Procrastination

Search the web and you’ll find thousands of articles on how to deal with procrastination. Go ahead and read one. … later.

Or perhaps you’d be better served to put off the how until you have dealt with.

Begin by asking this question: “Is there a pattern to my procrastination? Are there actions and responsibilities that immediately push my ‘procrastinate’ button?”

Make a short list (now, not later) of those triggers. Include personal and professional responsibilities, major tasks and tiny activities. Do you dread project planning or calling your mother? How about getting your oil changed, reading reports or emptying your email inbox? Thinking critically about how you process these tasks will help with your diagnosis.

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• Got your list? Good. Now evaluate everything you wrote down and see if you can find a pattern.
• Obviously, I can’t see your list. But I don’t need to read the individual items to safely identify a single commonality: Every task you’ve written down makes you uncomfortable.
• That’s to be expected. People typically don’t put off activities they find comforting, enjoyable or fulfilling. They tend to procrastinate when they face the uneasiness that accompanies tasks they perceive to be unpleasant.

Procrastination has a price.

Tasks left undone indicate a dip in productivity. But there’s a deeper price you unknowingly pay. It’s related to a phenomenon known as the .

Psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik discovered that to-do items and unmet responsibilities take up valuable mental real estate. They wander around in the brain and find completely inopportune times to pop up, bringing feelings of inadequacy.

Facing an unpleasant task brings unexpected benefits.

also uncovered a corresponding characteristic that’s well worth nothing: The moment you accomplish a task — however large or small — you immediately free up mental margin. Stress decreases, and brain capacity increases.

This suggests that accomplishing a task does more than just checking it off a list. It gives you room to think more effectively. Your primitive brain warns you to flee discomfort. But what if you could train our brain to embrace discomfort?

Why? Because discomfort is always accompanied by an opportunity for growth.

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These are exactly the principles at work in cognitive behavioral therapy. Think (cognitive) about your response before you act (behavioral). You can decide right now to embrace the discomfort of any given task, even before you’re faced with the need to complete the duty itself.

Imagine you’ve neglected to return a phone call from your life insurance agent. You know it’s smart to review your policy coverage and you know the call must be made, but you find the topic boring. You can decide right now – right this moment – that completing this task will make you feel great. Your brain will be at ease, you’ll free up mental space, and your life will be more in order.

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Train yourself to approach every task with this strategy so you can get more done, feel better and enable your brain to devote greater capacity to accomplishing bigger things.

Now, go get something knocked off your list!

Your mind doesn’t work as sharp as it does when you’re rested, and you just don’t feel like doing anything at the time. This has no actually reasoning, its just a person’s lack of motivation to get anything done. Fear of failure can also cause someone to put things off. When you feel like whatever you do will not be good enough, it can really make a person not want to do what they need to. What’s the point in doing it now, when it’s just going to fail navy’s? Another cause of procrastination is lack of enjoyment.

When someone doesn’t enjoy what they are doing, it can be really hard to actually do it. Over-confidence can also be a cause of procrastination. Thinking that you can get everything done at the last minute is something a lot of students think, and it can have some serious effects in the end. When it comes to the effects of procrastinating the list gets very long as well. One effect is stress. Putting things off until the last minute can really stress a person out, and that just adds on more issues for someone. Possible failure is another effect of procrastination.

When someone puts it off, and puts it off, the chances of actually getting it done and having it be done correctly are very slim. Most people also feel very guilty when they procrastinate. Eventually, the idea of doing it at all sounds terrifying, because you don’t want to face the guilt associated with it. Another effect of procrastination is possibly not accomplishing your dreams. Things keep getting put off and put off and eventually that weight you wanted to get down to never came; or that room you wanted to get cleaned never got cleaned; or hat degree you wanted to earn never happened.

The effects of procrastination are staggering, and can possibly destroy a person’s life. It’s never a good idea to constantly put things off until the last minute. Procrastination is a big deal, but its something that can easily be avoided. The causes are lengthy and so are the effects. If you have the time available, and you have something to get done, it’s a good idea to get it done right away instead of putting it off until later. Some people say “Why do it now when you can do it later”. I say “why do it later when you can do it now”.

Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination Keanna Jones Gen 200 March 18, 2010 Instructor: Jenta Young “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step” says Martin Luther King Jr. (Finest Quotes, Lift Your Spirit Up, 2010). Sounds simple enough to some, but for many people taking the first step can be quite difficult. In other words, putting off something intentionally that should be done is called procrastinating (Merriam-Webster, 2010).

There are lots of reasons that people can’t take that first step for such as having a busy schedule, stress, afraid of failure or wanting complete perfection; because of this, people tend to wait until the last minute to do things, lye to themselves, do other things instead of what needs to be done and avoid making decisions. Actually, waiting until the last minute gives some people just enough pressure to complete their task or time to refresh their minds. Therefore, procrastinating can be a positive thing for some, but for others it can be a barrier that hinders one from accomplishing the simplest-everyday tasks to more long term goals.

So for those people that consider procrastination a problem, once you figure out how and why you procrastinate, then you find a solution for your problem. “There are many ways to avoid success in life, but the most sure-fire just might be procrastination. Procrastinators sabotage themselves. They put obstacles in their own path. They actually choose paths that hurt their performance” (Staff, 2005). Thus, procrastination can be a problem for many people. Waiting until the last minute to do things or not making decisions can cause detrimental side-effects on ones emotional and physical state.

Subsequently, it can be stressful and cause you to feel hopeless or depressed which often delays or stops people from achieving their ultimate goals or becoming successful, but it is possible to prevail over it. In order to overcome procrastination, first you need to gather a few things to get started (you may need more or less as youbegin to learn more about yourself): a notepad and pen, a calendar or some sort of date book (both can also be done on your personal computer), some rewards for yourself and a new positive attitude.

Next, you need to determine why you are procrastinating. Harold Taylor lists several reasons why we procrastinate and how to defeat them. For example: Sometimes we figure that tasks are more unpleasant than they truly are; so, “complete these tasks first, schedule them for early in the day, and give yourself a reward for doing them. ” Also, break complex projects into smaller ones, and if you are afraid of failure, remind yourself of how good you’ll feel when you finish.

Moreover, if perfectionism and making decisions are your struggle, determine a time to make decisions and set deadlines. Remember that even the simplest things can cause someone to procrastinate like a lack of interest or distractions; free your-self from interruption and clutter (Taylor). In addition, use your calendar and date book to make appointments and set your deadlines; write down everything from daily tasksto your long term goals. Finally, measure your achievements and with any objective you conquer in procrastination reward yourself.

Furthermore, people can procrastinate in any and everything they do whether it isacademically, in the workforce or just daily living. “Based on some figures, it is estimated that as much as 95 % of the people are prone to procrastination. Amongst them, 20 % of them are chronic procrastinators. These people have an increasing chance of losing their jobs, have financial problems and have serious problems with their relationship with others” (Hobbs, 2008). What’s more, with academic procrastination, students may not complete work or meet deadlines, and as result, they may fail and not graduate.

Also, workforce procrastination can mean not completing assignments at work, not applying for a promotion, or not looking for a better job; so procrastination in the workforce can not only lead to trouble there, but also difficulties financially and in your relationship. At some moment in everyone’s life we may procrastinate in our daily living like waiting until the next day to clean up, but as long as it does not effect of livesnegatively we should be able to overcome it. However, if it does, just follow the instructions above and one should be fine.

So if you are a procrastinator, remember that you are not in this alone; as you can see, 95% of us procrastinate in some way. As we mentioned above, consider what type of procrastinator you are, how you procrastinate and what motivates you to reach beyond and you should be able to overcome it. Think about what makes you tick. Besides, it takes a lot of discipline to break this pattern. Consider what inspires you to advance, move ahead and be successful. Thus, use your pen, paper, planner, gather your rewards and develop a positive attitude and you will be on your way to coping with procrastination.

