Hi, this is just a quick little paper that I put together in the spirit of school starting again. I know that I am a major procrastinator, and this is something that I have been working on, so I wrote this in hopes to share some tips and tricks to overcome procrastination. I hope you enjoy!
Procrastination hurts individuals. Picture this: you have an upcoming test, but you lack the motivation to study for it. Instead, you play video games, resulting in a disappointing grade on your test. Everyone, especially students, experiences the urge to procrastinate. However, for every problem, there is a solution. Procrastination affects students’ academic performance, but these five methods can help you overcome procrastination: “The Ivy Lee Method,” “The Pomodoro Technique,” “The Two-Minute Rule,” and “time blocking.”
Before you can overcome procrastination, you need to understand what procrastination is and acknowledge that you are procrastinating. So what is procrastination, and why are we drawn to it? According to UPMC HealthBeat, procrastination is “the avoidance of work or necessary tasks” because you are focusing on more “satisfying activities” (Rampton). The prefrontal cortex and the limbic system are the two centers of your brain engaged in this fight. The prefrontal cortex – which controls planning and decision-making – is less developed and weaker than the limbic system. The limbic system – responsible for the pleasure center, is more developed and stronger, leading to the limbic system winning the battle. This outcome leads to procrastination. However, procrastination isn’t always a bad thing. Individuals who embrace procrastination claim they make better decisions and spark creativity. Structured procrastination can indeed help you accomplish more tasks and eliminate unnecessary ones (Rampton). Although people claim procrastination benefits them, you don’t want procrastination to become a habit. Chronic procrastination can cause you to experience severe consequences.
The first strategy is “The Ivy Lee Method.” This method has five simple steps: “At the end of each work day, write down the six most important things you need to accomplish tomorrow. Do not write down more than six tasks. Prioritize those six items in order of their true importance. When you arrive tomorrow, concentrate only on the first task. Work until the first task is finished before moving on to the second task. Approach the rest of your list in the same fashion. At the end of the day, move any unfinished items to a new list of six tasks for the following day. Repeat this process every working day” (Clear). You might be thinking to yourself, “How could this possibly work? It’s super simple.” The reason this method works is due to its simplicity. “The Ivy Lee Method” forces you to make hard decisions, removes the friction of starting, and requires you to single-task. Single-tasking is important, despite what modern society believes. As James Clear writes, “Having fewer priorities leads to better work” (Clear). This is because you can’t be good at one task if you’re constantly dividing your time in multiple different ways.
The second method is “The Pomodoro Technique,” which also has five steps. The first step is to get a timer and a to-do list. The second step is to set a twenty-five-minute timer and focus on a single task. When the twenty-five-minute session is over, mark off one pomodoro and record what you’ve completed; this is the third step. The fourth step is to take a five-minute break before moving on to the final step. After completing four pomodoros, take a longer break of about 15 to 30 minutes; this is the fifth and final step (Scroggs). This technique is so effective because it breaks up each larger task into pomodoros: twenty-five-minute work sessions plus a five-minute break. It is easier for you to complete large, broken-up tasks because they appear less intimidating.
The third strategy is “The Two-Minute Rule.” This method breaks larger habits into a two-minute or less version, providing a gateway to starting better habits. According to James Clear, “The Two-Minute Rule” states, “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do” (Clear). Any habit can be scaled down to a two-minute version, an example of which is: “Study for class” becomes “Open my notes” (Clear). The idea behind this strategy is to make a habit as easy as possible to start. If you want to start a habit of not procrastinating, you can start by taking small steps towards your goal. This could mean reading the instructions for a project or brainstorming essay topics. This strategy is effective because it reinforces the consistency needed to establish a habit. The fourth method is “time blocking.” This method helps you to prioritize tasks, make fewer decisions, and stay focused. The first step of this method is to create a to-do list. While making this list, it is important to write down the date, time, and place. This can be done online or on paper, whichever you prefer. Then you are going to have to prioritize this list; you can use the “Eisenhower Method or eat that frog” (Reisenwitz). Now that your list of tasks has been prioritized, the next step is to estimate the amount of time each task is going to take. After you have broken up big tasks into smaller time blocks, you are going to schedule each task on your calendar as an event. An easy way to keep your calendar organized is to color-code each category a task might belong in. An example of this would be setting aside two hours to finish a project and listing it under the category of ‘school’, which is colored blue.
Procrastination, an obstacle in everyone’s lives, can be overcome, and there are a variety of different ways to do so. Though it may seem impossible to overcome, some of the simplest methods are the most effective. Procrastination is the fight between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex in the brain. Since the limbic system is stronger, procrastination wins the battle. Procrastination, though it may seem to have benefits, can turn into a bad habit. All of the strategies mentioned can help you get on track to overcoming procrastination.
Sources Cited:
Boogaard, Kat. “How to Write SMART Goals (With Examples).” Work Life by Atlassian, 6 Feb. 2024, www.atlassian.com/blog/productivity/how-to-write-smart-goals#:~:text=What%20are%20SMART%20goals%3F,within%20a%20certain%20time%20frame.
Clear, James. “How to Stop Procrastinating by Using the ‘2-Minute Rule.’” James Clear, 4 Feb. 2020, jamesclear.com/how-to-stop-procrastinating.
“Procrastination: A Brief Guide on How to Stop Procrastinating.” James Clear, 31 Aug. 2022, jamesclear.com/procrastination.
Rampton, John. The Science Behind Procrastination and How You’ll Beat It. 30 June 2023, www.linkedin.com/pulse/science-behind-procrastination-how-youll-beat-john-rampton-2c#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20limbic%20system%20is%20a,out%2C%20leading%20to%20procrastination.%E2%80%9D.
Reisenwitz, Cathy. “Time Blocking: The Ultimate Guide.” Clockwise Inc., 12 Nov. 2021, www.getclockwise.com/blog/time-blocking.
Scroggs, Laura. “The Pomodoro Technique — Why It Works and How to Do It.” Todoist, todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique.