Download ppt - Procrastination….. What is Procrastination? A common problem or habit Putting off doing high priority tasks and instead filling the time doing trivial

Procrastination….

What is Procrastination?

A common problem or habit Putting off doing high priority tasks and

instead filling the time doing trivial tasks or nothing at all.

What is your procrastination activity of choice?

Procrastination and its Causes

1. Poor time management If this is the cause,

the solution would be

to learn and develop

time management skills

Procrastination and Its Causes

2. Lack of Relevance

If something is neither relevant nor meaningful to you personally, it may be difficult to get motivated even to begin.


3. Acceptance of Another’s Goals

If a project has been imposed or assigned to you and it is not consistent with your own interests, you may be reluctant to spend the necessary time to see it to conclusion.


4. Perfectionism

Having unreachable standards will discourage you from pursuing a task. Remember, perfection is unattainable.


5. Evaluation Anxiety

Since other’s responses to your work are not under your direct control, overvaluing these responses can create the kind of anxiety that will interfere with work getting accomplished


6. AmbiguityIf you are uncertain of what is expected of you, it may be difficult to get started.


7. Fear of the Unknown

If you are venturing into a new realm or field, you don’t have any way of knowing how well you’ll do. Such an uncertain outcome may inhibit your desire to begin.


8. Inability to handle the taskIf through lack of training, skill, or ability you feel that you lack the personal resources to do the job, you may avoid it completely.

Forms of Procrastination

We act as though if we ignore a task, it will go away. The mid-term exam in your chemistry class is

not likely to vaporize, no matter how much you ignore it.

My appointment statistics cannot enter themselves.


We underestimate the work involved in the task, or overestimate our abilities and resources in relationship to the task. You tell yourself that you grasp concepts so easily

that you need only spend one hour on the physics problems which would normally take you six.

I think I can enter my course evaluations at lunch time when I do not even know how to enter them as yet.


We deceive ourselves into believing that a mediocre performance or lesser standards are acceptable.You deceive yourself that a 2.3 GPA will still

get you into the medical school of your choice.

I tell myself that I will make a good documentary film as soon as I get the rest of my life in order….


We substitute one worthy activity for another.You clean the apartment instead of working

on a term paper or assignment. I create this power point presentation instead

of keeping up with my paper work.


We believe that repeated delays are harmless.You put off writing your paper or math

assignment so you can watch five minutes of your favorite television program….

I put off doing my paper work by taking a little nap…


We dramatize a commitment to a task rather than actually doing it.You decline invitations to pleasurable events,

but still you do not pursue the work at hand or get needed relaxation.

I don’t call my adult children on the phone because I have too much paper work to do.


We become paralyzed in deciding between alternative choices.You spend so much time deciding between

two term paper topics that you don’t have sufficient time to write the paper.

Note on a nursing professor’s door: A “D” paper is an “A” paper that was handed in too

early.

Overcoming Procrastination

1. Mind Management: Extract from the above examples, those

principles which apply to you. Make honest decisions about your work.

Weigh the consequences of various amounts of investment in a project and find optimal return for your investment.


2. Task Management: Acquire an adequate understanding of

what is necessary to accomplish a task within a given time frame.

Develop an overview of the entire project and visualize the steps that are needed to reach completion.


3. Time Management Do unpleasant tasks. Set a starting time. Assign a time slot for work on a task. Develop a daily priority list. Guard against diversions. Always have your datebook-calendar-organizer

with you.

Reference

Counseling Centre at the University of Illinois: http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/Brochures/procras.htm