MATH TIME MANAGEMENT

Procrastination

This should be a very scary word for all students in an online or hybrid class since procrastination is what will prevent students from being successful in this type of learning environment.

Read the following from MindQuestAcademy.org and respond to the “For Thought” questions in your journal.

If you procrastinate, understand why!

"People who delay action until all factors are favorable are the kind who do nothing." –William Feather

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Most of us procrastinate at one time or another. But some of us do it enough to make it a problem. When we procrastinate, it’s hard to develop routines and the good study habits that depend on those routines. We don’t get things done on time, and, if we procrastinate in paying our bills and checking our bank statements, we can lose both time and money! So, why would we do this?

Why do people procrastinate?

Fear is the most common reason for procrastination. We are afraid to fail. Of course, failure isn’t pleasant, most of the time, because we think of failure as a mistake, instead of an opportunity to learn something new.

(Somehow, we fool ourselves into thinking that we should never make mistakes. Actually, the opposite is true. We can’t learn if we don’t allow ourselves to make mistakes.)

Are you a perfectionist? Perfectionism is a way of expressing this fear of making mistakes. And perfectionism causes procrastination. We find ways to rationalize, or put off, tasks we’re afraid we can’t do well, or well enough—a perfectionist needs everything to be perfect. No mistakes allowed!

Let’s think about some favorite excuses we use when procrastinating—and some ways we can talk ourselves past it. Read the excuses in the left-hand column, and some other ways of thinking about what's happening in the right-hand column.

The procrastinator’s

excuse

Questions the procrastinator can ask

I’m just too tired right now.

Am I really tired? If I am, should I develop more regular sleep or exercise routines so I have energy for this?

When will I be less tired? Can I find that time, and schedule it on my calendar to get the job done!

Am I too tired for everything? Then I should take a nap. Or am I just too tired for this? That means I don’t want to do it for some reason. Why not?

I need to get the kitchen cleaned first.

Why do I have energy for housecleaning, but not enough energy for this?

What relationship does having a clean kitchen have to do with this task? (If I need the table to study, that’s one thing. But if I can study in my room where I can’t see the messy kitchen, I should decide what’s most important, then do that first.

I don’t really know what she wants us to

do.

If I don’t know what the instructor expects in this assignment, maybe I should find out. What exactly am I unsure about? Is there anyone I can ask about this—for example, the instructor, a fellow student, or a tutor?

Read the following “Steps to Beat Procrastination” http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_96.htm

“For Thought” We all procrastinate, some of us just indulge in this activity more than others. After reading the material above, what can you do to avoid procrastination? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________