Stress
The 7 Day Procrastination Plan
These are seven strategies you can use to overcome procrastination. The suggestions are tied to days of the week to make them easier to remember.
On Monday, Make it Meaningful
Why is that task important? If you've been putting it off, take a minute to list all the benefits of getting it done. Look at the task in perspective of your goals. Be specific about the rewards and benefits of completing the task.
On Tuesday, Take it Apart
Break big jobs into small parts - Procrastinators tend to view tasks as large projects rather than seeing the smaller components. Make each task something you can accomplish in 15-30 minutes. If a reading assignment is long, break it into three sections and cross each section off as you complete it.
On Wednesday, Write an intention statement
Intention statements put your goals and the rewards for accomplishing them right in front of your eyes. For example, if you have a term paper to write that you can't seem to get started, write yourself an intention statement that says, "I intend to write a list of at least ten possible topics for my term paper by 9 pm. I will reward myself with an hour of guilt-free recreational reading."
On Thursday, Tell everyone
Announce your goals publicly. Use friends, family, roommates as a means of increasing your motivation.
On Friday, Find a reward
Give yourself small rewards each time you complete a chunk of a larger project. For example, I'll go to the climbing wall in the Field House for an hour, after I've read for two hours. Choose an actual reward, not something you plan to do anyway! Movies, clothes, or time doing something a fun pastime are much more enjoyable when you feel you've earned it!
On Saturday, Settle it now
Do it -- now. The minute you find yourself procrastinating, plunge into the task. Think of trying to get into a cold swimming pool - it's often less painful to just jump right in!
On Sunday, Say NO
When you notice yourself continually pushing a task off, reexamine whether you really want or need to do it at all. It's better to drop something you don't intend to ever do than to continually procrastinate on it.
Adapted from: Becoming a Master Student, by David Ellis. (College Survival, Inc. 1984)
Page updated: 3/27/08
