Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • thank you for viewing the fifth workshop

  • in a series of the academic enhancement program sponsored by the bumpers

  • college

  • today's topic is on overcoming procrastination

  • procrastination afflicts millions of people and almost always has a negative

  • effect on productivity

  • an a student sense of well-being

  • although everyone procrastinate in his or her own way

  • it can best be defined as delaying required or desire tasks

  • by choosing other activities

  • so we're going to spend a few minutes today discussing some techniques to help

  • you overcome this condition or disease

  • why overcome procrastination

  • well if you put things on to the last minute

  • your most likely going to reduce your ability to perform at your best

  • that's very likely that you'll just decide to not complete the activity

  • at all

  • this clip art is a great example

  • hell me times have you intended to finish a project or thought you complete it

  • later

  • and yet later never came

  • on a more serious note

  • procrastination leads to stress and low selfesteem

  • it leads to chronic worrying which uses a lot of energy without really

  • accomplishing any results

  • everyone has their own reasons for procrastinating

  • but generally those reasons can be grouped together in the five major

  • categories

  • the first reason

  • rebellion

  • rebellion happens most often college with freshmen

  • students have their first taste of freedom

  • however they lack the insight into the fact that the activity or assignment

  • will have to be addressed at some point

  • procrastination simply adds to poor results

  • the next reason

  • would be fear of failure

  • it's a very realistic characteristic of students who procrastinate

  • to provide some false rationalization

  • of why one did poorly

  • the third reason

  • lack of enjoyment

  • immediate entertainment or satisfaction such as watching television

  • looking at facebook or talking on the phone seems more valuable than doing

  • something that someone doesn't enjoy

  • the fourth one

  • fears ofsuccess

  • success for some students can be a stressor it it's not well-managed

  • and the fifth reason lack of motivation

  • or emotional intelligence

  • many students lack the internal drive to accomplish their long-term goals because

  • they're so used to immediate gratification

  • it's difficult to find value in the short term goals when you're not able to

  • see the immediate connection or immediate rewards

  • so how should we address the causes of procrastination

  • what is the cure

  • ask yourself why you're planning to accomplish something

  • into space alot others expect or fear of negative consequences

  • you may not be very motivated

  • if it's based on what you truly want or need

  • you're likely to be more motivated

  • be careful to avoid sabotaging your own wants or needs just because others also

  • think you should accomplish something

  • it's more important take care of yourself then despite others

  • so are you the first to go to college in your family

  • are you attending because it's expected of you

  • or because you really want to be here

  • here's a couple cures

  • for procrastination

  • one is getting a bite sized mentality

  • what that really means is taking what seems to be overwhelming tasks and

  • breaking them down into measurable an achievable goals

  • it will help you get over the fear of failure

  • here's a personal example

  • when i got my course syllabus each semester

  • I always found the day when the paper was due

  • and then i stressed about it at three the first week or the actually the week

  • the paper was due

  • finally I'd myself through tears and and stress to finish on time

  • and the best way to deal with a major project is to find the due date

  • then calculate how many days you have to complete it

  • take the project and break it into small achievable parts

  • make a commitment to complete part of the project each week or even each day

  • depending on the size of the project

  • for example of the project is writing a paper

  • identify the parts to paper pick a topic

  • research the topic

  • develop an outline

  • produce the introduction

  • complete the body

  • write the conclusion

  • and review it

  • assign a week or several days to each of these areas to accomplish the completed

  • task

  • that way it doesn't seem so insurmountable when the due date is

  • arriving

  • makes sense

  • Here's another cure set up a reward system

  • or excuse me a reward-punishment system

  • if I read for twenty minutes to get to call John

  • if I don't a need to do the dishes

  • using the reward system really works if you're disciplined enough to return back to work

  • after a break you provide yourself

  • next study in a place reserved for study only

  • Haley always promised herself so she'd study in her room after she ate

  • However there were always to many distractions and she rarely studied in her room

