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How can i stop myself from procrastinating?
I seriously need help I need tips or something like that because it's gotten to the point where I'm so backed up on work it's getting kind of hard to keep up
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7 answers
Steward "Tony" Pacheco
Minister, USMC Vet, John C. Maxwell Cert. Coach, Trainer, Speaker, Teacher, Straight Shooter
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Steward "Tony"’s Answer
I am going to paint a picture for you so I need you to clear your mind and use my words to visualize the idea I am attempting to make.
The term "Early Bird Gets The Worm" is a term of survival. Once the sun is up and the mist clears, the soil is rich with dew stretched out for acres, holding a wide array of plants, grass and flowers, the insects already busy looking for scraps of food, the worms out and bout as well, looking for its first meal of the day.
There is a bird, one out of thousands, who sees all the opportunity to feast for its morning's breakfast and it ponders, I'll just wait a bit longer and stretch my wings a bit. After a few minutes, he then notices that all the other birds, hungry as he was, have already swooped down and plucked up their breakfast, leaving nothing to nibble on, moving on with their day, bellies full and flying high.
This procrastinating bird will now have to work twice as hard to find food and if no food is left then he will fall over, no longer enjoying the next sunrise. But there is good news. Those insects who work so hard to survive, who never fail to search for scraps of food, now have a feast of scraps for a month to carry back into their hive. After all the carnivores feasted on this unfortunate procrastinator bird, they now have its scraps in tow, a scrumptious procrastinator to feast on and as sure as there is air to breathe, they will find another one in the next day's coming.
"Early Bird Gets The Worm" notes around the house and your PC/Pad. Say it ten times a day. It will take action & action buddy! Get The Worm & Live!
The term "Early Bird Gets The Worm" is a term of survival. Once the sun is up and the mist clears, the soil is rich with dew stretched out for acres, holding a wide array of plants, grass and flowers, the insects already busy looking for scraps of food, the worms out and bout as well, looking for its first meal of the day.
There is a bird, one out of thousands, who sees all the opportunity to feast for its morning's breakfast and it ponders, I'll just wait a bit longer and stretch my wings a bit. After a few minutes, he then notices that all the other birds, hungry as he was, have already swooped down and plucked up their breakfast, leaving nothing to nibble on, moving on with their day, bellies full and flying high.
This procrastinating bird will now have to work twice as hard to find food and if no food is left then he will fall over, no longer enjoying the next sunrise. But there is good news. Those insects who work so hard to survive, who never fail to search for scraps of food, now have a feast of scraps for a month to carry back into their hive. After all the carnivores feasted on this unfortunate procrastinator bird, they now have its scraps in tow, a scrumptious procrastinator to feast on and as sure as there is air to breathe, they will find another one in the next day's coming.
Steward "Tony" recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Selina !
Procrastination is universal and we all have occasional times in which we are stuck in our comfort zone. The reasons are different for everyone. You must first figure out why you procrastinate and than it might be easier to be proactive and get things done. Right now your drive to not do something is stronger than your drive for accomplishment, and there's a reason for this but only you can figure out what it is. It also depends on what you're procrastinating about - deadlines for school or work or catching up on the latest new film.
First you must assert what is important to you in your life, yes, make a list so you can see it for a better visual. Than make a list of the specific things you are putting off doing and what consequences there may be for not doing them. From this, set mini goals to lead up to completing the important tasks that have consequences if not done. A lot of time, people delay things or don't do them because they think they won't get good results. If this is your case, do it anyway and see what happens.
I would advise structuring this with a to do list. Mix the important tasks with the not so important tasks and tackle the important tasks first. Get them out of the way. As you do the tasks, check off that they are completed and this may help you feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that you are now able to get things done. If there is a task that you feel intimidated about or lack ability for, ask for help. Friends and family are always happy to give you a hand. If you stick to a formulated structure like this, it may help you catch up with tasks and you will feel satisfied seeing yourself complete things as you check off the items you've completed.
