Do you really have to read this now? Wouldn't it be more fun to do something else?

Well, duh, of course it would be, but there are times in college you must, absolutely must, get things done.  Papers, exams, homework, paperwork, bills, all have deadlines and you shouldn't miss them.

Notice I used the word shouldn't and not can't. The decision on how to use your time is yours. It's one of the more important decisions you make in your life, as there is no way to get more time nor recover the time that is lost.  

The thing you need to understand about procrastination is it's a choice. You can choose to do something or another thing. It's simple to realize, yet hard to combat. Why's it hard? Why do you watch a movie instead of cleaning your room? Why do you go out with your friends instead of finishing the pre-calculus homework? Easy and fun. 

Work is hard sometimes, and our natural tendency is to avoid it. Funny how that works out, eh? 

To combat procrastination you need to follow three simple rules:

1. No distractions: Turn off the movie. Close your door. Close the browser (my personal demon). Assemble everything you need for the task before you start. Distraction are landmines to productivity and lead you to the procrastination hospital. As for music, it's a personal thing. You'll need to learn what music works best for you in terms of concentration and pumpupability. Since my office is right next to your bedroom, you know what works for me. <grin>
2. Break it up: If you want, I will buy you the single best device I have for beating procrastination. The digital timer. Some people would tell you to use a Yahoo widget, a Facebook application to do this, but remember you want to avoid distractions. This timer allows you to count up to how long you've been working or countdown the amount of time you want to spend on a task. Since it allows four different timers you can keep track of the total time spent on multiple tasks. 
3. Reward: With the digital time you can tell yourself you're going to study for the advanced biology exam for 20 minutes and then watch a movie for 10 minutes. Both tasks can be times and you're reminded when to stop. Of course, you need the personal discipline to stop the reward when it's over, but you already have that. The thing to understand about rewards is that they should be proportionate to the task. If you studied for 20 minutes don't reward yourself with three hours at the movies. Also, be careful about food rewards. You do not want to fall into the cycle of food as a reward. Food is sustinence. 

You are not going to avoid procrastination all the time. Well, you could, but then what kind of life would that be? Procrastination sometimes allows spontaneity and relaxation, so choose the battle with the procrastination dragon on your terms.  

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