Ask Hahney: Procrastination Woes

Q: Confession: I am the biggest procrastinator ever. How can I keep on track and be productive without the crazy crunch time anxiety?

Ahhh the good ol’ balance between procrastination and productivity. The journey of every college student … and the theme song of my life.

If you’re trying to keep all of your tasks on track, I recommend a planner or an organized to-do list (or a bullet journal). It’ll make everything run smoother in your life, I promise. I personally like writing things down, but there are great apps out now to keep your life on track too. If you haven’t tried it yet, get the Momentum extension for Google Chrome! It has a to-do list on the bottom right-hand corner! Now, when you’re making this to-do list– remember the golden rule in life. Threes. Not only is three my favorite number but it makes things more doable. When you’re writing your to-do list everyday, pick three things you have to get done. Things you absolutely have to get done. Then, put down the other stuff you should/could do below it. As you make your way through the list, as long as you hit those top 3, you should be well on your way to productivity! Plus, if you’re feeling extra ambitious on any given day, you can do more to lessen your load for other days!

Second, I think it’s important to think about why you’re procrastinating. Is it because you find something else, other than what you’re studying, to be more enjoyable? If so, would you want to pursue a career in that space? Are your studies and your interests intersecting? If not, they should be! Your interests will motivate you. There will be days when you don’t want to do work. In fact, you’ll dread it some days… but when you’re being pushed by your ambitions and your dreams, you’ll typically feel a greater need to finish your tasks. So, take a look at yourself and at what you’re doing. If you’re happy, keep on trekking! If you’re not, take a step back and reflect! Can’t hurt, especially since you might be reading this article while procrastinating… Gotcha!