to a good start. This works for some people while the opposite works for others. Some people like to get the unpleasant work out of the way so they can enjoy the rest.

Giving yourself a deadline can stop procrastination.

Procrastination..

Basically, I think the 4th, 5th, and 7th idea on that list are somewhat useless. However, all of the other ideas on that list are very useful.

I am a very unorganized person. If I could just get more organized, everything wouldn't seem like such a daunting task. Usually if I can't find an assignment, I just won't do it. Luckily, I usually know where to find everything in the disaster that is my back pack.

Breaking down each task into smaller, more manageable tasks, is the best idea I've heard to help stop procrastinating. Feeling like everything is such a daunting task is part of the reason I procrastinate. If I could think of each big task as a smaller, easier task, it would help me stop procrastinating.

Procrastination...

The final reason for procrastination is feeling that I'd rather be doing something else. That is the offense I am most guilty of. No matter what kind of work I have to do, I can come up with ten other things that I'd rather be doing. If I have a big paper due, I'd rather be on facebook or listening to music. If I have to mow the lawn, I'd rather be out with my friends.

Procrastination...

The next reason for procrastination is being a perfectionist. This certainly doesn't apply to me. I am honestly the exact opposite of a perfectionist. Pretty much I hand in what I hand in, and I get what grade I get. That's not to say that I don't put any effort into my work, I just don't pay as much ridiculous attention to detail as some people do.

Procrastination...

The next reason for procrastination I want to cover is "feeling overwhelmed". More often than not, when I have a big project due for school, it just seems like such a daunting task, that I just keep putting it off and putting it off. Obviously that is the exact opposite of what I should do, but regardless, that's what I do. Clearly this is one of the main things I need to work on.

Procrastination...

Throughout all of my research, I have repeatedly come upon the same 4 reasons for procrastination: Poor work habits, feeling overwhelmed, trying to be a perfectionist, and you'd rather be doing something else. Over my next few blog entries, I will examine each reason individually. For this entry, I will examine "poor work habits".

I have always had questionable work habits. First off, I'm an extremely disorganized person. Usually, if I can't find what I have to do, I just don't do it. Also, I never set aside time to do the work I need to do. I'd say about 99% of the time, I finish up my work moments before it is due. If I continue this in college, I am truly screwed.

Procrastination...

Today, I found my self procrastinating once again. I have an English paper due tomorrow, and I haven't even started it. As always, I will probably wind up doing it the period before it is due. The thing is, I almost always get good grades when I do stuff like that. I guess I just work well under pressure.

Procrastination...

With only 2 weeks left of this project, this is only my second blog entry. I am a procrastinator, after all. I catch myself procrastinating on a daily basis and there is really nothing I can do to change it. I am trying some strategies from my books, such as tackling big objectives one samll step at a time, but I still find myself procrastinating all the time. more later.