1. How to Schedule (and Put off Procrastinating)
Time Management
How to Schedule
(and Put off Procrastinating)

2. Purpose of this PowerPoint
The goal is to improve time management, a skill that many students have not needed to develop prior to college, but which may be a “make or break” skill for academic and professional success
The focus is upon procrastination and planning, two areas that significantly impact management of time
The PowerPoint provides clear information to help you understand why we procrastinate; and, specific strategies to help reduce procrastination
The PowerPoint also provides a simple, user friendly system to help you schedule and plan better, as this is often a critical aspect of time management and success
Finally, it provides additional time management tips

3. Contents of this PowerPoint
Procrastination (slides 4-7)
Reasons why we procrastinate
Specifics on how we procrastinate
Specific strategies/skills to procrastinate less
Planning and Scheduling (slides 8-17)
Benefits: Why it makes so much sense
A simple system for planning and scheduling
Specific examples for applying the system
Additional time management tips (slide 18)

4. Why Do We Procrastinate?
It’s the easiest thing to do -at least in the short-run- due to immediate reward from…
doing something more natural, fun, or easier
relief from avoiding something that is challenging
Outside influences (friends, etc.)
It may have worked well enough in the past
We are used to having others prompt us
A lack of awareness/success with other approaches
Not yet having built up tolerance…
to work through the inertia of starting challenges
to resist the natural pull to avoid what is hard and do what is easy

5. How Do We Procrastinate?
By using self-talk that is an attempt to rationalize putting something off
Such talk is unnoticed yet extremely influential
It may involve unexamined “untruths” accepted as fact
“I’ll have plenty of time to work on this tomorrow”
“I’ll only be on face book for a few minutes”
“I’ll wait until I’m in the mood to do this”.
By using vague, non-committed planning (e.g., I will work on this assignment “later” or ‘this weekend”).
By choosing to participate in activities that are more enjoyable instead of work (e.g. social media, music).
By attempting to work in an environment conducive to procrastinating (e.g., social distractions, having Facebook up, texting).

6. How To Change This
Build new habits to meet new challenges: We will review use of a planner for this.
Get specific; “to do” lists are nice, but…
they can make tasks seem overwhelming. Example: “how will I ever do all of this?!”
they are often not specific for action planning Example: “later” or “tonight” planning.
Plan to avoid settings and circumstances that create enticing competition and distractions
Recognize and challenge rationalizing self-talk

7. How To Change This (c0nt.)
Examples of challenging rationalizing self-talk.
“I’ll have time to do this later”.
Challenge: “I have the time to do it now; later is no guarantee. That usually causes me more stress.” “I could be done later.”
“I’ll just be on Facebook for a few minutes”.
Challenge: “There is no way I’ll only be on face book for a few minutes.”
“I’ll wait until I’m in the mood.”
Challenge: “I may never get in the mood through avoidance, and once I get started it will get easier.”
“This is too hard!”
Challenge: “This is challenging but not TOO hard, and I can schedule getting help where needed.”

8. Scheduling and Using a Planner

9. Benefits Feel and be more in control and organized
Prevent stress and anxiety (especially last minute)
Enjoy free time more: you won’t have nagging thoughts and feelings about what you’re putting off
Be less distracted while doing school work from wondering and worrying about assignments due
you will have already addressed this in your planner
you won’t have to try and study while juggling other assignments and due dates in your head
when wondering, refer to your planner and reassure yourself you have time planned for your tasks
Improve your learning, quality of life, confidence, and life skills because of the above

10. A System for Using a Planner
Get a planner with enough space to schedule your planning (you received one)
Keep your planner and a pencil -yes a pencil- with an eraser with you
Electronic/phone calendars and reminders are great but may not be as helpful in seeing the bigger picture at a glance

11. A System for using a Planner (cont.)
Once you have the planner:
From your syllabus record due dates for exams, papers, etc.
Record start dates/times to begin working on projects and/or studying for exams
Throughout the semester schedule specific times to work on all assignments (e.g., papers, reading, test preparation)
Take a few minutes daily to review your planner
To help you prioritize your scheduling
to see what is coming up and prompt you
to make any modifications

12. Example of a Fairly Straight Forward Planner System

13. 10/8
10/9
Step 1.
Using your syllabus, record due dates for all of your bigger projects and assignments
10/10
Keystone Paper Due 10 am
10/11
Political Science Midterm 3 pm
10/12
10/13
10/14

14. Begin paper for Keystone 3-5 that is due at 10 am on Oct 10th
Step 2
Record prompts to remind you when to begin working on these projects and assignments that you have recorded due dates for
Study for Political Science Midterm 1-3 that will be at 3 pm on Oct. 11th

15. Step 4 Step 3 Spend 5-minutes reviewing planner each day
Read Sociology Chap. 2 from 1-3 for Mon.
Schedule specific times to do ongoing homework, projects and assignments
Spend 5-minutes reviewing planner
Do Math homework due Tues from 4-6.

16. Cont. 5-min. daily planner review
Spend 5-minutes reviewing planner
Begin paper for Keystone 3-5
Spend 5-minutes reviewing planner
Do reading for Lit. 1 for Thurs.
Continue to schedule specific times to do homework and assignments. Note that this now includes the Keystone paper you prompted yourself to begin on Oct. 1st.
Prompts that you previously recorded to remind you when to begin projects that are due
Continue Keystone paper 1-3
Study for Political Science Midterm 1-3

17. Continue daily 5-minute planner review
10/8
Review Keystone Paper 7-8 pm
10/9
Cont. Study for Political Sci. Midterm 1-3
Cont. to schedule specific times to work on projects and assignments. Note that in this example some are from earlier prompts for bigger projects, and the other is a short-term assignment.
10/10
Keystone Paper Due 10 am
Due dates you recorded previously
10/11
Political Science Midterm 3 pm
10/12
10/13
Read Soc. Chap. 2 for Mon. 12-2
10/14

18. Some Time Management Tips
Plan your day and combine errands/tasks
Plan to work on things when you are at your peak
Take care of your body and brain
Prioritize
Don’t be a perfectionist when you don’t have to be
Be cautious of socializing at the wrong time