Is your procrastination related to a project? or is it a
habit?
To remedy procrastination:
Begin with one, modest project
Answer these basic questions
Keep the answers before you as you mark your progress:
What do you want to do?
-
What is the final objective, the end result?
It may be obvious, or not
-
What are the major steps to get there?
Don't get too detailed: think big
-
What have you done so far?
Acknowledge that you are already part of the way,
even if it is through thinking!
The longest journey begins with a first step
Why do you want to do this?
-
What is your biggest motivation?
Do not concern yourself if your motivation is negative!
This is honest and a good beginning.
However, if your motivation
is negative,
re-phrase and re-work it until it is phrased positively
-
What other positive results will flow from
achieving your goal?
Identifying these will help you uncover
benefits that you may be avoiding: Dare to dream!
List out what stands in your way
-
What is in your power to change?
-
What resources outside yourself do you need?
Resources are not all physical (i.e. tools and money),
and include time, people/professionals/elders, even attitude
-
What will happen if you don't progress?
It won't hurt to scare yourself a little...
Develop your plan, list
-
Major, realistic steps
A project is easier when it is built in stages;
Start small;
Add detail and complexity as you achieve and grow
-
How much time each will take
A schedule helps you keep a progress chart
and reinforce that there are way-stations on your path
-
What time of day, week, etc. you
dedicate yourself
to work. This helps you
develop a new habit of working,
build a good work environment, and
distance distractions
(It is much easier to enjoy your
project when distractions are set aside.)
-
Rewards you will have at each station
and also what you will deny yourself until you arrive at each station
-
Build in time for review
Find a trusted friend, elder, or expert to help you
motivate yourself or monitor progress
Admit to:
-
False starts and mistakes as learning
experiences
They can be more important than successes,
and give meaning to "experience"
-
Distractions and escapes
Do not deny they exist, but deny their temptation
-
Emotion
Admit to frustration when things don't seem to be going right
Admit that you have had a problem, but also that you are doing something
about it
-
Fantasy
See yourself succeeding
Finally, if
procrastination is a habit of yours:
Focus on the
immediate task and project, and build
up from there.
Each journey begins with one
step.
Avoiding Procrastination, Learning Center, University of Texas at
Austin
Website overview: Since 1996 the
Study Guides and Strategies web site
has been researched, authored, maintained and supported by Joe Landsberger
as an international, learner-centric, educational public service. Permission is granted to freely copy, adapt,
and distribute individual Study Guides in print format in non-commercial educational settings that benefit learners. Please be aware that the Guides welcome, and are under, continuous review and revision. For that reason, reproduction of all content on the Internet
can only be with permission through a licensed
agreement. No request to link to the Web site is necessary.
Visitor Center
Projects, news, metrics, copyright, licensing
Joe's
professional and personal webpages
|