Next, consider that you may be behind in your work, not because of procrastination, but from being distracted. Think about the things you are doing instead of keeping up with your work. Find an even ground for both work and other time consuming things and make this change as you are ready. It won't happen overnight. It could just be a phase you're going through because of the activities and people that may be in your life and where you are prioritizing the way you spend your time.
Most of all, know that putting things off is normal, it comes from valid feelings and the important thing is what you do to improve getting your work done. It will take an active change and only you can tell when you are ready to decide that change. You can do it.
I hope that this was a bit of a help and I wish you all the best !
Procrastination is universal and we all have occasional times in which we are stuck in our comfort zone. The reasons are different for everyone. You must first figure out why you procrastinate and than it might be easier to be proactive and get things done. Right now your drive to not do something is stronger than your drive for accomplishment, and there's a reason for this but only you can figure out what it is. It also depends on what you're procrastinating about - deadlines for school or work or catching up on the latest new film.
First you must assert what is important to you in your life, yes, make a list so you can see it for a better visual. Than make a list of the specific things you are putting off doing and what consequences there may be for not doing them. From this, set mini goals to lead up to completing the important tasks that have consequences if not done. A lot of time, people delay things or don't do them because they think they won't get good results. If this is your case, do it anyway and see what happens.
I would advise structuring this with a to do list. Mix the important tasks with the not so important tasks and tackle the important tasks first. Get them out of the way. As you do the tasks, check off that they are completed and this may help you feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that you are now able to get things done. If there is a task that you feel intimidated about or lack ability for, ask for help. Friends and family are always happy to give you a hand. If you stick to a formulated structure like this, it may help you catch up with tasks and you will feel satisfied seeing yourself complete things as you check off the items you've completed.
Next, consider that you may be behind in your work, not because of procrastination, but from being distracted. Think about the things you are doing instead of keeping up with your work. Find an even ground for both work and other time consuming things and make this change as you are ready. It won't happen overnight. It could just be a phase you're going through because of the activities and people that may be in your life and where you are prioritizing the way you spend your time.
Most of all, know that putting things off is normal, it comes from valid feelings and the important thing is what you do to improve getting your work done. It will take an active change and only you can tell when you are ready to decide that change. You can do it.
I hope that this was a bit of a help and I wish you all the best !
Updated
Emina’s Answer
I appreciate your sincerity and inquiry, and I'm glad you've brought up a topic that many of us grapple with. Overcoming procrastination can be a challenging habit to conquer, but it's definitely possible!
A practical strategy to quit procrastinating is to organize your tasks according to their significance. Try to minimize any distractions and steer clear of juggling multiple tasks at once. If a task seems daunting or overwhelming, don't hesitate to break it down into manageable chunks.
Furthermore, it's beneficial to set achievable deadlines for yourself and celebrate your victories when you meet them.
Take a moment to reflect on why you might be procrastinating. For some, like myself, it's about learning to let go of the need for perfection. Others procrastinate because they tend to blow things out of proportion, turning a molehill into a mountain. Instead, try to approach it one step at a time, and you'll find that it's much easier to accomplish!
I sincerely hope that these suggestions will aid you in battling procrastination. Believe in yourself, you've got this!
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-stop-procrastinating
https://www.verywellhealth.com/procrastination-causes-types-and-how-to-overcome-5322734
A practical strategy to quit procrastinating is to organize your tasks according to their significance. Try to minimize any distractions and steer clear of juggling multiple tasks at once. If a task seems daunting or overwhelming, don't hesitate to break it down into manageable chunks.
Furthermore, it's beneficial to set achievable deadlines for yourself and celebrate your victories when you meet them.
Take a moment to reflect on why you might be procrastinating. For some, like myself, it's about learning to let go of the need for perfection. Others procrastinate because they tend to blow things out of proportion, turning a molehill into a mountain. Instead, try to approach it one step at a time, and you'll find that it's much easier to accomplish!
I sincerely hope that these suggestions will aid you in battling procrastination. Believe in yourself, you've got this!
Emina recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Samantha’s Answer
Hey Selina!
