Truth: I procrastinated about writing this post, which in a weird and twisted way makes me an expert on the subject. We all do it. Wait to the last minute. Avoid. Ignore.
Or my personal fave, pretend like it will go away after the next Netflix movie.
But it doesn’t. So I whipped up this 6 ways to stop procrastinating list, so that you (and I!!!) can be more productive.
1. Stop saying, “I work better under pressure”: It’s a lie. Not a lil’ white one. Just a lie. No one believes you. You don’t believe you. And you’ve wasted valuable time, when you could’ve studying for that Latin quiz, researching the stem cell debate or rehearsing the monologue for the winter play. Take the time to make that Medea soliloquy roll, not stumble and tumble, off your tongue. Euripides didn’t make that dialogue easy, so you better get it right.
2. Break it down to its very last compound: This doesn’t just apply to chemistry. Take the assignment, the task or the plan to become president of the student government association (SGA) and chop it up into manageable chunks. If you don’t, you’ll get overwhelmed and give up before the magic happens. To win that SGA seat, you’ll need a can’t-miss-campaign, a squad to make it happen and marketing materials, and that’s just for starters.
3. Ignore the distractions: It’s tempting to take one more selfie or start video chatting with your people on ooVoo, but is it necessary when a three-page paper due tomorrow on the pros and cons of social media—and it’s almost midnight? Come off the grid for few hours. If there’s an emergency, she/he/they will call you. Kim Kardashian already tried to break the Internet in November. You’re good on more stunts from Kanye’s wife until February.
4. Tell somebody, anybody: The minute you tell a friend you’ve decided to exercise for 30 days straight, that somebody will be call you out for neglecting to highlight pre/post/during workout photos on Instagram, and OD’ing on milk shakes at Johnny Rockets. There’s a word for this, it’s called accountability.
5. Set a deadline: To-do lists are useless unless deadlines are attached to all the stuff that needs to be done. Take that 12-page math packet that’s due after the Xmas break, don’t wait until Jan. 1 to jump on those binomials. Set a deadline, i.e. complete two pages per night during your days off. This way you’ll have plenty of time to SnapChat with your friends and knock out that pesky homework.
6. Do the hardest thing first: Don’t just plop grandpa’s 80th birthday slideshow at the bottom of a 10-item to-do list. Do that first. First. Tackle it when you’re buzzing with creative ideas, not when you’re exhausted after completing nine other meaningless tasks. You want grandpa’s tribute to be a mini-movie, not a silent film with two measly pix, right?
Are you a procrastinator? Tell me how you motivate yourself to get off the couch.