In conclusion, procrastination can be positive or negative, but as you can see, it clearly affects people’s lives. For plenty of people it does not help them; it actually hurts them. However, one can rise above it by simply remembering that you are a procrastinator and how to fix it. Do not wait until the last minute to do things or avoid making decisions because these are all signs of procrastination. By following some of the suggestions mentioned above, one might become triumphant in breaking this habit. Works Cited Finest Quotes Lift Your Spirit Up. 2010). In Procrastination Quotes. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www. finestquotes. com/select_quote-category-Procrastination-page-0. htm. Hobbs, Jason. (April 2008). What Do Statistics on Procrastination Have to Say? Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://ezinearticles. com/? What-Do-Statistics-On-Procrastination-Have-To-Say? &id=1093970. Procrastination. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/procrastination. Richard Farrar. (2010). Life, Technology and Everything.

The Powers of Procrastination. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www. richardfarrar. com/the-powers-of-procrastination/. Staff, PT (2005). Why We Procrastinate. Psychology Today. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www. psychologytoday. com/articles/200507/why-we-procrastinate. Taylor, Harold. How to Stop Procrastinating. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://www. getmoredone. com/tips2. html Tucker-Ladd, Clayton. (2007)Psychological Self-Help. http://www. psychologicalselfhelp. org/Chapter4/chap4_77. html, p. 76-80.

Writing Prompt: Why consistently do most students don’t do their assigned work? The reason why I believe students now a day don’t do their work is because either they’re to busy doing unimportant things or they have other responsibilities that don’t allowed them to finish their work. Some students prefer hanging out with their friends all day after school instead of going home and finish their homework. They leave everything last minute and in the end they just give up and go to sleep.

Other students might have other responsibilities that might take time from them and only have time to finish homework at night. For example some students might have to go home right after school and do chores at home, help out their siblings, have after school clubs or sports to attend, or they might have a job. When teachers give a good amount of time to finish a paper or project students tend to wait the last minute to do it or simply not do it.

The reason why we procrastinate with school work is because we’re not really looking forward to doing it. The longer we procrastinate, the bigger the task seems in our mind. So that makes it more and more difficult to get started because it becomes this huge terrible task that we want to avoid at all costs. This is the reason why I believe students tend not to finish school work because of procrastination. It causes student to become more and more lazy and leads them to not doing the work or continue being like this with future assignments.

Time management determines by the difference between successful and unsuccessful people. Successful people are able to balance the goals they wish to achieve and duties. And this success comes from their ability to their time optimally in light of their objectives. There are two types in our lives: Type I: A difficult time organizing, or managing how much time we spend in our basic needs such as eating, comfort, family relations and social mission. It is a time cannot use it a lot in what has been designated a degree of importance to keeping equilibrium in our life.

Type II: Time that can be organized and managed to devote to work, our own lives. Can we take advantage of this time? Can we optimize our productivity? Before I give some advices for time management. I have to describe some of the reasons wasting time. Time wasting is defined as: all that prevents you from effectively achieve your goals. – Planning: means the lack of goals and priorities, Overemphasis on priorities, leave the activity before the expiry of it, the lack of a deadline for the completion, trying to accomplish too much at one time. Organization: Disorganization Profile, do the job more than once, repeated efforts without result, the lack of clarity of the authority and responsibility, there is more than one president for one employee. – Employment: Problems for staff, untrained staff and Non-appropriate, rehabilitation higher or lower than desired. – Implementation: The desire to complete the work alone, a decrease in the level of stimulus, Inability to manage conflict. – Control: The absence of regulatory standards, the absence of administrative efficiency. Communications: Lack of communication clarity vertical and horizontal, no organization meetings, misunderstandings. – Decision-making: Postponement, Poor decisions. Humans are not able to organize their time without clear goals, plans and priorities. Planning is forward looking, work oriented . The future, that is, it begins with setting the access point, Then draw the way leading up to this point. Doing the work program (notebook) to achieve your goals at short (one year, for example) stating the business tasks and responsibilities that will accomplish, and the dates of the beginning and the end of completion, and timing of personal… tc. Here are some points to help us develop saving time: -Type the reason that leads to the loss of your time. – Number of problems usually caused by wasting time. – Stop using fake excuses such as the need for more information. A day contains twenty-four hours and this is enough for others to manage large enterprises, but for some it is not enough to manage simple, taking advantage of the time determines the difference between success and failure. Success means achieving a balance between the objectives and duties required under the means available, and so through time management or other self-management.

