11 Chapter 9 B: “P” Word
“Procrastination is the thief of time.”
-Charles Dickens
Following the introduction to time management (self-management) and procrastination, this chapter provides a deeper dive into understanding procrastination and finding solutions for it.
Tim Urban’s Ted Talk shines a light on procrastination.
Video: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator, Tim Urban TED Talk
Complete the exercise below to help you solve what is arguably the number one detriment to effective learning at school, home, and/or on the job (aka procrastination).
- usually
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
2. I am disorganized when it comes to getting my assignments and/or work done.
- usually
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
3. I get confused about what I am supposed to do for the assignment or task.
- usually
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
4. I have a hard time saying “no” to others which puts me behind in my work/studies.
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
5. I have this sinking feeling that I will succumb to the usual reasons for procrastinating, no matter what they are.
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
6. I just don’t think I have the organizational abilities to be able to stop at least some of my procrastinating.
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
7. When I was in high school it wasn’t a problem studying for most tests the night before.
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
8. I work best under pressure, so I think that procrastinating is really good for me.
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
9. When what I have to study or accomplish is just not that important to me, I find it more tempting to procrastinate.
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
10. I have a hard time talking myself into maintaining a better attitude about not procrastinating.
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
11. I think I have more time to finish something than I usually do.
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
12. It annoys me that some instructors assign so much homework when I have a life outside of school, too! So, I believe that it can be their fault that I have to procrastinate on certain things.
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
13. I am very social and spending time with my friends sometimes gets in the way of doing my work.
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
14. I can’t seem to stay away from social media.
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
15. Here is something (or perhaps more than one) not on this list that also causes me to procrastinate. (Possible issues might include a disability or some kind of learning challenge, homelessness or some other kind of living situation challenge, pregnancy, work hours and responsibilities, and/or personal life stress.)
_______________________________________________________________
- most of the time
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
As promised above, let’s get started with some immediate solutions as well as some perspectives that might, in time, help you adjust your thoughts and feelings regarding procrastination.
EXERCISE 9B-2
Instructions:
- From your responses to the exercise above, select your top five challenges when it comes to procrastinating. Create a chart, such as this, but leave yourself ample space to fill in solutions you find:
CHALLENGE SOLUTION 1. 2.
3.
4.
5.
It is hardly necessary to define this common problem at school–and everywhere else–in any language, however. We all know what it is. We all do it, and we’ve all suffered to some extent because of it (missed deadlines tend to make instructors–and bosses–crabby).
But here is a problem: some people procrastinate more than others. And NOT just because they are lazy, disorganized, unmotivated, or confused about what to do. Those might be the surface assumptions and sometimes true, but at other times, or perhaps beneath what appear to be the behaviors listed above, defeating habits like procrastination have to do with deeper issues, maybe beliefs and thought patterns such as:
- “What’s the use if I get this done, or not?”
- “I do better under stress, so leaving things until the last minute actually helps me.”
- “I’m just naturally disorganized.”
- “I never manage to do anything on time. I’ve always been that way!”
This is why we started with “foundational issues,” perspectives, and beliefs about ourselves such as our world view that operates at the bottom of our pile of motivations, and our sense of self-efficacy (or lack thereof) that generates thoughts that either work for or against us when it comes to successfully managing time, tools, and environments of learning.
Licenses and Attributions:
How to Learn Like a Pro! Authored by Phyllis Nissila. Located at: https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/collegereading/chapter/lesson-2-1-procrastination/ License: CC-BY Attribution.