SPARK: Student Papers and Academic Research Kit: Understanding Procrastination

Most of us procrastinate. Many people believe that they perform better under pressure and intentionally leave important tasks until the last minute. Others feel unsure what the assignment calls for, or they worry that they may not be able to do it well. Sometimes the assignment seems too unpleasant.

Procrastination may cause unnecessary stress and leave you feeling unproductive or guilty. Managing your time more effectively can help you overcome procrastination and leave you feeling more energized and motivated. Your productivity will increase, and you will achieve better results.

1. Do you wait to start assignments just before they are due?

It’s often tempting to tell ourselves that we can’t work on the assignment now because we don’t feel motivated enough, or we believe that we perform better under pressure. However, waiting may mean losing a significant amount of valuable time. So stay motivated.

15 Minute Rule

Start with a task that won’t take longer than about 15 minutes to complete. No matter how much work we have to do, most of us can talk ourselves into doing something for 15 minutes, even if we don’t want to. Completing a short task will motivate you to tackle the next task and get you into a productive mood.

Just Get Started

Sometimes, people put off doing things because they believe the task is too unpleasant. Overcome this inclination by reminding yourself that your intention to accomplish the task should take precedence over how you feel in the moment. At least give it a try – you can probably tolerate the initial unpleasantness and even come to enjoy working.

2. Do you read email, texts or tweets during the time you have set aside for writing?

You may be underestimating the amount of time to complete assignment tasks. When you underestimate the amount of time a task will take, you may end up feeling frustrated, anxious, or down on yourself for not meeting your own deadlines. And these feelings may lead to putting off the next task.

Know Yourself 

Set realistic goals and establish appropriate time frames for completing tasks. Learn from past experience how much time you usually need to accomplish a particular task. Be clear with yourself about what you want to achieve. Consider how much time you will need based on your experience, and then plan at least that much time in your schedule. If you finish early, you can always use the remaining time for other work or emails.

3. Do you believe your assignments need to be perfect and get stuck revising over and over?

Sometimes people feel that their work has to be perfect. Comparing one’s current progress with the desired ideal outcome can lead to feelings of being stuck and a diminished sense of accomplishment. Instead, it may be helpful to use the “good enough” strategy. 

Get to Good Enough  

Often, procrastination comes from expecting too much of ourselves all at once. To remind you, the research and writing process is recursive. Striving for perfection on each element isn’t necessarily helpful because you’re very likely to revisit aspects of your work in light of further reading and writing. Remind yourself that you can always fine-tune later. It’s easier to revise than to start from scratch

4. Do you begin writing and then immediately decide you are hungry or need a coffee? 

If you find that you are not really sure what the assignment is asking, you may be tempted to put off working on it. This trigger can occur at any phase of the writing process, but is particularly likely at the very beginning when you find you don’t know where to start. There are many productive alternatives to putting the assignment aside or spending vast amounts of time puzzling over it. Refer to the "Understanding the Assignment " module for guidance.

5. Do you feel anxious or overwhelmed by your assignments?

Sometimes the assignment feels immense, overwhelming, and impossible to complete, so students don’t feel able even to begin.  

One Task at a Time

Try to avoid “all or nothing” thinking. If, when you look at the whole assignment, you feel overwhelmed, break it down into manageable tasks.  Then, focus on one task at a time and complete it before moving on to the next one.

Sometimes, it's helpful to write something down. Even if it's just one sentence, at least you have started and are not just staring at a blank page or screen. You may end up changing or deleting this sentence later, but now you have a starting point.