Four Ways to Fight Procrastination

By Les Hewitt, Luc d'Abadie & Andrew Hewitt
(excerpt from the bestseller, The Power of Focus for College Students)

1. Become mechanical

Have you ever procrastinated about brushing your teeth? We hope not. Brushing your teeth is a mechanical process, a habit performed with little conscious thought. Becoming mechanical is effective because you take action before thinking about whether you like the task, and thus the task gets accomplished pain-free. Think of something you constantly procrastinate about (working out, or getting up when your alarm sounds). Think of a way to make it mechanical (going to the gym every day right after biology class, or getting out of bed at the first sound of the alarm).

A few mechanical processes to get you started:

1. Get up at the FIRST sound of your alarm EVERY morning (or at least after one hit of the snooze button).

2. Study at the SAME time every day (during a class break, right after dinner, etc.).

3. If you think of a question to ask, ask IMMEDIATELY or forever hold your peace.

You will need to repeat your new mechanical process 20 to 30 times to make it a habit. Once you do, these once-dreaded tasks will be transformed into easy and painless routines.

2. The sausage method

Imagine trying to wolf down a foot-long sausage in one bite. It would be hard to swallow, wouldn't it? The same goes for assignments. Sitting down to start a 40- page paper is a daunting, hard-to-swallow task. The solution is to break the large task into smaller pieces, or subtasks. Break an essay into Outline, Introduction, First Draft, etc. Divide the task of finding a summer job into Update Resume, Review Job Postings, Ask Family and Friends, and so on. Small, manageable tasks are less intimidating to get started and easier to complete-and completing them will give you a great sense of accomplishment.

Do you have a large project looming over your head? If so, try chopping it into smaller segments and focusing on one segment at a time. It's like eating the sausage one small bite at a time.

3. The to-do-today list

Every day make a list of all the things you need to do today. Prioritize the list in order of most important to least important. Begin your day with the most important task on the list and do not start the next task until the first is completed. Continue down your list as the day goes on. If something comes up (a friend wants to meet you for coffee, you're given a new math assignment, your car breaks down, etc.) assess its priority, add it to your list where appropriate and attend to it in that order.

IMPORTANT NOTE: many things will come up throughout the day that appear urgent but really aren't. Emails are a common culprit. Don't let these tasks that appear urgent prevent you from finishing the tasks of higher priority-stay focused on your most important tasks. By creating this list every day (or at least on your busier days) and working through it in priority order, you will enjoy the confidence that your time is being spent wisely. Furthermore, when you review your list at the end of the day, you'll be amazed at how much you completed. Sleep soundly, guilt-free, and snore all you want as a reward for your accomplishments.

4. Find your reason why

Behind every action is a strong reason why. Your why is what motivates you to act. Why go talk to the International Exchange office? Why study for this exam? Why work for free? Without a reason why, these things won't get done.

Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill. -Christopher Parker

To create your why, look at the bigger picture and see the consequences of your procrastination. Make the negative consequences of your inaction a vivid picture in your mind. For example, you might say to yourself:

• "If I don't talk to the International Exchange office NOW (your procrastination) I might miss an important application deadline that will ultimately prevent me from learning a new language and experiencing new cultures." (the big-picture consequence-your reason why)
• "If I put off studying another hour (your procrastination) I will score a lower grade on my chemistry final, which will reduce my GPA along with my chances of getting into medical school." (the big-picture consequence-your reason why)
• "If I don't find a way to gain volunteer experience (your procrastination) I will reduce my chance of getting a good summer job. If I work a mediocre summer job, I won't have the experience I need to get the job I want when I graduate." (the big-picture consequence-your reason why)

Different types of procrastination will require a different fighting style. Keep yourself armed by remembering the four fighting styles-make it mechanical, the sausage method, your to-do-today list and finding your why-and choose the method that stands the best chance against the procrastination villain you are fighting.

This has been an excerpt from the bestselling book, The Power of Focus for College Students. Click here for more information