Procrastination is your biggest enemy. And when it comes to learning, procrastination leaves you more open to chances of you forgetting what you need to do. When we give tips for accomplishing your academic dreams, we make sure they’re tips that help you get to your academic goals! We want to help you achieve all the necessary steps in order for you to achieve what you’re looking for.
If you feel the need to indulge, do so. But do so moderately.
The reason why we look for breaks is because of the stress. We feel overworked and oftentimes find ourselves tired beyond normal. After all, there’s the traffic to deal with going home, having to talk to a lot of people while also trying to juggle your own responsibilities. And yes, that is a lot of work. Which is why, it’s okay. It’s okay to get yourself a hot chocolate. Or, do whatever that makes you happy.
But you also have to remember that there are other things that need to be done. These things that one indulges in is just time for one to remember that there’s more beyond the requirements. However, it doesn’t mean you can avoid all the requirements together.
Do the easiest thing first to the hardest.
There’s a phenomenon known as the “Order Theory” in which when a person does the easiest thing first, they build confidence. One of the main reasons for procrastination may also be due to lack of self-esteem. The lack of self-esteem can derail and disrupt your attempts to accomplish a variety of tasks due to the many questions.
“What if I don’t do this right?”
“What if I don’t remember what I did?”
“Did I forget to coordinate with this person about this awhile ago?”
These questions often plague the mind and can cause “analysis paralysis” where your mind is processing every possible outcome that the mind is unable to act upon it. Which is why, it’s better to accomplish the easiest thing first. When you do, you start to build the confidence of being able to do something.
If you’re having difficulty, ask help.
Often times, another reason for procrastinating is due to the perceived difficulty. For example, Filipino stories are hard to interpret especially if Filipino is not the first language. However, doing it with someone may help especially if that person grew up with Filipino as their native or first language. And by seeing someone doing it and learning from that person, you build the confidence of being able to tackle that particular task instead of procrastinating.
Reward yourself after a task
Instead of constantly worrying about the deadlines, think about the rewards you get after accomplishing a certain task. For example, reading through 30 pages worth of readings merits you a hot chocolate or 1 episode of your favorite show on Netflix. By placing a reward at the end of each task, the mind will not only remain active but it will also serve as a form of motivation.
Don’t schedule everything all in one day.
What causes procrastination also could be how daunting the task appears. Some tasks such as reading a full 30 page reading, or answering a lot of questions can appear daunting to students. And not only does it appear daunting, the fear of failure also creeps up. While procrastinating, it’s often times fuelled by the feeling of fear. But that cannot always be the case. To lessen the fear, try accomplishing bit by bit. Break down the big tasks into smaller tasks.
By doing it in smaller tasks, not only do you get some part of it done but you also build confidence in getting things done. After that, you’ll feel that you’ll be able to take on more and more until you find yourself finished with the tasks.
These are just meant to help you solve the problem of procrastination. However, don’t forget also to take care of yourself. The problem with procrastination lies solely with managing yourself and time. Take a break if you need to but don’t take too long.