 Well, today we're going to spend some time talking about procrastination. Before we get started though, I think I'd better grab a snack. No, and I could probably use a pillow for my chair. Ah, no, the dishes haven't been done. Back in a second, everyone. Does this line of thought sound familiar? You've got a presentation, or a paper, or an arduous home improvement project to get finished. The stakes are high, the scope of the work is big, and all of a sudden you can't get your mind off of every little unrelated chore you've put off in the last month. It isn't that you don't want to get started on your work, and yet hours later you realize that your kitchen is clean, you've called your mom, and you haven't put a single minute of productive effort into the project that you set out to do. People procrastinate for a variety of reasons. One of the most important first steps in addressing your own procrastination is to identify your reasons for procrastinating in the first place. Without knowing what is causing you to put off making progress, you won't be able to take steps towards reducing the effect of procrastination in your life. Conversely, identifying patterns and keeping track of your activities, your thoughts, and the things that are particularly derailing to you can help you to understand and mitigate your own procrastination behavior. There are many different factors that can encourage us to put something off. You may be bored with the project, or uninterested in the topic that you're focusing on, making it harder to be engaged and find motivation to get started. Another contributing factor could be a fear of failure, leading you to avoid working on a project rather than risk doing poorly on a challenging task. Environmental factors, such as distractions in your workspace and emotional factors, such as stress and anxiety, can also be major contributors to procrastination. Each individual is different, and this is by no means an exhaustive list. Ask yourself, do any of these reasons resonate with me? What other factors seem to co-occur with my procrastination? Why is it that I'm having trouble getting started? Once you've started to identify the source of your procrastination, you can begin the process of finding and using interventions to reduce its effect on you. The first strategy we're going to look at is setting priorities. This allows you to identify what should be done immediately and what tasks can wait until higher priority items can be addressed. Remember, it's not always... Decide each day what you want and need to accomplish, making your decisions regarding how to spend your time active and thought out rather than reactionary. Leave time in your day for things that come up unexpectedly, but not so much time that you're leaving large parts of your day unscheduled. Next, we'll talk about breaking down large tasks into more manageable, smaller tasks. Many of us find it much easier to deal with small, straightforward tasks than to try and tackle a big, long-term project. It's very easy to look at a big project and become overwhelmed. Perhaps you don't know where to begin or feel like the scope is beyond your ability. When looking at the components of a big project, though, we often find that the project consists of many smaller, more manageable goals and deliverables, which can individually be identified and completed. One way to reduce the stress and difficulty of large projects, then, is to convert it into a series of small, manageable tasks. Estimate how long each step will take, and set goals for it. Next, let's talk about distractions in your environment. Each of us is prone to distraction in different ways, so knowing your own habits and the things that are particularly derailing to you is important when setting up your workspace. You'll want to avoid working in a space with many temptations to become distracted. If you tend to get distracted by your TV or your phone, work in a space that doesn't have screens if one is available to you. Set your phone aside and only check it during study breaks. If you're often distracted by others, such as roommates or friends, clearly indicate when you should not be disturbed, or work in a space that does not have a great deal of traffic, if possible. As you identify and limit distractions, your ability to concentrate on the work in front of you should improve. Distractions come from our own internal thought process, rather than from our external surroundings. Remember to be understanding of yourself when trying to navigate these internal distractions. Jot down distracting thoughts so you can deal with them later, allowing you to concentrate on what you're doing now. If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, reach out to the services available in your community for support, as these conditions can increase a person's tendency to procrastinate or disengage with their work. Finally, I would like to talk about taking advantage of the resources available to you through your academic community. When you find yourself stuck, reach out to campus resources like professors, TAs, advisors, the tutoring center, and the research and writing studio. They can help you to navigate the challenging parts of projects, as well as identify smaller components of a project that you can make progress on. Last, but certainly not least, we want to remind you to give yourself rewards. Ice cream, movies, extra study breaks, or other small rewards may provide the incentive you need to stick to the plan you set out for yourself. Now go get started.