  • when she went to her favorite place in the library

  • she was always more successful

  • and why do you think haley was always more successful in the library

  • well obviously it's because there tend to be fewer distractions in the library

  • I should mention if you choose to use a public place such as the library

  • try to find the same location each time

  • that way you won't be distracted by new stimulus or new items to look at

  • another cure might be that you want to become a groupie

  • so when possible study with a group of dedicated students

  • others can be an inspiration to keep up and learn to support your efforts

  • you may discover others have different learning styles

  • and pick up on items that you would normally ignore

  • it can make you a much better student

  • however i must warn you it's important to someone in the great keeps the trio

  • on task

  • otherwise the group could become a distraction

  • and then finally

  • there are a number of resources on campus to assist you as well

  • review these offices

  • each of them have trained staff available that can assist you in

  • diagnosing the cause of your procrastination

  • as well as helping you identify an action plan to find a cure

  • their contact information is not only available on the slide

  • but also easily accessible on the university's web page in the a-z

  • directory

  • as the image

  • portrays here

  • the longer you wait the worse it gets

  • identify your resource today

  • and give them a call for an appointment

  • now that we discussed several cures

  • let's take a moment to address some behavioral solutions

  • obviously these concepts come from the field of psychology

  • and not to be to theoretical but it

  • it is the science of human behavior

  • which is how we react to situations

  • situations don't cause feelings and actions

  • our interpretations of them cause feelings and actions

  • let's look at an example for a moment

  • this situation

  • a parent tells you to do your homework

  • person one's thought responses: he's always bossy me around

  • the emotion and feeling responses that they are angry

  • the action our behavior and will end up being rebellion and so person one

  • chooses to not do their homework

  • person two receive the same instruction

  • person two's thought response

  • is: I want to do well in this class

  • their emotional responses is energized

  • the action or behavior

  • results in person two

  • doing their homework

  • so choosing how to react from someone else's direction all actually impact the

  • action you take

  • it's important to understand the cognitive response

  • the emotional reaction

  • and then the behavior

  • that is the results of the two

  • make sense

  • to change procrastinator behavior

  • we must change the thoughts and beliefs that cause it

  • the first step

  • identified the thoughts and beliefs

  • this is easier

  • if we know what to look for

  • internalizing those activities

  • will create a sense of internal drive strength and personal motivation to

  • complete those tasks

  • rather than placing the responsibility

  • on an external agents such as a parent a teacher

  • an academic advisor

  • a roomate

  • or significant other

  • here's another example

  • let's take a moment to look at some procrastinators terminology

  • how often have you used some of these phrases when you really didn't want to

  • do something

  • i have to

  • because the teacher's gonna make me

  • i wish i could

  • blow it off and go to the football game

  • if only I could

  • do both

  • well, even my favorite phrase comes from porky pig and he says tomorrow I'll diet

