Avoiding Procrastination1

Avoid
Procrastinating
Welcome & thank you for coming
 Objectives for this workshop;

 What is procrastination
 How to avoid it?
 Benefits of avoiding procrastination
Let’s take a minute before we begin…
 Name 5 things you can see

 Name 4 things you can feel/touch
 Name 3 things you can hear
 Name 2 things you can smell or taste (or like to smell and taste)
 Take 1 Deep Breath
This might sound familiar…
We are all guilty!
 We can all be guilty of procrastinating- we can all think of countless times we procrastinated!
 Procrastination can have adverse affects on your schoolwork and overall happiness.
 We know what we should be doing but we just don’t do it.
 It’s easy to put off dreaded activities- Instant short-term relief.
 The problem with giving in to this short-term thinking is that it is highly likely that you will be
faced with yet another all-nighter before a deadline, potentially in tears and very stressed trying
to submit an assignment that doesn’t showcase your best work!
Ten Tips to Avoid Procrastinating
 1. Get organized & Get started

 2. Set simple, achievable goals
 3. Stop making excuses
 4. Set a deadline
 5. Get rid of distractions
 6. Time yourself
 7. Take a break
 8. Use incentives
 9. Get the hard stuff done first
 10. Tell someone about your goal
1. Get Organised & Get Started
 It is very difficult starting assignments if you don’t know where to start.

 Invest in a wall planner (or use the calender on your phone), a diary and/or a notebook to record
important notes.
 Being organised helps you keep track of all your assignments and helps you feel more on top of
things.
 If you feel overwhelmed the things we have to do repeat over and over in our minds. Write them
down on paper to help settle your mind. If your assignment isn’t due for a while make sure to
write a start date in your calendar or diary.
 Get started; Don’t overthink it, just start writing even if you know you will change it (that’s what
drafts are for).
2. Set Simple, Achievable Goals
 Feeling overwhelmed about daunting tasks is typically one of the main factors
of procrastination- Don’t blow them out of proportion!
 The best thing you can do to stay positive is to not think about the magnitude of
the assignment and break it down.
 It’s always easier to get started on a project when you establish simple,
reachable goals rather than a big, vague plan.
 "I'll study biology tonight,” is better planned as "I'll study chapter six
tonight."
 This makes your goals less intimidating and more attainable.
2. Set, simple, Achievable Goals
 We often say things like;

 Some day I will get around to organising x, y, z
 One day over the next few weeks I will do x,y,z
 In next semester, I will…
 Instead we need to set a specific goal to work towards.
 Set yourself personal deadlines to complete work- Just because the lecture gives
you a deadline doesn’t mean you can’t get it done in advance, especially if you
have events coming up around the same time.
 E.g. set yourself a deadline of 2 days in advance of the deadline then you
have some extra time if anything comes up.
SET Smart goals
Example of a SMART Goal
•S: Begin introduction

•M: I will write 200 words
•A: I can manage 200 words
•R: Working towards deadline
•T: Tonight 6-9pm
A Personal SMART Goal
 Lets take a few minutes to think of a SMART Goal for this week…
 This can be based on anything that’s happening in your life at the minute e.g. work, studies,
self-care etc.
3. Stop Making Excuses
 We are all guilty of waiting for that perfect time to start something.
 We continuously make excuses as to why we haven’t got something done or even started.
 The problem is that we will continue to make these excuses until we make a conscious effort not to!
 Examples;
 “I would love to get that in ahead of schedule but it’s not possible because I’m so busy”
 “If I didn’t have X going on, I would be fine”
 “ I will wait to hear what others are doing before I start”
 “I haven’t got all my research done yet so I will wait”
 Life Happens and there will be many times we have to prioritize our health and well-being over studies but we
can prioritize both simultaneously
 Stop waiting for the perfect moment- it doesn’t exist
4. Create a Timeline/Schedule
 Once you have identified your goals, create a timeline to

achieve them.
 This could include a study plan, the breakdown of an
essay etc.
 Remember you must be specific!
 Don’t forget to include some time for rest and fun.
 It’s important you stick to your timeline;
 Things will inevitably come up but don’t beat
yourself up, instead take a breath, remind yourself
that life happens and get straight back on track.
5. Minimize Distractions
 We often get needlessly sidetracked from our work.

 If you tend to spend too much time on social media or apps when you should be
studying, then shut your phone off (all the way off) or keep it out of sight e.g. in
your bag etc.
 Distractions could also be external sources, like people talking, typing etc. Try
listening to relaxing music or white noise to cancel out the noise.
 You might need to change your study environments all together;
 This could be the library or a quiet coffee shop, where you can clear your
mind and study distraction-free.
6. Set Time Limits
 Set-time limits for both study and fun or relaxing

activities.
 If you stick to time limits you can enjoy your breaks
guilt-free (just don’t forget to go back to studying!)
 E.g. I will study for 2hrs with no distractions and then
can watch my favourite programme for 1 hr.
 This might all seem too rigid and like too much effort but
take a moment to think of all the time you wasted
procrastinating and stressing and the nicer ways you
could have spent that time.
7. Take a Break
 It is so important to take breaks from your studies otherwise you will burn out.
 Take short regular breaks throughout the day;
 54321 exercise is good to help you take a quick 5 minutes out and re-focus
 Studying and/or working doesn’t mean you have to give up all the things you
love. You can still play sports and enjoy hobbies- we just need to manage our
time more effectively.
 If you are stressed and over-whelmed the best thing you can do is to take a
break-go for walk, talk to someone, close your eyes for a few minutes, whatever
works for you.
8. Use Incentives
 We all need to be rewarded!!

 Long-term goals can be difficult to work towards as they feel so far away.
 It’s important to find what motivates you to get things done in advance rather
than leaving things to the last minute.
 Give yourself an incentive for reaching a goal e.g. if I get my assignment
finished before I leave college today, when I go home I can binge watch Netflix
all evening.
9. Get the Hard Stuff done first
 It is very tempting to start the easier jobs and get distracted by easier jobs that
are not as important.
 Instead, identify the most challenging aspects of your assignments and start with
them.
 The longer you put it off, the more formidable it will seem.
 This way everything after it seems easier and takes a shorter amount of time.
10. Tell Someone about your Goal
 Seek the help of others to keep you accountable!

 Tell a friend, partner or family about your plan and update them on your
progress. Tell them why it’s important you stick to your deadline/time limit and
they can support you with this.
 As an added bonus, you also have someone to celebrate your victories with, no
matter how small.
 Use each other as supports- link it with classmates to hold each other
accountable.
Conclusions
 Start making changes today to avoid the inevitable stress that comes along with
procrastination.
 Choose 2-3 things that you think will be most helpful and put them into action
TODAY.
 You will thank yourself when it comes to your next deadline

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Avoid

 Objectives for this workshop;

 Name 5 things you can see

 1. Get organized & Get started

 It is very difficult starting assignments if you don’t know where to start.

 We often say things like;

•S: Begin introduction

 Once you have identified your goals, create a timeline to

 We often get needlessly sidetracked from our work.

 Set-time limits for both study and fun or relaxing

 We all need to be rewarded!!

 Seek the help of others to keep you accountable!

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