For some odd reason, I have the hardest time with my time management. I’ve always been the last one to finish homework late at night or the last one to turn in an assignment because I waited until the last minute. It takes me a lot of time and focus to complete one assignment. With that being said, it has not been an easy task getting used to the heavy workload they present you with in college. So, if you’re like me and would love a couple new tips to kick your bad habit outside of “ just don’t procrastinate,” here is a list of activities and tools that have helped me stay on track when I have a lot of work to accomplish.
1. Working Out.
Now, I am NOT the most active person in the whole wide world, but I have found that if I take a little time to focus on myself really helps me do my work after I get back home. It helps me get out all the jitters and energy that may be festering up inside my body. It helps me wake up a bit and to be able to focus on my work a little longer than usual. Also, it gives me a little boost like, “hey!”, I can complete a whole work out. I can for sure write a six-page paper. NO BIG DEAL, right? At least that’s what I tell myself.
2. Plan Breaks.
If you have a bunch of work to do, it is unrealistic to assume you can do it all in one sitting without taking any small breaks. However, we don’t want those “small breaks” to turn into full out vacations from your work. So, plan to take breaks while you plan the day, or plan out what work you are going to get accomplished in one sitting before you take a break. It also doesn’t always have to be 20-minute breaks because let’s face it, the new Shane Dawson docu-series is obviously not going to fit into a one 20 minute break. Provided that, it is wise to sometimes take hour long breaks and then decrease the amount of time you spend in a break as you go continue your work process.
3. Use Planners, Lists, and Calendars!
I have resented planners ever since they forced me to write down that I had a spelling test and one homework assignment every day in grade school. Did they doubt my memory? I now understand that they were just trying to instill effective planning skills in us, and I never caught on. But, now it’s different. Planners have genuinely helped me when I remember to write down what I have to do. Sometimes, though, I’m not always motivated to pull out my planner and write down every single task I need to accomplish that day.
Instead, I invested in a whiteboard calendar that now sits in front of my desk, so I have all my meetings, due dates, and activities of the month laid out in front of me to look at every day. I even make shortlists on a sticky note pad for five seconds in the morning outlining what work I need to get done and what time I will work on it. I’m not here to tell you one of these things is better than the other, but try all of them out and see which one works best for you. It will help you manage your time and limit procrastination.
4. Find Consistency.
I’ve noticed that I become some type of work magician if I do my homework at certain times of the day. So, see what times of the day are your best work hours and do your work at that time every day.
P.S. Try to keep in mind that you need a decent amount of sleep as well. Avoid late night hours and search for times throughout the day that allows you to accomplish this work.
5. Trick Yourself.
Commit to the work that you are doing. Tell yourself you won’t get up until you accomplish two more paragraphs, fall into a rhythm. Then repeat the process until you’re all done.
6. Reward Yourself.
We’ve all seen the YouTube videos that suggest putting gummy bears or M&M’s at the end of a page of reading, but if you are like me (still) you can’t practice that kind of constraint. If one gummy bear is getting consumed they’re all gettin’ consumed ya feel me? Also, some of us are trying to watch our figures am I right? If I go through a whole box of gummy bears today, I’ll have a new roll tomorrow, and I think NOT.
So, instead of rewarding yourself with food, reward yourself with reassuring words and praise. Read back your essay and tell yourself that you are a genius, pat yourself on the back, or tell your roommate to give you a hug for writing a whole research paper. Trust me it’ll make you feel better and more prepared to conquer the next assignment.
7. Go to F*ing Sleep Bro.
If you are depriving yourself of sleep, it will be wayyy harder to focus on anything that you are doing because you’ll be focused on SLEEP. So go to sleep. Get your eight to ten hours. Then wake up and take on the day. You can even listen to “Take On Me” by WAM if it helps get the job done, man.
Pro tip: Set that song for your alarm clock. It works wonders. Or another personal favorite “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley. It’s like a nice boost of energy to get your day started.
And that my friends is a couple of ways not to procrastinate. While they may be a little unconventional, some of them are highly effective. So try them all or try just one. Whatever gets the job done. ?
[A note from the author: If you’re still reading this. Maybe don’t listen to anything that I said considering it’s about 2:30 AM and I’m writing this article still being a procrastinating nugget. So, if there are any takeaways, just do the work, man. To be honest, you’re probably procrastinating reading this article now. Shame.]