The enemy and the number one cause of my stress in most, if not all of post-secondary students' lives. I have learned that the only way to deal with procrastination is by changing your attitude and working habits. Many have different techniques on overcoming the art of procrastinating however you may do it, we all give in to it at some point.
Procrastination is putting off work or postponing it. Reasons why we procrastinate tend to be:
Forgetting
Not wanting to do the task
Being in the habit for waiting the last minute
Not knowing what needs to be done
Whatever the reason may be I have posted personal contributing factors and helpful tips to try and overcome reasons for your procrastinating and hope to be of help to you all!
Remember that agenda you used to receive at the beginning of the year to write down any important dates? Yes, the one you would leave in your locker at the end of the first day and never touch it until the end of the year. That agenda, little do you know actually works wonders. Part of procrastinating is being unorganized and not knowing what to do or what to start. Writing down something helps you remember more of the material than you actually think. When faced with multiple tasks on hand it helps to write down the task as soon as it is given out. If you retain this habit you will be well organized and know how to manage your time wisely on each work load. Being able to list things down makes it easier to see visually what needs to be done first.
Example
Accounting Assignment due March 9
Social Media Presentation due March 9
Finance Test on March 27
Group Work Meeting March 11 at 2 PM
The Business World
Business are always running and work is constantly being given to people. It is very important to keep track of the work that is being done other wise it could lead to the loss of the company. Being able to write things down and keep track of any important dates will benefit anyone who takes initiative to be prepared.
Client Meeting at 12 PM on March 15
Staff Performance Evaluation any during March 23rd onward
2015 Company Goals and New Protocols at 9 AM on March 10
Procrastinator of the Day: Bill Clinton
42nd US President Bill Clinton, Did you know Clinton would be given weeks ahead of time maybe even months to give feedback on drafts of important speeches but the process always ended with what Times Magazine called "last minute cut-and-paste sessions"
Having to face the reality that work has to be done is the biggest enemy as a procrastinator. Suddenly when you have so many things on your plate there is much more to do in life than to do work! Having no initiative to do the work is the one of the factors of leaving it until the last minute. In the early stages of being a young adult you should be developing a habit of how to manage your time wisely. If your instructor wants a printed copy of your essay, and you are in the process of writing it, do not open up a web browser along with your word document. From first hand experience I have learned that having only the necessary items open really speeds up the process of finishing up my work.
Time Management: here is a video that is a great example to teach us how to manage your time wisely
Distractions to Watch Out For:
Disorganization - A disorganized work area can very distracting when your work area is crowded. It is difficult to think clearly and come up with ideas
Instant Messaging - Although it can be very useful, instant messaging can also be a factor into distracting you from doing your work
Tiredness - Getting proper amount of sleep and being well rested keeps you more focused and less likely to be distracted
Internet - The internet is useful for many things, however it is a huge contributor for distractions, it is best to close all unnecessary browsers to minimize any further distractions
for more information on how to minimize distractions visit this website where you can learn more about different techniques on how to avoid distractions.
The Business World
In the Business world, time management is essential to the company. If workers are not producing the right amount of results that is expected. It would really be something to consider if you are working in a Finance, Accounting, Human Resource or Marketing field in the future. Being able to manage time wisely gets more work finished and you are able to reduce stress for better quality work rather than rushing a task just for the sake of finishing it.
Procrastinator of the Day: The Dalai Lama
Tenzin Gyatso better known as the 14th Dalai Lama was not always the great leader he is today. During his time as a student, he too found it very difficult to be motivated to do work. "Only in the face of a difficult challenge or an urgent deadline would I study and work hard without laziness" he says.
"You must not procrastinate, rather you should make preparations so that if you die tonight, you would have no regrets" - Dalai Lama
If you firmly want to change procrastination about yourself you have to be able to acknowledge that change needs to be done in order to be successful. Simply saying that you are going to change the following school year and "try harder" is not going to cut it. It has to be within yourself and only you can really change your work ethic. As an immigrant to Canada the school system from my home country is very different. Throughout high school I focused on adapting to the school system and try to do well within the areas I need improvement on. Among my group of friends I had the lowest average among them and was constantly teased about even the thought of post-secondary school. My average was around the 60's range. I entered post secondary school and by the time the first semester finished my average jumped into the 80's and some in the 90's. I only dreamed of being an A student, but I changed my work ethic and rather talking about doing this and that. I let my actions do the talking.
The Business World
Canada is a very diverse country. It's worker force is made up of different backgrounds from all over the world who bring a cultural mosaic to the country. Having different backgrounds, means having different work habits and the way of understanding certain concepts compared to others. Having a good work ethic and being able to fulfill the tasks given onto you is really beneficial to the company and displays a good character image of yourself to everyone around.
Procrastinator of the Day: Leonardo da Vinci
Famous for his painting of the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci is the biggest procrastinator of all! da Vinci is a very knowledgeable man and studied in different areas such as engineering, architecture, biology, physics, math. But he never finished anything on time. Did you know the Mona Lisa took 16 years to paint!
Throughout high school we meet many new faces and develop friendships that may last a life time. However not all friendships that were made during that time are healthy! I had a reputation where I would leave workloads of projects until the last minute. During those long sleepless nights I wondered to myself "Why am I always like this?" I'm not a person to point fingers at others but after taking a year off before entering post secondary school I had a lot of time to reflect and change many things about myself and one of them being my friends
It's true what they say that after you leave secondary school you leave with a hand full of friends. But did you leave with the right ones? But how do our friends really contribute to procrastination? The type of people we surround ourselves with however have the biggest influence on our decision making. It's the worse time of the year, school is packed with everything from presentations to exams. You have your fair share of workload to do and no time to waste. However a couple of your friends do not have the same workload and have called you out to hang out and go see a movie. You tell them you can't because of the work you have to do.
Kenneth : "Just do it later, we won't be out that long. You've done this type of stuff before right? you can do it again!"
Kyle : "Oh, well good luck! Hopefully next time you wont be as busy so you can come with us"
Which friend would you want? Which friends DO you have? The Business World
In the real world, it may be more difficult to distinguish the difference between Kenneth and Kyle. Business is a very broad field and people are always trying to move up. You're staying up late at the office to finish a report that is due tomorrow morning on your supervisors desk. A colleague asks you to grab a couple of drinks with them since you are new to the company and want to get to know you better.
Procrastinator of the Day: Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo is a French poet and novelist who is well known for his novels Les Miserables and Hunchback of Notre Dame. Did you know that Hugo had his servants take his clothes off and told them not to return at a certain time until he has finished all his work!
Rewarding yourself is always a good way to have initiative to start working. Along with time managing allowing break-times and rewards after the work has been completed is another way to try and overcome procrastinating.
Here is a short and informative video on how break time and how it can affect our work performance
The Business World As technology advances workloads are being accomplished more quickly and more work loads are being delivered by companies to their employees. However working for an excessive amount of time may do more harm than good for your work. Taking breaks should enhance your creativity and be able to focus more.
Herman Melville is an American author who is famous for his novel Moby-Dick or The Whale. During the time he was writing his novel Melville's wife had to consistently make sure that Herman was on his desk to finish his work. He started writing the novel in 1850, the novel was published in 1851.
