Procrastination

Introduction

All writers have been there. You’ve had a week to complete a project; now it’s the last day before the deadline, and you still haven’t started. You know you need to get to work, and you know that time is of the essence; yet even as you watch the clock tick, tick, ticking away the minutes until your work is due, you just can’t seem to sit down and do it. Why does this happen, and what can you do to escape it?

The good news is that researchers and professionals (who also experience the temptation to procrastinate) have analyzed the reasons why people put things off and developed solutions to help. By understanding why we procrastinate, we are better able to apply effective solutions that help us avoid putting off writing and manage our time in general.

Why Do People Procrastinate?

Fear

Fear is one of the strongest human emotions, and it is fear that can hold us back from taking action on our work, especially when it comes to writing. Different types of fear can keep us from reaching our goals, such as writing or other assignments. Here are a few types:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of losing autonomy (control over the work)
• Fear of being alone

Being aware of these fears and acknowledging them helps decrease their power to make us procrastinate.

Perfectionism

We all want our final submissions to be the best they can be, but sometimes our desire for perfection gets in the way of our ability to produce something. If we can’t write that perfect essay, we’d rather just not write at all. It may appear more comforting to write a mediocre paper believing we could have written a better one if we had started earlier, than to plan ahead and risk winding up with a paper that is still imperfect.

However, like many parts of daily life, writing can be complex. Rather than aiming for a perfect, final product, focus on possible paths and steps to get there.

Dissatisfaction with Writing and Revising

Revising a first draft can be one of the most difficult parts of writing. When we read our own writing and encounter imperfections, it is easy to become discouraged and avoid moving forward. By procrastinating, we try to ensure we will not have to face the uncomfortable task of revising.

While revising can be uncomfortable, we offer some strategies below to help make this process easier.

Too Busy

Sometimes, it’s not that we are fearful or over-critical, but we are simply too busy. We have jobs, children, and other obligations that take up a majority of our time. At the end of a long, busy day, it is easy to put off an assignment until tomorrow.

Busy lives mean we deserve to take breaks; however, this is also a reason to plan ahead for off-days.

What Can You Do About It?

Take Stock: Why Are You Procrastinating?

The first step towards working on your procrastination habits is to identify why you are putting things off in the first place. Think about the reasons described above, and see if any of them apply to you. Consider your overall work and writing habits, and go from there.

Evaluate Your Environment

If you’re already struggling with procrastination, one goal is to find a place where you are most likely to actually work. A noisy computer lab or an apartment where your roommate is watching Tiger King at top volume may not be the best places to write. Try to find a place where you can clear your mind from distractions and focus, but where you are also comfortable and at ease. However, be sure not to spend an excessive amount of time trying to create the perfect work environment. As procrastinators, we may risk spending all day trying to find the perfect writing place and not actually do any writing, so remember your objectives when evaluating the environment.

Ask For Help

As with any other problem you may experience in life, there is no shame in reaching out for help with your procrastination. Talk to your professor, classmates, or friends about the issues you are having. Come by the Stone Writing Center (SWC), and talk with a consultant, as all of us have likely had issues with procrastination in our work. The goal is to have someone hold you accountable, almost like a sponsor. Identify what steps you need to take to get an assignment done, and ask them to check up on you to hold you to it.

Set Goals and Rewards

It may seem obvious, but setting goals can be a productive means of avoiding procrastination. However, be careful not to be overly ambitious when planning goals; trying to get too much done at once could be one reason for procrastination. Instead, set smaller, more incremental goals. For instance, tell yourself that today, if you do nothing else, you will complete the Works Cited section of your paper or finish your introduction. You can also incentivize your writing by rewarding yourself for goals met, such as a favorite candy, funny video, or walk with a friend. If you don’t want to commit to any one section of the paper, tell yourself that you’ll write at least two hundred words, one paragraph, or for three, separate, thirty-minute sessions. Goals such as these are easily attainable and will help you start working without overwhelming you.

Think About Your Writing Process

You may not think you have a “writing process,” but you do. Everyone does, and each person’s style may differ from another’s. Consider what you usually do first when writing a paper. Maybe you start at the beginning, writing your introduction, then the body, then the conclusion, or maybe you outline and then start in the middle. Maybe you like music, ambient noise, or silence. You might prefer working in the morning or in the evening. Think about whether a process is working for you, and don’t be afraid to try something new.

Work on What You Can

We often feel pressured, when we sit down to work on an assignment, to finish it all at once. This can backfire and keep us from working at all. Instead, try looking at any amount of work you complete for what it is: progress. Even if you only write one sentence, that is one more sentence than what you had before.

Work on Revisions

Some things are perfect just the way they are: da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, pizza rolls, the first minute of “Funky Town,” and the list goes on. Unfortunately, as mentioned, writing rarely is. If you get stuck in a certain area of your paper, take a break from that section and look over the rest of the paper. Carefully search for any ambiguities or anything you might want to add, remove, or revisit. This may not seem like progress, but it will help you improve your paper while giving you a break from the part on which you’re stuck.

Consider Your “Blank Times”

Think about your schedule, and work on making what is known as an “unschedule.” This involves mapping out all the things you already spend time on, rather than writing down what you need to do, like with a regular schedule. After you have done this, look for blank spaces.

With these blank spaces, plan out a writing schedule using your set goals. Also, remember it is natural to have off-days. When these happen, adjust your schedule to avoid last-minute delays.

Last Thoughts

As you work on your procrastination, keep in mind that overcoming or mitigating this issue is similar to writing itself: a process that takes time and effort. Don’t expect to break a procrastination habit overnight. Rather, just like writing, work on it a little at a time, as much as you can, and don’t give up.

Works Consulted

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 2020. “Procrastination.” University of North Carolina Writing Center:

Tips & Tools. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/procrastination/.

Columbia College. 2020. “Avoiding Procrastination.” Columbia College Writing Center: Study Skills.