Procrastinating can become a debilitating pattern of behaviour.
The assignment you planned to start in week 3 of the semester is still in the planning stage by week 6, and while you told yourself you'd focus on it during the study break, the first week is already halfway over and you still haven't made a start.
There are many techniques you can use to be more proactive and productive, and numerous suggestions are included in a tip sheet from the Counselling Team at Student Life.
Find Your Best Time to Focus
Identifying the best time to undertake a specific task can be a helpful strategy. You're more likely to concentrate effectively when you're well rested and energised. Setting a daily schedule and blocking out time for different tasks can also help.
For some people, complex tasks are best tackled early in the day. Others may find that late at night, when their environment becomes quieter, is a better time to focus. Work out what works best for you.
Turn Rituals into Productive Habits
Often, when we're faced with a long list of tasks, we create an even longer list of things that need to be done before we can begin. This might include everything from vacuuming the house to organising a personal library alphabetically, or creating the perfect playlist to aid concentration.
While these rituals can be a form of procrastination, it's also possible to create a positive habit by establishing a routine that leads you into the task. In his book The Power of Habit, author Charles Duhigg outlines how we can build positive habits by creating our own patterns of cues and rewards.
A cue for sitting in front of the computer and focusing on study tasks might be making a great cup of coffee first, while a reward after a solid hour of work could be a quick walk around the park or 10 minutes scrolling through TikTok.
Some research suggests that forming a new habit can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days, depending on the individual and the behaviour involved, but over time the routine may become more automatic.
Learning from Successful Writers
Creating a suitable workspace and developing a routine can help improve focus when writing and researching. Many famous authors had highly specific ways of working.
During his lifetime, Somerset Maugham wrote 78 books. His ritual began with a morning bath, where he would think about something to write. By the time he reached his desk, he had a starting point. He would not leave until he had reached his daily goal of at least 1,500 words.
In an interview, Ernest Hemingway dismissed rumours that he sharpened twenty number-two pencils before he could get started. He told the Paris Review that he didn't think he'd ever owned that many pencils at once, but he did reveal that his workspace needed to be arranged very precisely. He preferred writing while standing up, with a typewriter positioned on a chest-high bookcase. He also maintained a daily word tally.
Maya Angelou also had an established routine for getting down to work. The acclaimed poet and autobiographer said she liked to keep her home looking beautiful, but it wasn't a space where she could write. Instead, she rented a low-cost hotel room to work free from distractions. She took with her a dictionary, a Bible, a deck of cards and a bottle of sherry.
In his 2016 book Daily Rituals, Mason Currey explored the different ways artists structured their days to be creative and productive, with varying levels of success.
More Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination
Take a look at the
full range of tip sheets, which cover topics including stress management, procrastination, living with housemates, avoiding burnout and getting a great night's sleep.