Concerning the time at work, there are many employees come to the meetings or the office just for wasting the time, and wasting other people’s time. Working too many hours, or be present in all meetings doesn’t justify the quality of work. According to Robert C. Pozen (June 15, 2012),’’be prepared to say no to requests that don’t matter ‘’ (Stop Working All Those Hours). And it is good to saving time if we: Decline meeting: means do not accept to be in meetings and explain the workload and request to see the meeting’s ones. Also delete emails: not all of them. But only keep and respond to the most important ones.

Finally dial down the effort: means if we cannot say ‘’no’’ to a certain request, recognize that it may only require a B+ effort. It’s not easy to save time at work because there are some factors affecting time as: Pressure by superiors, Pressures of work on the part of subordinates, Pressure resulting from the nature and conditions of work, Pressure resulting from planning, Pressures resulting from organization, Pressure regulator. According to Alex Chris, (October 24, 2012), ‘’there are 9 ways to manage the time at work: -write in a piece of paper. -concentrate on the important activities find productive time. -do not postpone things for later. -start a job and finish it without interruption. -delegate jobs to other people. -schedule a communication. -organize the office. ’’(www. manageyourlifenow. com). Sometimes we need rest and break to achieve the goal, so what we do is close the computer, close the phone, shut down the TV or anything that makes noise. Take a short nap. That gives more energy for every day. Also sleeping at night is better. What I understood from these ways is if we want to manage our time well, we have to look for efficacy and efficiencies.

Efficacy: to perform work properly and reach the desired result. Efficiency: the performance of work in the right way and getting to the desired result, but with minimal effort, time and cost. we need to profit and Exploit marginal times, times between commitments and actions (such as: the use of the car, waiting at the doctor, travel, waiting for meals, expected visitors). We must know How we spend time, then decompose and identify times marginal, and develop a plan of operation to benefit them as much as possible.

Also do not give up urgent for the things unnecessary. According to Cameron Chapman ’’bellow are sixteen tips to help us better managing our time:

1. Get organized.
2. Separate work Space from Everything-Else Space.
3. Take advantage of time management tools.
4. Set goals.
5. Set deadlines.
6. Plane Ahead.
7. Prioritize.
8. Delegate or outsource.
9. Optimize your processes.
10. Learn to say ‘’no’’.
11. Learn when you work beast.
12. Set regular working hours.
13. Don’t waste time
14. Avoid multitasking.
15. Take frequent breaks.
16. Maintain. ’’

Set deadlines are very important if we want to stop procrastination, so we can make a schedule with clear due dates then follow the calendar. We understand from these tips that Time is precious. Therefore, we must profit from time as well as we can, properly, and ultimately there are a few tips, as some scientists say helps us very wiling example: Focus on the target at all times , know our goal, be aware of our goal and then we will feel accomplishment when we complete each task, remember what seeks clearly in our mind, we will realize then that it is necessary to work hard to get things done.

Also Keep our mental and physical health, it is necessary to do the best delivery systems and our time for a better life, it leads to good health and the life of the organization, we need for good health to enjoy the achievements should also be good. Nothing is more important than our health, keeping our self in good health gives us energy, endurance, and also makes us more open-minded and less tense, and exercise make us think better (Sports Life).

Be an observer on our self, and the easiest way to develop self-motivation is to keep a clear vision of our goal all the time, the goal is the reason for doing what we do now, Always remember the goal, nothing is seeking to achieve, in order to give us the fuel needed to overcome the difficulties.

References

1. Article ‘’ stop working all those hours’’ by Robert C. Pozen, June 15, 2012. Harvard Business Review.
2. 9 Ways to manage your time at work. By Alex Chris, October 24, 2012. www. manageyourlifenow. com Alex is editor-in-chief of manageyourlifenow. com
3. SMASHING MAGAZINE: How To Find Time For…Everything! By Cameron Chapman, September 16th, 2009. www. smashingmagazine. com

Would Dewey’s advice for correcting a bad habit work for you? How would you go about reforming one of your habits? According to John Dewey, Habits are inevitable. We are empowered by both good and bad habits. In his essay, “Habits and Will”, Dewey states that we envision bad habits as such acts of “foolish idling, gambling, addiction to liquor and drugs”, and we associate good habits with skills such as walking, playing a musical instrument, and typing. We see bad habits as desires and good habits as abilities that “exist far from our impulsive desires”.

