Procrastination….

Causes of Procrastination Lack of Relevance It’s boring, uninteresting, or derivative to your main focus. Task was someone else’s idea The project has been assigned to you, but is not consistent with your interests.

Surprise? Perfectionism Having unreachable standards will discourage you from pursuing a task.

Common … Evaluation Anxiety We worry a lot (too much?) about what other people will think of our work. This anxiety causes us to put off the task as long as possible …

Give me ambiguity, or give me something else … Ambiguity You have no idea what to do, where to start, how to get motivated.

The Devil You Know … Fear of the Unknown It’s a new topic or subject area, and you just don’t know what the professor expects.

I. Can’t. Do. It. Inability to handle the task Quite simply, you feel that you lack the ability to do it.

Forms of Procrastination Ignore it, hoping it’ll go away  ? Underestimate the work necessary  ? Overestimate our ability to do the task  ? The ‘good enough’ approach  ? Substitute one activity for another  ? Put off the task for many little pieces of time  ?

Forms of Procrastination Pretend like you’re working harder than you are  ?

Overcoming Procrastination Be honest. How do you procrastinate? Why is that so?

Overcoming Procrastination Manage the Project: What do I need to do, exactly? How long will that take me? Come up with a list of the steps needed to conquer the task.

Overcoming Procrastination Manage Your Time Do unpleasant tasks first. Set a starting time. Assign a time slot for work on a task. Develop a priority list. Guard against diversions. Reward yourself for success.