Keeping up with classes, maintaining a social life, and getting enough sleep can be exhausting. Not to mention all those extracurriculars that beef up the resume! So, when it comes to sitting down and doing homework, it is all too easy to avoid and leave it until the last minute. Being a victim to procrastination could make or break your grades in college. This is a lazy girl’s guide to beating procrastination.
Think About How Good It Will Feel When It’s Done
Procrastination always feels good in the moment, but after a while, the work you have to do will loom over you and create anxiety. The first step to beating procrastination is envisioning how good it will feel when your homework is all done. Visualizing future benefits is a great technique to motivate you to make those first movements of being productive.
Make a Plan
Putting things off cannot be an option when it comes to beating procrastination. Make a plan and try to stick to it. The key is to set realistic goals for yourself and knowing what you can tackle each day. Amanda Fisher, the Kappa Alpha Theta Scholarship Chair, said, “One of the best ways I found for staying on task is to create a list of each small step that needs to be completed. Doing this makes what I have to do feel less daunting. I can easily cross each step off as I go along, which makes me feel very productive and motivated to keep moving forward.” Realizing which steps need to be taken can help guide how to manage your time for approaching your homework.
Commit Publicly
Tell your friends what your plan is for getting your work done. This will add a pressure for you to stick to your word. Often times your friends will offer to help you study or will be inspired to get their homework done too. Caroline Webb, author of How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life, wrote for Harvard Business Review on “How to Beat Procrastination”. She stated that, “Research has found that it matters greatly to us whether we’re respected by others—even by strangers. Most of us don’t want to look foolish or lazy to other people. So by daring to say ‘I’ll send you the report by the end of the day’ we add social benefits to following through on our promise—which can be just enough to nudge us to bite the bullet.”
Take Yourself Away from Distractions (and Excuses)
When you get to the point of actually sitting down and starting your homework, it is best to limit your distractions. Make sure you set your study place up with snacks and drinks so that you don’t have the excuse of leaving to go get food. Try not to do your homework near your bed because it is always tempting to lie down and watch Netflix. When you really need to grind, try putting your phone on silent and turning off the vibrate, so that you won’t keep grabbing your phone every time it buzzes.