Wednesday 26 February 2014

Discussion: Procrastination! How Do You Keep Yourself Motivated?


So...this is my very first self-professed "discussion" post on my blog. I have done a few discussion-type posts previously, but I'm going to try to do them more regularly starting now. :)

For my first big discussion post, I'm going to go with a topic that I'm sure most of us can relate to:

PROCRASTINATION.

I don't think anyone can really say that they've never procrastinated before, and I guarantee there have been times where you've put things off until the last minute. I even thought about procrastinating with this post...oh, the irony.

Since we've all procrastinated once...maybe twice...or maybe even many, many times (but who's counting really :P), I was wondering what everyone else does to keep themselves from procrastinating. 

How do you keep yourself motivated?

Personally, I'm pretty bad at not procrastinating.

I try to do things early, but sometimes I feel like I need the pressure of the deadline to get motivated enough to finish something. I can motivate myself better when I plan though, and I like to make to-do lists so that I have a reminder of what I need to do. Sometimes, I still manage to procrastinate though, or I just make myself feel really pressured because of all of the things I have to do.

I think the biggest problem that I have with procrastinating is that my school deadlines often end up really close together, so even if I try to get ahead on one of the assignments, the ones closely following the first quickly catch up to me! I also just seem automatically start to procrastinate whenever I have something I need to do right away...technically, I'm procrastinating right now as I write this because I should be reading Frankenstein for one of my classes, but instead I'm writing this post.

Sometimes, I even find it hard to determine what's procrastinating and what's just a hobby, or necessity. There are certain situations where I really do wonder, like these ones:
  • If I have a book to read for class, but I get hungry and need a break from reading...does cooking myself dinner become procrastination itself? 
  • If I'm getting really frustrated while writing an essay, is taking a bath or having a snack also procrastinating? 
  • Are these rhetorical questions yet another way for me to procrastinate? 
  • Am I finding Frankenstein so boring that I just keep asking myself questions? 
That last one I will answer....it's yes. Fingers crossed it picks up soon. :P

I find that when I'm doing work, my brain works MUCH better if I do take breaks, so I don't really consider those procrastination...that's why I usually fill my study or essay-writing breaks with things like food and bathing...they're essential, so I don't feel guilty about using them for breaks, and I'm fulfilling the things I need to do every day for survival and comfort. It's a win-win!

This discussion is getting super ramble-y, and I've probably told you all way too much about myself, so I'm gonna end it there!

Any fellow procrastinators out there?

Do you have any good tips to get motivated and NOT procrastinate?

Also, just because I posed that weird rhetorical question and made myself super curious...do you consider taking breaks while doing a big task or project to be procrastinating, or do you think the breaks make you work better?

4 comments:

  1. I have to admit I don't procrastinate that often. I like doing things in advance. If I can do something today I prefer to do it today and know I have done it already than to wait till tomorrow. Ofcourse I do procrastine sometimes, but those usually are things I really don't want to do or when I am really busy and in the evenings decide to do something fun as the certain task can wait till tomorrow. I even remember a semester at university where I ended up having done the homework for the next four weeks already. I can't stand working under pressure and like doing things early, but then again I think I am more the exception. I just like the feeling of having done work in advance and knowing I don't have to do it later anymore, because I did it already.

    Considering tips to stop procrastinating, I would suggest making plans or set goals on what you want to do on a certain day or even make a to-do list for each day or wek. Make sure those goals are realistic and then reward yourself when you reached that goal. Or do something work related or something boring and then something nice afterwards. I sometimes did that in uni, I would read x amount pages of the study book and then I could read a chapter or X pages of the book I was reading at the moment. Then you know that after the work there is somethign fun and you have something to look forward too. I hope this helps!

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    1. I so wish I liked to do things in advance! I really, really, really wish I was like you when it comes to do things in advance! That sounds AMAZING to be done things that early! I'm lucky if I do it a week early!

      I like those tips! Thanks, Lola! Rewarding myself, and staggering my fun stuff with homework sounds perfect. It definitely helps! Thanks again! :D

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  2. I'm a HUGE procrastinator, but I have learned that if I set goals and schedules that I'm much better at getting things done. If I have things to do on the blog, I'll put a list in my Any.Do app, as well as list any reviews I need to write or books I need to start. If I have a book I need to finish, I'll make sure that I won't do something else until I reach a certain part in the book. That's gotten a little harder with a baby -- I can't just say I'll stop at page 100, instead I stop when the baby needs me. I do try very hard to get things done well in advance. I've already knocked out one April review book and just have one more to go! Haven't written the review yet, but baby steps ... :)

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    1. Honestly, I'm kinda glad I'm not the only one. ;) That does help me sometimes, too! I need to stick to them better, though. Hmmm...I'll have to see if I can find the Any.Do app for iPhone! That's a good system, Kristilyn, and I think you're still doing a great job at managing your time with a baby! Nice! Since I've added new stuff to my blog, I've been trying to do that already, and it definitely makes it sooooo much easier! You're still pretty on the ball though! Well done! :D

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