Dealing with Procrastination

Procrastination means putting jobs and tasks off until they are unavoidable. Procrastination slows achievement of current goals, and restricts future opportunity as time is clogged up. It presents itself in the following ways:

• Too much planning, not enough action – prolonging the planning process so as to avoid confronting the actual issue.

• Perfectionism – tasks are stretched out despite the fact that they have been achieved to a sufficient level. This serves to delay tackling other tasks that are regarded as boring or problematic.

• Boredom – tasks that are perceived as being dull are easy to ignore until the last minute. Here self-discipline is crucial to getting the job done.

• Difficulty or Lack of Understanding – it is easy to bury our heads in the sand when topics and assignments are problematic and difficult to understand. It is important not to stay stuck. Identify the problem and tackle it head on – ask your tutor for help.

Be aware of procrastination at all times. If you are able to identify when you are procrastinating and for what reasons, you can work towards eliminating it altogether.