This handout will allow you to understand why you procrastinate and offer strategies and to combat this writer’s ailment that is common.

Introduction

Everyone procrastinates. We put things off because we have too many other things on our plates because we don’t want to do them, or. Putting things off—big or small—is element of being human. If you’re scanning this handout, however, the likelihood is that the procrastination is troubling you. You suspect that you could be a much better writer if perhaps you didn’t put off writing projects before the last second. You will find that just when you have really gotten going on a paper, it is time for you to change it in; so, you won’t ever genuinely have time for you revise or proofread carefully. You love the rush of adrenaline you obtain when you finish a paper 10 minutes you(and your body) are getting tired of pulling all-nighters before it’s due, but. You feel okay about procrastinating whilst in college, however you worry that this habit will follow you into the working life.

You are able to tell whether or perhaps not you have to do something regarding your procrastination by examining its consequences. Procrastination might have external consequences (you get a zero regarding the paper because you never turned it in) or internal consequences (you feel anxious most of the time, even if you do something that you enjoy). You, who cares if buy essay online you put off washing the dishes, but the dishes don’t bother? If your procrastination leaves you feeling discouraged and overburdened, however, it’s time to take action.

Is there hope?

If you think you will be a hopeless procrastinator, take heart! No one is beyond help. The fact you are inherently lazy or inefficient that you procrastinate does not mean. Your procrastination just isn’t an untamable beast. It is a habit which includes some specific origin, which is a practice you could overcome. This handout will assist you to begin to understand just why you procrastinate and give you some techniques for turning things around. For some procrastinators, however, there are no fixes that are quick. You aren’t likely to get up tomorrow and never procrastinate again. However you might wake up tomorrow and do a couple of simple things that shall help you finish that draft a little earlier or with less stress.

You might never be surprised to discover that procrastinators are generally self-critical. So, as you think about your procrastination and battle to develop different work habits, act as gentle with yourself. Punishing yourself every time you realize you have got put something off won’t help you change. Rewarding yourself whenever you make progress shall.

In the event that you don’t care why you procrastinate—you only want to know what to complete about it—then you might as well miss the next area of this handout and go to the section labeled “What to accomplish about it.” You may only end up more frustrated if you skip to the strategies, however. Taking the time to know about why you procrastinate may help you steer clear of the cycle whereby you swear up and down you will never procrastinate again, simply to discover that the next time you have got a paper due, you may be up until 3 a.m. attempting to complete the first (and only) draft—without knowing why or how you got there.

Why we do so

So that you can stop putting off your writing assignments, you will need to understand just why you have a tendency to do this in the place that is first. Some of the reasons that folks procrastinate include the immediate following:

Because we have been afraid

• Concern with failure: then you may avoid working on it in order to avoid feeling the fear if you are scared that a particular piece of writing isn’t going to turn out well.
• Concern about success: Some procrastinators (the author with this handout included) fear that they will turn into workaholics if they start working at their full capacity. Since we procrastinate compulsively, we assume that individuals may also write compulsively; we envision ourselves locked in a library carrel, hunched over the computer, barely eating and sleeping rather than seeing friends or heading out. The procrastinator who fears success may also assume that around them, thus losing their capacity to be friendly and to have fun if they work too hard, they will become mean and cold to the people. Finally, this sort of procrastinator may believe that when they stop procrastinating, chances are they will begin writing better, that will increase other people’s expectations, thus ultimately increasing the quantity of pressure they experience.
• Concern about losing autonomy: some social people delay writing projects as an easy way of maintaining their independence. They procrastinate as a way of saying, “You can’t make me do this when they receive a writing assignment. I will be my person that is own. Procrastinating helps them feel more accountable for situations (such as for instance college) in which they genuinely believe that other folks have authority.
• Concern about being alone: Other writers procrastinate because they want to feel constantly attached to other folks. For example, you may procrastinate before you are in such a bind that someone needs to come and rescue you. Procrastination therefore ensures that other folks will likely be involved in your daily life. You may also put off writing because you don’t wish to be alone, and writing is oftentimes a activity that is solitary. In its worst form, procrastination itself may become a companion, constantly reminding you of most that you must do.
• Fear of attachment: instead of fearing separation, some people procrastinate to be able to create a barrier between themselves among others. They may delay to be able to create chaos within their lives, believing that the chaos will away keep other people.

Whether these fears appear in our conscious or subconscious minds, they paralyze us and keep us from taking action, until discomfort and anxiety us to either a) get the piece of writing done or b) give up overwhelms us and forces. (The preceding is a summary of Chapters 2-4 of Jane B. Burka and Lenora M. Yuen’s Procrastination: Why you will do It, What to Do About It.)

Because we expect ourselves to be perfect

Procrastination and perfectionism often go hand in hand. Perfectionists tend to procrastinate themselves, and they are scared about whether or not they can meet those high standards because they expect so much of. Perfectionists sometimes believe that they could have written a great paper, than to give a full effort and risk writing a mediocre paper that it is better to give a half-hearted effort and maintain the belief. Procrastinating guarantees failure, but it helps perfectionists maintain their belief that they could have excelled when they had tried harder. Another pitfall for perfectionists is they have a tendency to ignore progress toward an objective. As long as the writing project is incomplete, they feel as though they aren’t getting anywhere, in the place of recognizing that each paragraph moves them closer to a finished product.

Because we don’t like our writing

You may possibly procrastinate on writing in all its imperfection because you don’t like to re-read what you have written; you hate writing a first draft and then being forced to evaluate it. By procrastinating, you make sure that you don’t have time for you to read over your projects, thus avoiding that uncomfortable moment.