Bad habits are not deliberately formed and are also hard to break. Dewey explains that will power alone is not enough; one must follow a specific method to turn habits around. I feel that I, someone who tends to get distracted easily and procrastinate, should benefit from Dewey’s habit-breaking method. Dewey writes that a friend of his remarked that there was a superstition among persons that believe that if one is told what to do, if the right end is pointed to them, all that is required in order to bring about the right act is will or wish on the part of the one who is to act.

According to them, if a man who slouches is told to stand up straight, all that is needed is an effort by him, and the problem is fixed. Dewey’s main argument in his essay is that this method does not work. Instead, he suggests that in order to fix or undo our bad habits we must replace them with another habit that is of goodness; you must have more than solely will power to defy a habit. I think that I can benefit from Dewey’s method and start a new habit to break my habit of procrastinating.

Every day, I feel that I am easily and frequently distracted when doing schoolwork, which causes me to procrastinate. Every day, I try to break this habit and am unsuccessful. Sitting and thinking “don’t get distracted” does not work because in doing so, I get distracted by thinking about not getting distracted, instead of actually working. My problem is not struggling to sit down and take my homework out. My problem is getting distracted frequently and taking forever to make progress- especially when I know I have time to spare.

When time is running out, I tend to work much more efficiently. My bad habits of getting distracted and procrastinating counteract my good habit of taking out my homework as soon as possible. I am well aware of my habits, and know that I would feel less stressed if I could correct them. Also, every day, I have to listen to my parents tell me constantly to hurry up my work and get to bed, when I obviously want to do just that, but cannot. If I use Dewey’s method, I need to create a flank movement that will form a good habit which will aid me in breaking my bad habits.

These flank movements that Dewey speaks of are some action that prevents the bad habit and leads you in the direction of something else. Instead of solely relying on willpower alone, I could think of a way to make myself concentrate better and feel an urge to get my work done as soon as possible. One idea I thought of is changing my environment, and instead of sitting at my desk to work, I can move somewhere else, less distracting, such as the library. If I work there, I will feel more rushed and obliged to work efficiently.

I will set a goal to get a certain amount of work completed during my time at the library. I do not want to and cannot spend all afternoon and evening at the library, so and I will desire to get my work done speedily, and I will work as if it was late at night. In “Habits and Will,” John Dewey says, “[A habit] makes us do things we are ashamed of, things which we tell ourselves we prefer not to do. ” He elaborates on the fact that we are our habit. Dewey forces us to admit that our bad habit is a fundamental part of our self.

He insists that a bad habit can’t be overcome by will alone. We need to forget the bad habit and find an alternate activity (a flank movement) that can attract us and that we can focus on. He repeats that a bad habit can’t be overcome by will alone, contrary to popular belief, but only by picking up a flank movement. So in order for me to abolish my procrastination, or at least minimize it, I need to find an act that is different from my usual routine. I have to make the completion of this new action my new goal, and focus on reaching it.

If I do not, I will continue to do the same thing over and over again, like I have done for years. All habits are demands for certain kinds of activity; and they constitute the self. Our “self” is the interpenetration of will and desire and habit and action. Our selfhood isn’t what we think, but what we do; the way we act. we never intend to become an alcoholic or addicted to cigarettes. These habits come from a weakness within us all. We are too self– loved and too stubborn to face facts which leads us to the excuses of somehow and evil power has overcome our certain abilities.

