How To Stop Procrastinating?: My Personal Experience 

My Experience with Procrastination – Part II

To quote a book from my childhood: “He who hesitates is lost.” The practice of hesitation through procrastinating has often cast me on a road of self-doubt and has taken me to a metaphorical destination which I was definitely not headed for. Luckily, I have been able to collect a few methods and tricks to help alleviate my problem of procrastination. Below, I outline a few of my favorites:

*Please note that these are my personal experiences on how to stop procrastinating

How To Stop Procrastinating

• To-Do Lists

We all know what a to-do list is. It is a compilation of tasks that one is aiming to accomplish by the end of the day. I usually compile these lists in a little red book, because I have found that writing things down with a pen and paper aids my memory significantly. I used to think that small things, like seeing my thought-process fleshed out, were specific to me, but it turns out that I am not alone. As a matter of fact, it has been found that to-do lists help with freeing one from the anxiety of starting and completing a seemingly daunting task. Who knew that pen and paper would patch the pothole of fear?

• Time-Blocking

Ironically, I was made aware of this technique while killing time on Snapchat. I was watching my favorite Youtuber’s Story when her partner, a productivity coach, mentioned that he usually tried to accomplish a task within a certain time frame – for example, fifteen minutes. He moved on to the next task at the end of the time frame and did the same for that next task. I thought to myself “What if I do this? Will I finish my LMRW assignment in time? Will I finish reading this 100-page case?” I tried it, allotting twenty-five minutes to a task set out on my to-do list. To my amazement, it worked. To use popular lingo, I was “shook”! Although I do not use it every day, when I do use it, I get as many as twenty individual tasks done in a day. I also go on to feel superhuman.

• Asking for Advice

This solution was definitely a challenge for me. I hate asking for help, because I then feel obligated to return the favor, no matter what it is. Asking for advice also overwhelms me at times, as I may not feel up to looking at a task from a completely different perspective. However, this definitely came to be fuel for my journey, especially during my first semester of university. Moving away from my parents and starting a new school programme after being at the same high school for seven years, required me to take, or at the very least consider, the advice of others.

I was in a totally new environment on my own, and I had to do almost everything by myself. From cooking to navigating through a vast sea of legal knowledge. Seniors and other ‘freshers’ helped me to adjust and helped me accomplish things, little and large, in a timely and efficient manner. Activities such as brainstorming helped those who knew, and those who thought they knew but did not know, to start something with renewed confidence.

Side note: To the family of B Ground, if you are reading this, I appreciate you so much. Even when I plucked forkfuls of food away from you at random. I love you all!

• Proper Sleep and Diet

Correcting my sleep pattern and diet was another means of avoiding procrastination. Setting aside time in my schedule for eating and sleeping has been crucial. Skipping meals is linked to lower productivity levels. Shorter sleeping times may even contribute to decreased focus. Therefore, it was necessary to get my habits information to step up my work ethic. Beyoncé would be proud.

I have found that the overarching solution to my problem is to make a conscious effort to form good habits. My father always told me that it takes twenty-one days to form and cement a habit. Some of these new habits have replaced the bad habits and alleviated my problem of procrastinating. Do tell me if any of these has worked for you!

Love and Light,

Danielle G

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