Procrastination is something that we all deal with, even your private SAT tutors! For example, I spent the last half hour procrastinating from writing this post by reading the description on all the food products in my apartment. I have a hard time believing that Snyders Pretzels were born from "an Old World recipe."
The point is, procrastination is an issue that plagues all of us at one time or another, and in order to best overcome it, it's important to first understand it.
In every student's head live two conflicting forces that don't like each other: the Rational Young Adult (RYA) and the Bratty Little Kid (BLK). And they're always fighting. Think of it like the old angel and devil on your shoulders. On one shoulder is the Rational Young Adult—he (or she) knows what you have to do, and knows that it'll be a lot more fun later if you just get your stuff done now. The RYA is logical, and the thing is—he's usually right. You see, the RYA isn't some joyless old hag trying to steal Christmas—he's true to his name: he's rational.
On your other shoulder is the Bratty Little Kid. The BLK doesn't really care what happens, as long as it's the exact opposite of what the RYA wants to do. He's resistant by nature, and even though the RYA part of you knows you'll have a lot more fun later that night if you just get your work done now, the BLK wants to resist.
So, back to procrastination—when you're procrastinating, the Bratty Little Kid is winning the battle. When you're being productive, the Rational Young Adult is prevailing.
Here are five ways to help the RYA win the fight (and trust me, he's the one you should be rooting for):
1) Start small. People always tell you to shoot for the sky. Well when it comes to homework, don't. If you set too lofty a goal, it's too daunting to start working toward it. Say you have a three-page paper to write—tell yourself you're going to write half a page and then do something fun. Then after 15 minutes, you have to write another half a page, and then you can take another break, etc. This way, you're giving the BLK some time and then the RYA some time. If you can't beat the BLK, accommodate him.
2) Get the easiest things done first. They'll tell you to do the exact opposite, but they're wrong. You have to do the hardest things at some point. What's easier—starting the hardest, ickiest part of the homework when you've done nothing and the whole night of work is ahead of you? Or starting the hardest stuff once everything else is done and you know it's the last hump to get over before you're free?
3) Talk to yourself. In general, when in doubt, it's a good idea to talk to yourself like a crazy person. So when you're procrastinating, say out loud, "This isn't that hard. I'll be much happier later if I just do this now. I have to do this at some point no matter what, so I might as well get it out of the way, rather than spend the day with it hanging over my head." If it doesn't work, say it again…and again. Until you'd rather do anything other than say it, even homework.
4) Give yourself a light at the end of the tunnel. It's a lot more fun to work if there's a good reward at the end. If you start work too late, the only thing that's happening after you finish is sleep. Well, that's no good. So start earlier, and plan to watch a favorite TV show, or go to a movie, or hang out with a friend, or play with stickers or whatever kids these days do for fun—after you finish.
5) Just start. The hardest part is the first word. Or problem. Or page. Or whatever. Starting kills the morale of the BLK. Just take a deep breath, and get the very beginning out of the way. The rest will follow.
0 comments:
Post a Comment