By: Tierney Caputo
Many colligates could say that they majorHow to Conquer Procrastina
Many Collegiettes™ could say that they major in procrastination, with a minor in what they are actually studying. A majority of a student’s time is spent thinking about the things that need to be done rather than accomplishing those tasks. This causes an extreme pile up of work, even more daunting than the original responsibilities.
Everyone has been there, especially me. I practically developed the art of procrastination before learning a few simple tricks that can help you beat it (yes, even for us lazy ones).
The first thing to do is create a To Do list. Everyone has heard of this and may not think it’s so original. But, the secret is that even procrastinators themselves love to make these lists. They make a great use out of cute sticky notes, and can even be fun to compile—that is, until you see the list of responsibilities once finished. To Do lists must be tactical and organized. Important tasks (read: the ones that make you cringe, usually) should go at the top, followed by those of lesser importance and items with later due dates. The key to getting started on tackling a To Do list is making it easy to begin. Put one or two things that you can do in a snap, like “water plant” or “pack backpack for tomorrow,” so you can cross those off almost instantly. Or, if you want to cross things off right away, I have a (slightly embarrassing) habit of putting one or two things on my list I actually have already done just so my list looks a little less daunting from the get go.
The next, and perhaps most important, trick is the Three Minute Rule. This rule states that any task you can accomplish in under three minutes must be executed the second it pops into your head. When you first notice that email in your inbox, rather than viewing it, reading it, then saving it for later—just go ahead and respond. Take the bills that have been sitting on the counter out to the mailbox, and then take out the trash while you’re at it. Wipe the counters, pick out what you’re wearing tomorrow, dump your dirty clothes in the washing machine and turn it on. This trick, if you stick with it, can nearly slash in half a future To Do list.
The final idea is choosing one day a week to tackle the majority of work that needs to get done.
Choosing to divvy up the work and having to do just a little bit each day, though it may sound quite seductive to a procrastinator, is not a good option. To be blunt, the work just won’t get done that way. It will get put off…again. Instead, choose a day to be that constructive student and productive machine. Banish yourself to the empo or library for one afternoon a week and try and conquer all that week’s worth of note taking, homework and projects. The afternoon may be miserable but the rest of the week is glorious. Thursday, Friday and Saturday are your stress free nights to enjoy. There is no Sunday terror—while battling that massive hangover—that you have assignments due on Monday.
These tricks are simple enough that even the most novice reforming procrastinators can try them out. Get started now, and your headache-d, sluggish self can curl up Sunday afternoon with some West End brunch, an E! marathon, and peace of mind.
Everyone has been there, especially me. I practically developed the art of procrastination before learning a few simple tricks that can help you beat it (yes, even for us lazy ones).
The first thing to do is create a To Do list. Everyone has heard of this and may not think it’s so original. But, the secret is that even procrastinators themselves love to make these lists. They make a great use out of cute sticky notes, and can even be fun to compile—that is, until you see the list of responsibilities once finished. To Do lists must be tactical and organized. Important tasks (read: the ones that make you cringe, usually) should go at the top, followed by those of lesser importance and items with later due dates. The key to getting started on tackling a To Do list is making it easy to begin. Put one or two things that you can do in a snap, like “water plant” or “pack backpack for tomorrow,” so you can cross those off almost instantly. Or, if you want to cross things off right away, I have a (slightly embarrassing) habit of putting one or two things on my list I actually have already done just so my list looks a little less daunting from the get go.
The next, and perhaps most important, trick is the Three Minute Rule. This rule states that any task you can accomplish in under three minutes must be executed the second it pops into your head. When you first notice that email in your inbox, rather than viewing it, reading it, then saving it for later—just go ahead and respond. Take the bills that have been sitting on the counter out to the mailbox, and then take out the trash while you’re at it. Wipe the counters, pick out what you’re wearing tomorrow, dump your dirty clothes in the washing machine and turn it on. This trick, if you stick with it, can nearly slash in half a future To Do list.
The final idea is choosing one day a week to tackle the majority of work that needs to get done. Choosing to divvy up the work and having to do just a little bit each day, though it may sound quite seductive to a procrastinator, is not a good option. To be blunt, the work just won’t get done that way. It will get put off…again. Instead, choose a day to be that constructive student and productive machine. Banish yourself to the empo or library for one afternoon a week and try and conquer all that week’s worth of note taking, homework and projects. The afternoon may be miserable but the rest of the week is glorious. Thursday, Friday and Saturday are your stress free nights to enjoy. There is no Sunday terror—while battling that massive hangover—that you have assignments due on Monday.
These tricks are simple enough that even the most novice reforming procrastinators can try them out. Get started now, and your headache-d, sluggish self can curl up Sunday afternoon with some West End brunch, an E! marathon, and peace of mind.