Managing Time

procrastination

Time Management Skills
There is time to do all the work you have to do. The problem for most students is that they PROCRASTINATE
If you’ve found yourself putting off important tasks over and over again, you’re not alone. In fact, many people procrastinate to some degree - but some are so chronically affected by procrastination that it stops them achieving things they're capable of.
The key to controlling and ultimately combating this habit is to recognize when you start procrastinating, understand why it happens (even to the best of us), and take active steps to better manage your time and outcomes.
Why do we procrastinate?

In a nutshell, you procrastinate when you put off things that you should be focusing on right now, usually in favour of doing something that is more enjoyable or that you’re more comfortable doing.
 Procrastinators invest their time in the wrong tasks. Sometimes this is simply because they don't understand the difference between urgent tasks and important tasks, and jump straight into getting on with urgent tasks that aren't actually important.
 They may feel that they're doing the right thing by reacting fast. Or they may not even think about their approach and simply be driven by the person whose demands are loudest. Either way, by doing this, they have little or no time left for the important tasks, despite the unpleasant outcomes this may bring about.
 Another common cause of procrastination is feeling overwhelmed by the task. You may not know where to begin. Or you may doubt that you have the skills or resources you think you need. So you seek comfort in doing tasks you know you're capable of completing. Unfortunately, the big task isn't going to go away - truly important tasks rarely do.  Other causes of procrastination include:
Waiting for the “right” mood or the “right” time to tackle the important task at hand;
A fear of failure or success;
Underdeveloped decision making skills;
Poor organizational skills; and
Perfectionism ("I don't have the right skills or resources to do this perfectly now, so I won't do it at all.")
How to Overcome Procrastination:
Step 1: Recognize that you're Procrastinating
If you're honest with yourself, you probably know when you're procrastinating.
 
But to be sure, you first need to make sure you know your priorities. Putting off an unimportant task isn't procrastination, it's probably good prioritization. 
Some useful indicators which will help you pull yourself up as soon as you start procrastinating include:

    Step 2: Work out WHY You're Procrastinating
    Why you procrastinate can depend on both you and the task. But it's important to understand what the reasons for procrastination are for each situation, so that you can select the best approach for overcoming your reluctance to get going.
     
    Common causes of procrastination were discussed in detail above, but they can often be reduced to two main reasons:
      Step 3: Get over it!
      If you are putting something off because you just don't want to do it you need to find ways of motivating yourself to get moving. The following approaches can be helpful here:
        If you're putting off starting a project because you find it overwhelming, you need to take a different approach. Here are some tips:

          Activity LogsFinding Out How You Really Spend Your Time
          How long do you spend each day on unimportant things; Things that don't really contribute to your success at college? Do you KNOW how much time you've spent reading magazines, talking to friends, drinking coffee and going to the shop? And how often have you thought, "I could achieve so much more if I just had another half hour each day."
           
          And are you aware of when in the day you work most effectively?
           
          Most people find they function at different levels of effectiveness at different times of day as their energy levels fluctuate. Your effectiveness may vary depending on the amount of sugar in your blood, the length of time since you last took a break, routine distractions, stress, discomfort, or a range of other factors.              

          Activity logs help you to analyze how you actually spend your time. The first time you use an activity log you may be shocked to see the amount of time that you waste! Memory is a very poor guide when it comes to this, as it can be too easy to forget time wasted.
          Keeping an Activity Log for several days helps you to understand how you spend your time, and when you perform at your best. Without modifying your behaviour any further than you have to, note down the things you do as you do them on this template. Every time you change activities note down the time of the change.
           
          As well as recording activities, note how you feel, whether alert, flat, tired, energetic, etc. Do this periodically throughout the day.
           
          Learning from Your Log
          Once you have logged your time for a few days, analyze your daily activity log. You may be alarmed to see the amount of time you spend unproductively!
           
          You may also see that you are energetic in some parts of the day, and drained in other parts. A lot of this can depend on the rest breaks you take, the times and amounts you eat, and quality of your nutrition. The activity log gives you some basis for experimenting with these variables.
           
          Your analysis should help you to free up extra time in your day by applying one of the following actions to most activities: