Mp3 Script
Managing Your Time at Graduate School
By Learning Strategies Development Queen’s University, Kingston

Our fourth and final presentation on time management discusses how you can overcome procrastination.

Procrastination is the most common motivational problem affecting all of us to some extent and 50 to 70% of students procrastinate to such an extent that they feel their marks are affected. 
Procrastination is not simply putting things off. Procrastination occurs when a person believes it would be better to start working on a task immediately, but can’t get started. 

Why do we procrastinate?
There are numerous reasons why people procrastinate, but here are a few common ones
1.Feeling overwhelming.
2. Insufficient prioritizing of the task’s importance 
3. Fear of being evaluated. Usually the fear of failure underlies this one. 
4. Feeling like there’s plenty of time. 
5. Not sure how to do the task.
6.  You might burnt out.  
7. You might dislike the task, the prof, the course, etc. 

Are perfectionism and procrastination linked?
Although perfectionism is often considered a root cause of procrastination, recent studies at the University of Calgary indicate that perfectionism is not a reason for procrastinating. In fact, perfectionist procrastinate less but worry more. 

The ways in which people procrastinate differ. 
Some people will avoidance: what we call Working-Hard-To-Get-Out-Of-Work Syndrome.
Some suffer from external distractions: sounds, sights, tastes, etc.
Others have internal distractions that interfere: thoughts, moods, sensations.
Perhaps you don’t have not enough time.
The most common is “Time Bandits”: electronic devices, people, busy tasks such as housework 
However, in our wired world, technology is becoming one of the most common ways people waste time.  

Be aware of when you are Working- Hard- to- Get- Out- of- Work. E.g. a disliked task (housecleaning) suddenly becomes more desirable than writing a paper. 

In his book “The NOW Habit” Neil Fiore’s distinguishes between procrastinators and producers. 
Procrastinators: 
feel pressured, fear failure or success, try harder, work longer, feel resentful, lose motivation, focus on what they ‘should’ be doing, feel like they have little or no control of their circumstances and then… PROCRASTINATE!

Producers, on the other hand, employ the “NOW Habit”
The NOW Habit is:
-putting aside fears: failure, success, feeling overwhelmed, low self-esteem 
-enjoying guilt-free play 
-feeling in control of your life, i.e., you are the producer of your own narrative
Focusing on what they can start NOW. 

Fiore argues that negative self-talk can lead to procrastination and outlines self-statements that distinguish procrastinators from producers. 

A procrastinator says, “I must finish…’ while a producer says, “When can I start?”
A procrastinator says, “This project is so big and important.” A producer says, “I can take one small step.” 
A procrastinator says, “I must be perfect.” A producer says, “I can be perfectly human.” 
And finally, a procrastinator says, “I don’t have time to play.” A producer says, “I must take time to play!”

Here are a number of strategies to help curb procrastination. 
Analyze Pleasure/Pain Principle: Procrastination causes both pleasure and pain. Ask yourself if one outweighs the other.

Set Realistic Goals and prioritize your goals. You might consider using Steve Covey’s Time Management Matrix (in Setting & Prioritizing Goals in our online module “Managing Time at University”)

Plan & Schedule: Use the Weekly Schedule and a day timer to identify time available for school work and then commit to treating that time like a job.

Set False Deadlines: Set a false deadline about a week before the actual due date. Set up legitimate and meaningful check-ins with an outside party to ensure you meet your goal.

Remove Distractions: Don’t try to fight temptation. Simply remove those distracting things so that you set yourself up for success

Reward Yourself: Reward yourself for working hard with short and simple things that you enjoy. When you’ve earned it, feel proud of yourself. Conversely, do not reward yourself before you’re completed your task.

Record Distracting Thoughts: Jot down a ruminating or distracting thought on a piece of paper, put it in your bag or pocket and then get back to work. You may consider looking at the sheet later when you have time. 

Remember, motivation will not magically appear. It comes ONCE you’ve started working. So, like they say at Nike, Just Do It. 

This is the end of our final theme: Overcoming Procrastination. We hope that you will find these ideas and strategies useful in your academic and non-academic life. Good luck at Grad School!