With the new school year quickly approaching, I am sure many of you, as I am, are dreading the start of big assignments and deadlines. It is easy to procrastinate when the workload gets stressful, but LIFE Intelligence can help by giving you the tools to beat procrastination by goal-setting and time-management.

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Why Do We Procrastinate?

Procrastination is a major problem for students and adults: about 70% of students and 20% of adults admit to being procrastinators (Abdi Zarrin & Gracia, 2020; Gort et al., 2021; Wessel et al., 2019). Oftentimes, people procrastinate even though they know it will be detrimental in the long run, mainly because the work itself is stressful (Blake, 2019; Gort et al., 2021). One of the main reasons people procrastinate is fear of failure (Abdi Zarrin & Gracia, 2020); essentially, we cannot fail something if it does not get done. Although this is an understandable way of thinking when dealing with stress and/or anxiety, it is also an irrational one because not doing the work will also lead to failure. Anxiety, poor self-management, and perfectionism (also linked to a fear of failure) are all common traits that lead to procrastination (Grunschel et al., 2018).

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Overcoming Procrastination

• Plan It Out: Have a planner and/or calendar with all your deadlines so that you can organize and plan out which assignments to work on first. Having a planner has really helped my anxiety; sometimes it is overwhelming to receive 5+ assignments in a day but once I can visualize them in my calendar, I realize that these assignments are spread out over the course of a few weeks. Instead of trying to figure out how I will get all that work done, I can visualize in my planner that really only 1-2 things need to get done that week which gives me more motivation to get started.
• Goal Setting: Setting realistic, attainable goals is a great way to prevent procrastination. You should definitely reach for the stars in everything you work toward, but think about the present moment when setting certain goals. How much time, money, or other resources do you have to dedicate toward your goal and do those factors affect whether this goal is achievable right now? When we set the stakes too high, we sometimes set overly high expectations and it can be disheartening when we do not live up to those expectations.
• Learning Environment: Find a place where you work comfortably and focus best. This can be at the library, the desk in your bedroom, outside—anywhere you feel you can concentrate and be productive! Other things you can do to help concentrate is listen to music, eat a snack, or have a coffee, tea, water, or other beverage you enjoy.
• Self-Regulation: Self-regulation is the thoughts, feelings and behaviors we use to reach our goals (Abdi Zarrin & Gracia, 2020). Having a positive mindset can make a tremendous impact on the attitude we have when working on an assignment. Rather than focusing on the end goal and those stressful deadlines, focus on the step-by-step process of your work as a mental checklist. Reward yourself and take small breaks as you gradually pass each of these steps.

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Improving Self-Regulation

Zimmerman outlines the self-regulatory process in 3 phases (Grunschel et al., 2018):

1. Forethought: This is the time before starting a project or learning activity, such as in school. It is when the task is analyzed and goals are set. Goal-setting and strategic planning are critical during this stage because a great plan can set up a great end goal.
2. Performance: This is the phase when the learning activity or project takes place. During this phase, it is important to maintain self-control, or self-regulation, to keep on task. Procrastinators are often more susceptible to temptations and have low perseverance but self-regulating can help you persevere and complete the task at hand.
3. Self-Reflection: It is important to evaluate oneself once a project is completed. Take time to reflect and recognize that completing the assignment was a success itself, no matter the literal outcome. Reflect on the methods you used that worked to stop procrastination and utilize them during your next project.
   

One of the best ways to improve self-regulation is with metacognition—considering which strategies work best for you (Santelmann et al., 2018). Reflect back on the previous list of strategies and try a few until you find one, or a few, that work best for you and help you be more productive. Metacognitive students have been shown to be more successful, get higher grades, and reach their goals (Santelmann et al., 2018)!

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Beat Procrastination with LIFE Intelligence

Procrastination is an extremely common habit that we have all given into at one time or another. However, putting off the stress of assignments can lead to increased stress later on with the added pressure of upcoming deadlines. Use these strategies to stop procrastinating and download LIFE Intelligence for more information on how to break down large goals by managing your time efficiently. Mission 3.3 can help you plan for future goals by forming healthy habits, such as beating procrastination, and setting realistic goals.