Procrastination is something that we all experience at some point, so you're definitely not alone! Something that can be helpful to begin with is to try to identify why you're procrastinating. Here's some of the reasons we procrastinate:
1. We have so much to do our brain is feeling overwhelmed and we don't know what to do first, so we do nothing.
2. We have a particular task (or tasks) to do that are daunting, usually because we're not sure where to start or we're not feeling confident about our ability to do it. So we avoid starting them.
4. We're distracted by other things going on in our life that are worrying us, so we find it hard to focus on the work we have to do.
There are other reasons too of course, these are just a few to get your thinking started.
If reason #1 above is a problem, it can be helpful to do what I call a 'brain dump'. This is a quick and easy way to empty your brain so it feels less overwhelmed and can have space to actually do your work. All you need to do is get a pen and paper (tends to work better than typing) and just write down all the things you have to do. I like to do this exercise somewhere quiet with a nice cup of tea or coffee. Once you have written everything down, circle the three most important things you absolutely have to do this week. Then, for each of those, write down the very next step to get started. This gives you a very clear plan of action, but also let's your brain know that you won't forget the other things (because you have also written them down).
If reason #2 above is a problem, it can be helpful to break the task down into really small parts. This helps you identify just the smallest thing you can do to get started. It might even be something like 'highlight the key words in the assignment and Google them to make sure I understand what is required'. This technique helps because usually once you start something, you get the momentum to keep going.
If reason #3 above is a problem, it can be helpful to use something like the Pomodoro Technique to help you focus for short periods of time. This technique uses a timer to focus for 20 minutes, then break for 5 minutes, then another 20 mins focus etc. You can learn more about it at https://www.pomodorotechnique.com/what-is-the-pomodoro-technique.php. There are lots of free Pomodoro Timer apps you can get. It can also be helpful to do a short meditation before you start work, to help calm your mind and invite focus in. I love the free app Insight Timer for this.
I hope this information is helpful, all the best!
Procrastination is something that we all experience at some point, so you're definitely not alone! Something that can be helpful to begin with is to try to identify why you're procrastinating. Here's some of the reasons we procrastinate:
1. We have so much to do our brain is feeling overwhelmed and we don't know what to do first, so we do nothing.
2. We have a particular task (or tasks) to do that are daunting, usually because we're not sure where to start or we're not feeling confident about our ability to do it. So we avoid starting them.
4. We're distracted by other things going on in our life that are worrying us, so we find it hard to focus on the work we have to do.
There are other reasons too of course, these are just a few to get your thinking started.
If reason #1 above is a problem, it can be helpful to do what I call a 'brain dump'. This is a quick and easy way to empty your brain so it feels less overwhelmed and can have space to actually do your work. All you need to do is get a pen and paper (tends to work better than typing) and just write down all the things you have to do. I like to do this exercise somewhere quiet with a nice cup of tea or coffee. Once you have written everything down, circle the three most important things you absolutely have to do this week. Then, for each of those, write down the very next step to get started. This gives you a very clear plan of action, but also let's your brain know that you won't forget the other things (because you have also written them down).
If reason #2 above is a problem, it can be helpful to break the task down into really small parts. This helps you identify just the smallest thing you can do to get started. It might even be something like 'highlight the key words in the assignment and Google them to make sure I understand what is required'. This technique helps because usually once you start something, you get the momentum to keep going.
If reason #3 above is a problem, it can be helpful to use something like the Pomodoro Technique to help you focus for short periods of time. This technique uses a timer to focus for 20 minutes, then break for 5 minutes, then another 20 mins focus etc. You can learn more about it at https://www.pomodorotechnique.com/what-is-the-pomodoro-technique.php. There are lots of free Pomodoro Timer apps you can get. It can also be helpful to do a short meditation before you start work, to help calm your mind and invite focus in. I love the free app Insight Timer for this.
I hope this information is helpful, all the best!
Updated
Darren’s Answer
Hey Selina! Procrastination gets to the best of us! Being aware, such as you seeking advice, is always a plus. Keep it up because change never occurs unless the person him-/herself recognizes the issue and seeks to do so. I'd only add two other points which are 1) implement time management, and 2) create to-do lists.