Thirdly, he believes that bad habits are created from our feeling of a lack of purpose and the desires that come shortly after in attempt for immediate solutions. It would take a experience in life that enables something purposeful about us to truly appreciate the importance of ridding of the bad. http://www. alexandercenter. com/jd/johndeweyhabits. html http://www. nashvillegreatbooks. com/2009/11/john-dewey-habit-and-will. html http://www. ljhammond. com/phlit/2005-11c. htm

Few high school students are aware of what college life is like. Unlike in high school, college classes usually require a large amount of time spent outside class, working for the class, and some students do not understand the importance of this. A surprisingly large number of college freshmen have extremely poor time-management skills, which can lead to more time, spent partying than studying, which is the main cause of failing tests. All of these are causes of the students ultimately flunking out of college.

Self-esteem is the overall self-evaluation of one’s self, this is according to Myers. It is said to be the most important in helping the person grow. You cannot achieve a certain goal if you don’t have it. With a high level of self-esteem, it can help you in your studies, at work and in dealing with other people. Procrastination, in layman’s term, it said to be wasting your time. This dilemma is very common especially in those who are studying. With this kind of attitude there are most likely to be successful.

Many students entering college have extremely poor time management skills. One major problem is procrastination. Some students will wait till the night before a project is due before starting it, quickly rushing through the project, making careless errors, and getting little rest that night. Another self-destructive habit many college students have is cramming for tests. Often this cramming session takes place the night before, or even the morning of, the test, wherein the student tries to cover many weeks worth of material in a few hours.

This method of studying is almost worthless because the student will never retain any of the knowledge he or she “studied. Objectives of the Study The purpose of this study wants to know the relationship of self-esteem and procrastination on the failing grades of the college students of University of Southern Mindanao, specifically aims to:

1. Measure the level of their self-esteem.
2. Know if self-esteem and procrastination create a big impact in their failing grades. Significance of the Study The outcome of this study can be very helpful, especially to the locale of the study.

If this study will be conducted successfully, those students who have failing grades because of low self-esteem and are procrastinating can be serving as participants in seminars such as boosting your self-esteem. It can be beneficial to the university they can also help improve the education of the students. Scope and Delimitation This study focuses on the self-esteem and procrastination and its possible relation to the failing grades of the college students of USM. The participants were chosen regardless of their age, sex/gender, ethnicity, and financial ability.

The participants were also those who have failing grades. Hypothesis of the Study Ho: there is no relationship of self-esteem and procrastination on failing grades. Theoretical Framework Individual Psychology was founded by Alfred Adler. It is a cognitive, goal-oriented, social psychology interested in a person’s beliefs and perceptions, as well as the effects that person’s behavior has on others. It is one of the few psychologies interested in democratic processes in the home, school and work place.

Individual Psychology promotes social equality, which means granting each other mutual respect and dignity regardless of our inherent differences. It is not a set of techniques but a comprehensive philosophy of living. The three most fundamental principles are:

1. behavior is goal oriented;
2. humans are fundamentally social, with a desire to belong and have a place of value as an equal human being;
3. the individual is indivisible and functions with unity of personality (Ferguson, 1984).

These principles, which make Individual Psychology unique from other approaches, are described in Adlerian psychology as purposiveness, social interest, and holism. Together, these principles describe the person as moving in unity toward self-chosen goals that reflect a human value for belonging and social contribution. Conceptual Framework In this study, self-esteem is also the basis to the participants’ overall self-evaluation and procrastination  as the basis in determining the student’s behavior in school.

Respondents of the Study The respondents of the study are those college students who have failing grades last semester school year 2013-2014. Locale of the Study The locale of the study is located on the northern part of Region XII, specifically on the town of Kabacan, where the University of Southern Mindanao is located. This is a state university, with a population of more or less fifteen thousand students. The main college to be conducted with the survey is the College of Arts and Sciences.

In this college, there are eight courses. These are: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Development Communication, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Bachelor of Science in Criminology, BLISS, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Bachelor of Science in Biology and Bachelor of Arts in English. This college has a population of more or less five  thousand students. Data Gathering Procedure The researcher of this study will get the probationary list in each course of the College of Arts and Sciences.

These courses are Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Development Communication, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Bachelor of Science in Criminology, BLISS, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Bachelor of Science in Biology and Bachelor of Arts in English. After having the list, the researcher will communicate with those students who are included in the list and the researcher will let them take the tests, which are the self-esteem and procrastination tests. The researcher will limit to fifty respondents depending on the availability of the students.