Manage Your Procrastination
Most students struggle with procrastination in some way during their time in college. The key to overcoming procrastination in your life is to take active steps to identify the nature of your struggle. Your personality will cause you to procrastinate in different ways than someone else might struggle.
Below are some categories of procrastination styles that most people fit into. Try to find a category or two that resemble your usual procrastination habits and start applying the suggestions for your thought life, your actions and your speech.
Perfectionist
| Overview | Thinking | Acting | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Unrealistic in use of time and energy
|
Creative Visualization
|
Make a to-do list
|
Avoid Extreme Language
|
|
Everything is a difficulty
|
Practical vs. Ideal
|
Assign a timeline
|
Turn "Shoulds" into "Coulds"
|
|
You fear failing
|
Give more time to complete a task
|
Ask for help
|
Turn "Musts" into "Choose to"
|
|
Paralyzed at the possibility of making a
mistake
|
Give yourself the permission to fail
sometimes
|
Make one deliberate mistake each day
|
Turn "I have to" into "I want to"
|
Dreamer
| Overview | Thinking | Acting | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mental fantasies
|
Creative Visualization
|
Make a to-do list
|
Turn vague passive language into concrete
active language
|
|
Resist paying attention to facts and
details
|
Dreams into goals
|
Make a plan and include a timeline
|
Turn "Wishes" and "try to" into "wills"
|
|
Life should be good, fun and easy
|
Guard against thinking you are more special
than others
|
Use a big, easily seen calendar
|
Turn "Someday" and "soon" into concrete
times
|
|
You see yourself as special
|
Use the "5 W's and 1 H"
|
Each week assign yourself one special
"to-do" task
|
Guard against make-believe talk
|
Worrier
| Overview | Thinking | Acting | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Highly resistant to change
|
Creative Visualization
|
Break down larger tasks
|
Avoid qualifiers
|
|
Fear of making mistakes
|
Remember that putting off decisions is like
making a decision to do nothing
|
Read motivational books
|
Turn "I can't do" into "I can't do...but I
can do..."
|
|
Fail to commit
|
Acknowledge that something makes you
nervous
|
Spend time with positive friends
|
Turn "What if" into the answer and a plan
|
|
Seek lots of help from others
|
Guard against "catastrophizing" things
|
Attempt something that you have been
putting off
|
To "I'm waiting" add "meanwhile, I am
doing"
|
Crisis-Maker
| Overview | Thinking | Acting | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Must be excited to act
|
Creative Visualization
|
Write action plans
|
Avoid extreme language
|
|
Dislike "dullness"
|
Find multiple reasons to do an assignment
|
Reward yourself for finding motivation
|
Avoid dwelling on the negative
|
|
Like to be the focus of attention
|
Avoid manufacturing crises
|
Keep track (in writing) of the crises in
your life
|
Use "thinking" words instead of "feeling"
words
|
|
Live on the edge
|
Guard against extremist thoughts
|
Get involved in adrenaline flowing
activities
|
Do not characterize yourself as
"incompetent, helpless, or victimized"
|
Defier
| Overview | Thinking | Acting | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Express your hostility indirectly
|
Creative Visualization
|
Do what you say you are
|
Keep your word
|
|
View life in terms of what others do
|
View college as something that you choose
to do
|
ACT constructively
|
Express yourself constructively
|
|
Resent authority figures
|
Start by reasoning intelligently and
practically
|
Work WITH a team
|
Admit your mistakes
|
|
Resist constructive self-criticism
|
Choose your battles
|
Get involved in activities that you have
control over
|
How you say something is as important as
what you say
|
Overdoer
| Overview | Thinking | Acting | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Have difficulty saying no
|
Creative Visualization
|
Be PROACTIVE
|
Practice saying NO to extra
responsibilities
|
|
Take on more than you can finish
|
View college as something that you choose
to do
|
Review your plans for ways to get things
done effectively
|
Speak in terms of choices rather than
demands
|
|
Lack self-discipline
|
Make decisions by reasoning intelligently
and practically
|
Incorporate social and personal activities
|
Avoid describing yourself as "powerless" or
"overwhelmed"
|
|
Have trouble relaxing
|
Choose your battles
|
Ask for help when appropriate
|
Speak less defensively about times that you
don't work hard
|