  • these phrases we used to reflect are underlying thoughts what we really

  • believe

  • now

  • here are

  • some anti procrastination phrases

  • I will complete my paper and be a successful student because I want to

  • I'll definitely work hard to get that project done

  • I'm confident I can earn an A

  • I'll start on monday

  • at ten o'clock

  • and I'll continued each day until the project is through

  • after I turn my paper in

  • I'll reward myself by going to the movies

  • utilizing these praises on a daily basis will help began to change the

  • procrastination type behaviors

  • or the cognitive and emotional reaction to thanks

  • now that i've given you some things to think about

  • i need to point out that change doesn't happen just because you think about it

  • you must take some action

  • so now that you're aware of

  • the types of thoughts that lead to procrastination

  • i suggest that you keep a log for about two weeks

  • here's how to do it

  • the first step whenever you're aware that your procrastinating

  • write it down

  • write down the task intended to accomplish

  • such as i was gonna read twenty pages of nutrition

  • next write down what you've been thinking or saying immediately before

  • you began to procrastinate

  • notice what your current behavior is

  • such as watching television or

  • being on facebook

  • and then recognize what are your current feelings

  • are you angry are you disappointed are you guilty

  • the log will allow you to see your patterns

  • once you're aware of those

  • you'll be more up able to apply appropriate cures

  • such as change procrastinator phrases to anti procrastination phrases

  • adding more positive reinforcements to provided incentives

  • and also don't forget to break those large projects into manageable task

  • once you make some positive changes continue to keep a log to see patterns

  • of improvement

  • based on what you see

  • fine-tune your plan is needed

  • using this approach you will likely reduce procrastination

  • and feel more in control of your own behavior

  • it's difficult to start a log

  • you're worried about whether or not you're gonna do it right

  • well my advice is just start

  • no one's going to be looking at it but you

  • now some of you may remember from an earlier workshop

  • that it takes about

  • twenty seven to thirty days to develop a new habit

  • so in reality it's gonna be a little challenging it's gonna be uncomfortable

  • when you first start

  • so just practice

  • and just do it

  • that all sounds like a great idea

  • but how do you start

  • well now that you've learned some strategies specific to overcoming

  • procrastination

  • try these general time management strategy that'll often help prevent procrastination

  • when you're trying to change some unhealthy habits it's good to have a

  • step-by-step game plan

  • so here it is for you

  • step one

  • assess your current patterns, record all of your activities for the last two

  • weeks on a calendar

  • you know and include everything from classes to work to eating

  • to showering to socializing

  • step two

  • use a priority system now

  • take time to rank order your items

  • rank items A

  • if they simply must be done

  • use B for important but not the essential items

  • and use C for items that are of low value and can easily be discarded

  • step three design a balanced schedule

  • don't forget to include rewards for daily accomplishments

  • the fourth step

  • just try it out for a couple weeks

  • and then finally

  • refine it assess it

  • and figure out what works for you

  • you may ask why would you put all this effort in just a simply creating a

  • schedule

  • well the benefits include:

  • you'll actually find more time for fun and flexibility

  • you'll have a better sense of control and balanced

  • and more importantly you'll be less stressed

  • and impressed

  • you want to remember to allow for positive reinforcement

  • most importantly you're less likely

  • to have a chance of forgetting important projects

  • we can't add more hours to the day

  • so we have to use them as effectively as we can

  • a good way to try to prioritize your activities

  • is to try to think of the time as either fixed time

  • these are non-negotiable times such as class or work

  • or flex time

  • these activities are fluid and change regularly such as eating, cleaning and

  • socializing

  • now i've asked this question before any previous workshop

  • which category would you place studying in

  • i highly recommend you create some fixed periods of time to apply your studying

  • it will help you significantly improve your grades

  • obviously you want to try to study when your most psychologically alert

  • and when you have a free period of three to four hours

  • break it up by studying three to four different subjects

  • that'll keep me from getting bored

  • and if possible study your least favorite subject first

  • followed by your favorite

  • this makes use of what we know as the premack principal less desired activities

  • are more likely to occur

  • if followed by more highly desired activities

  • a good general strategy is to reward yourself for each fifty minutes of study

  • time with a ten minute break

  • that's when he could relax call a friend catch up on facebook

  • leave some free time each day and call it flex time this time you can use to

  • take care of emergencies or unexpected catch-up work

  • and if these do not occur it can certainly be used to just have a just a little

  • fun

  • not everyone is going to apply these cures and techniques the same way

  • if you begin to insert one or two in your daily habits

  • i'm sure you'll begin to see some positive changes in your life

  • we wish you the best to success in overcoming procrastination and achieving

  • your dreams

  • a PDF of the power point sides are available to download in blackboard for

  • your review I encourage you to complete the brief quiz

  • to identify how much information you retained as well as demonstrates your

  • academic advisor

  • or instructor you completed this program

  • and although this information in the workshop maybe all you need

  • if you do you need further assistance then don't hesitate to give me a call

  • had a great rest of the semester

thank you for viewing the fifth workshop

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it