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Final tips:
• Point to past successes of a similar task when you are starting a project that
is difficult for you.
• Break up a large project into smaller parts. By taking things one step at a
time, you will make incremental progress toward you goal.
• Five-minute plan: Only require yourself to commit a minimum of five minutes
to the task. You will likely get into the project and finish much more than
you expect.
• Make your intentions known with trusted friends, faculty, and coworkers.
Once you’ve publicly stated your intentions, the peer pressure will likely
motivate you to finish the task.
• Find a role model. Study with a friend that concentrates easily and won’t
distract you.
• Change your surroundings – Find out where you study best. Some people
do best in the library on campus, while others prefer working at a coffee
shop or at home.
• Create a daily plan – Write down a reasonable daily schedule and assign
certain tasks at different times in the day.
• Expect some backsliding – Understanding the reasons you procrastinate
and creating strategies to overcome them is an ongoing process. Be
patient with yourself. When you have a setback, acknowledge it and move
on.
1
Burka, Jane B., and Yuen, Lenora M. Procrastination. Reading: Addison-Wesley, 2008.
2
Adapted from Cal Poly ASC
http://sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl/procrastination.html3
Ellis, Albert, and Knaus, William J. Overcoming Procrastination. New York: Signet Books, 1977.
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Section 5 – Time Management