How to Stop Procrastinating Now

Let’s be honest: You have a deadline looming. Yet here you are, fiddling with your phone — checking social media, watching videos, playing games, surfing the internet — and now you’ve stumbled across this article … which will hopefully help you wrangle the monster of procrastination into submission.

When procrastinating, we come up with justifications galore. “I’m too busy.” “It’s too risky.” “I don’t have enough experience.” “This is too easy for me!” “It’s too early to get started.” “There’s just not enough time!” Do any (all?) these sound familiar? Sometimes, these reasons are legitimate. But most often, they are simply excuses to dodge the inevitable tasks at hand.

So why do we procrastinate?

Laziness, right? Wrong! At the heart of procrastination is fear. It is a potent (often subtle) emotion that protects us from things it perceives as a threat, such as failure or embarrassment. The notion that one can work hard yet still fail makes people anxious. But if we procrastinate and fail, we can argue, “if only I had time to prepare...”

Ways to stop procrastinating.

Eat a Turkey

How do you eat a turkey? One bite at a time, of course. You need time to digest, after all. Otherwise, you will get sick. By the same token, break your work into bite-size, manageable tasks. That way, you will escape the ordeal of pulling a miraculous all-nighter for your assignment.

The GSU STAR Student Success Network is useful in this instance. You won’t get a turkey, but you’ll get help managing your workflow more efficiently. You can create a to-do list, set reminders and deadlines with the option of getting instant support from faculty.

Deal with the Goblins First

Starting an assignment can be daunting, so consider tackling the small tasks that you enjoy. When you do things you like, your brain releases dopamine. Whether it is drawing for your art class or contacting your teammates for an incredibly boring group work, just do it. That motivates and prepares you mentally for the dragon; the grueling and draining task ahead.

Avoid Procrastination Pit-stops

In today’s digital world, where we are glued to our mobile devices, it’s easier to get lost in pointless notifications, and endless games. Of course, the digital haze is not the only reason why we procrastinate, just a prime example. Whatever your sources of distraction are, limit your exposure, so you can focus on scratching things off your to-do list.

So — what are you waiting for?