Say Good-bye to Procrastination: How to Set and Achieve Your Study Goals
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Say Good-bye to Procrastination: How to Set and Achieve Your Study Goals
Procrastination is the act of postponing or delaying something you need to do. Everyone puts off tasks once in a while. Some people may see it as laziness, but there may be something else that leads us to this behavior. Don’t procrastinate anymore, brush up on your finance fundamentals with CFI’s free online courses!
Why do we Procrastinate?
According to the study, “Counseling the Procrastinator in Academic Settings,” more than 70 percent of students exhibit procrastination.
Some people who procrastinate may have a wrong sense of time, thinking that they have a sufficient amount of time to finish their tasks. According to research done by Tim Pychyl, author of ‘Solving the Procrastination Puzzle,‘ “several triggers make people procrastinate. It can be that the task is boring, frustrating, ambiguous, unstructured, it is not fun or rewarding, or it lacks personal meaning”.
If you procrastinate to avoid distress, you may end up feeling more distressed later on. Based on a study published in the American Psychological Society journal, procrastination is linked to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and stress.
Tips to Beat Procrastination
Procrastination may be hard to beat. It takes commitment and discipline to do your tasks without delay. Here are some tips you can consider so you can say goodbye to procrastination.
#1. Keep your “why” in mind
Why do you need to finish this task? What are the benefits? Imagine what your grades will be if you stick to your study schedule, or how good you will look and feel if you work out regularly. No matter what the task is, focus on your “why” as it will help you avoid putting it off.
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#2. Break the task into chunks
Some people may procrastinate when they feel overwhelmed by a task. To avoid this, break it into smaller and more manageable parts. In this way, you can set temporary deadlines for those chunks and finish the project on time.
#3. Optimize your environment
Distractions can break your focus and momentum while doing a specific task. Dedicate a space for studying. This is where you will keep all your textbooks, notes and other materials.
Avoid studying in other areas such as the kitchen, bedroom or living room, where so many things that can distract you. Also, turn off all social media notifications on your smartphone.
#4. Find a study buddy
When you already have deadlines for completing your tasks, find someone who will help you be accountable. A friend or colleague can be your accountability partner when it comes to completing projects. This can also be your instructor who can help you stay on track.
Invite a friend to check out some of CFI’s free courses and brush up on your skills together!
#5. Stop making excuses
Students come up with different excuses just to put off something that they don’t feel like doing right away. Bear in mind that a project will not wait for you to be in a good mood. It will also not care if you work well under pressure.
#6. Forgive yourself for procrastinating
Everybody tends to procrastinate at some point. Stop beating yourself up for procrastinating. Instead, forgive yourself so you will not do it again in the future. A 2010 study shows that self-forgiveness about procrastination in the past can help you avoid postponing tasks later on.
Additional Resources
Corporate Finance Institute offers a variety of courses and resources that can help you advance your career! Beat procrastination, check them out below:
