Top 11 Causes & Cures For The Procrastination Monkey

We begin the quarter with the best of intentions. We’re going to be on top of things this time, have regular study sessions, review our notes on a daily basis, not miss class, start writing papers in advance of 24 hours of their due date, and say “buh-bye” to the roller coaster of stress, shame and guilt that goes along with our old foe “Mr. Procrastination”.

Then, before we know it it’s 2am and we have a major paper due in 8 hours and we’re scurrying to the finish line again! Or it’s the weekend before an exam, and it’s like “What? How did this sneak up on me?”

Does this sound like a familiar scenario? Unfortunately for most of us it is . Take heart–even the most organized, productive students sometimes fall prey to the procrastination monkey jumping on our backs. Mere mortals that we are, it seems like we’re constantly in danger of falling into a downward spiral of avoiding things that we know we should be doing.

Sometimes it helps to sidestep the dreaded procrastination monkey if we understand why it’s there in the first place. JohnPlaceOnline lists the top 11 causes and cures of procrastination as being:

• Complicated-task anxiety: Break big, complicated tasks into smaller pieces. Complete a starter task, no matter how small.
• Fear of imperfection: Accept that perfection is
  rarely attainable and seldom necessary. You’re a person, not a robot.
  Use the 80/20 rule whenever appropriate.
• Indecision: Determine your decision-making criteria, then set a deadline for your decision. Ask a friend to hold you accountable.
• Priority confusion: Distinguish obligations from options. What are you really responsible for? List and prioritize tasks.
• Boredom from minutiae: Automate simple repetitive tasks whenever possible.
• Lack of focus: Minimize distractions. Check e-mail and voicemail only twice per day instead of every 5 minutes. Find aquiet room where you can concentrate. Resist the urge to keep taking breaks.
• Poor organizational skills: Clean your work area. Put tools and utensils in their proper place so you can find them when you need them.
• Laziness: Remind yourself of the consequences of procrastination. Resist the urge to be a couch potato. Try to complete several small tasks to provide a feeling of accomplishment. Reward
  yourself.
• Lack of energy: Maintain a regular sleep routine. Eat healthy. Exercise regularly. Do not skip breakfast.
• Early morning lag: Before you stop working each day, make a list of the tasks you want to begin first thing the following morning so you can hit the ground running the next day.
• Post-lunch fatigue: Before leaving for lunch, make a list of the things you plan to do when you get back so you can pick up where you left off. Avoid eating a heavy lunch.

I can say ditto to all those great observations and cures. For myself with writing papers and such the thing that causes me to procrastinate is that I sometimes feel overwhelmed by all steps needed to complete the task–the research, the outline, the first draft, the everything.

I conquer this by just forcing myself to dive in right away–I have the goal of getting the paper done before the due date. It’s just a mental game I play with myself to spur me to action. Really the first step is the hardest, and it’s downhill from there.

What about you guys–What are the things that cause YOU to procrastinate and what do you think the cure is?

Photo: Squirrel monkey