Like Nike, you gotta "Just do it." Not procrastinating, and more importantly, staying focused on your work is basically 100% willpower. There isn't much anyone can tell you that will just make you snap and stop procrastinating. I can offer a few pieces of advice, but again, they mostly boil down to willpower and determination: either you are going to decided to get going or you aren't. 1. Just start. That's often the toughest part. Sitting down and going through that first problem or writing that first sentence is usually the biggest hurdle, and things usually flow much easier from there. Make yourself sit down and just work on something for 15 minutes. Often you'll get into a flow and won't want to start right after those 15 min are up. 2. Focus and turn off distractions. Block off time for BOTH work and play. Schedule yourself an hour to mess around on facebook and clutchfans, then schedule an hour after that to do straight work. 3. Work "loose". If it's something that is a lower priority, or something that doesn't take a ton of focus, give yourself an incentive to put a little grind in. Download a new CD and listen through it while you do a little work. Throw on some reruns of your favorite comedy show in the background to give you a few laughs while you work (this also works well with low focus sporting events. An example for me was the NCAA championship last night. I knew UNC was going to blow MSU out, and I wasn't particularly interested, but I turned it on in the background and knocked out a couple hours of work while it was on). It's important that whatever side incentive you give yourself, it has to be something that requires low focus so you can keep the bulk of your focus on your work. 4. Break up your work. If it's a bigger project or paper, break it up into smaller deadlines for yourself. Set a goal to have one page done by a certain night, then another few pages done on the weekend, etc until it is due. Common sense, but again, mostly a matter of willpower. I do this with my long reading assignments (100s of pages). I'll break it up into sections of 20-50 pages, and knock out a little each day. Hope that helps. I used to procrastinate to an insane degree, but I've gotten immeasurably better within the past couple years. The 4 points above are all little tips and tricks that have helped me out.
This thread reminds me that I have a book to read and quizzes to take, and I will do it all at the last minute. I don't really care, as long as I get it done.
You have to write out the reasons and read over it everyday. Here is my list, though I haven't gotten around to finishing it. Top 10 Reasons I Procrastinate 1.
goodluck trying to stop procrastinating. I also have this problem but and I'm not going to bother changing it. I think you already know how to stop procrastinating just a matter of when. For me, I like procrastinating sometimes. It makes me feel focused, motivated, and I feel Clutch. LOL
Get hold of a copy of "The Now Habit" by Neil Fiore. It is probably the best book when it comes to understanding why you procrastinate and doing something about it. It is a very positive book with examples of workable habits to get you back on track. Highly recommended! No guilt trips. Just unschedule, baby!
Adderall. Focus and concentration in a pill. I actually had a prescription for the stuff, but only used it for a couple months since it is quite bad for you. I used it to get into the habit of studying at a set schedule, and stopped using it regularly afterward. Studying without it wasn't nearly as effective, but after I got into my schedule I was no longer procrastinating. If its really messing with your life I highly recommend getting checked out for ADD. I got diagnosed my junior year of college and one of my biggest regrets was not getting it checked out a lot sooner. If you don't want to go the medical route, check out some of the books they have on Amazon regarding ADD and how to deal with it.
I've been meaning to reply since I first saw this thread. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine told me about a book on how to quit procrastinating. He said it changed his life. I'll post more about it after I buy the book.