Whatever you do in the time spent procrastinating is up to you. Without knowing, I would say that it can even be a good thing IF you are committing time to something that fosters personal growth, such as sports practice, learning the piano, or participating in a civics conference. During high school, I never started homework until night time because of my hour commute home and sports practice. You need to evaluate yourself and how much time you are spending on a particular activity. Perhaps you spend too much time hanging out with friends or playing video games; if so, give yourself a cap. I suggest writing out everything you do instead of homework, going through the list, and prioritizing which activities are meaningful to you and your future self. Eliminate what is unnecessary, then determine the time you want to allocate to 1-2 of those activities everyday and note a specific time to start homework. The act of prioritizing whatever it is you are doing instead of homework will help you identify what exactly you want to change and the time spent on doing so. If the problem lies in doing the homework itself, then utilizing techniques like the Pomodoro technique may help.
As for to-do lists, similar to the advice mentioned, I would suggest a running to-do list that you revisit daily and include deadlines for specific tasks. If you have an upcoming physics project, when do you want to complete it by? Write down the date. Revisit the list daily. You can choose to create different to-do lists by category, however, I keep things simple and do one aggregate. All personal preference. Good luck!
Whatever you do in the time spent procrastinating is up to you. Without knowing, I would say that it can even be a good thing IF you are committing time to something that fosters personal growth, such as sports practice, learning the piano, or participating in a civics conference. During high school, I never started homework until night time because of my hour commute home and sports practice. You need to evaluate yourself and how much time you are spending on a particular activity. Perhaps you spend too much time hanging out with friends or playing video games; if so, give yourself a cap. I suggest writing out everything you do instead of homework, going through the list, and prioritizing which activities are meaningful to you and your future self. Eliminate what is unnecessary, then determine the time you want to allocate to 1-2 of those activities everyday and note a specific time to start homework. The act of prioritizing whatever it is you are doing instead of homework will help you identify what exactly you want to change and the time spent on doing so. If the problem lies in doing the homework itself, then utilizing techniques like the Pomodoro technique may help.
As for to-do lists, similar to the advice mentioned, I would suggest a running to-do list that you revisit daily and include deadlines for specific tasks. If you have an upcoming physics project, when do you want to complete it by? Write down the date. Revisit the list daily. You can choose to create different to-do lists by category, however, I keep things simple and do one aggregate. All personal preference. Good luck!
Updated
Linda’s Answer
I procrastinate also, and have spent a lifetime trying to manage and resolve this problem. What I have learned about myself and the tendency to put things off is this, I happily do all the task I love first which always leaves a pile of no thank you duties to procrastinate over. Now I mix them in with the love to do's, so I do a no thank you and rewards myself with 3 love to do's then 2 no thank yous and so forth. Also I corralate both task considering effort to complete each so I am not getting board with the no thank yous and set it aside to move on to the love to do in the same effort burning group. I suspect you are a very curious person and thrive on constant introduction of new shinny things to absorb your interests. Me to, problem is the new shinny also has no thank yous inheritant adding to the ever growing no thank you pile that always contains vital must do's. The vital must do's are not allowed in the reward challenge exercise I have unfortunately learned for life altering problems will present themselves. Not good. Short answer I am still working towards a resolution and discipline is where the solution exists. Work in progress. Thanks for letting me vent lol I wish you luck my friend!!!
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Questions
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karen’s Answer
Hello, I find that when there is a lot of work (especially during the week of finals) we tend to tell ourselves that we need some brain space. We then tend to hang out with friends-in other words, pushing off our work and calling that studying because duh our brains need a break! However, if you get away from your phone (throw it across then room) or put your computer tab that you need to study (and won't get sidetracked from) on its own sheet of the computer-you are bound to not get distracted. Tell yourself: "the faster you do your work, the faster it will be over with and get or do xyz". You should also reward yourself, so you keep thinking you are getting towards some goal other than studying. Good luck and I hope this advice works!