[anushka]

Over the years I've become a great procrastinator. I have a very important exam in June but I'm totally de-motivated. I am setting study goals but failing them after one day. Any practical ideas on how to get better??

[Shauren]

There are many reasons for procrastination but the ones usually associated with studying are distraction, frustration and boredom. My guess is that your de-motivation arises from your frustration that you cannot complete as much as you want to or you think you should do. The frustration stifles your enthusiasm to study and you find other "jobs" to do or distractions to avoid it.

As the deadline approaches, you see there is even less time to learn everything and things will just get even more difficult. Mixed in with all of this, you are probably feeling pretty guilty and increasingly worried.

If this is the case, then you are not alone and many students feel what you are feeling!

First of all, let's be realistic, there is no magic wand and the studying needs to be done. However the good news is that if you are in the right frame of mind, you can learn very quickly. If you are interested in something it is amazingly how much easier it is to pick something up.

I would suggest that you work on reducing your expectations which probably runs counter to what you think you need to do. You should be setting yourself easily achievable goals. By completing these goals, you will gain the motivation to continue. If you set yourself unattainable goals, then it's very demoralising.

What is an achievable goal? Actually believe it or not, most people struggle with 10 minutes doing something they don't like! In fact, to persuade yourself to start something that you don't want to do, there's an even lower psychological limit of around two minutes. So break things into two minute tasks. It sounds impossible that you will get anything done but it works. The first task would be to get your books out and identify the sections you need to read. Then go take a break! Next would be to skim read the pages and not to expect to take it all in the first time. The human brain isn't designed to digest written material quickly. Take another break and then read the pages again. If you don't want to stop after a couple of minutes, then carry on but if after 10 minutes you get bored then stop immediately. Don't force yourself. This is a very important point! What we are doing is using the way you naturally want to learn and it will be gradual process to build things up. Don't push things as it will de-motivate you.

Two or three sessions of ten minutes of solid concentration will easily beat two hours of staring at a wall feeling bad. Just focus on what you have control over and be careful NOT to set yourself a learning target for any the sessions just a concentration target. If you are concentrating hard with breaks, this is the most efficient way to learn so you are going as fast as you can (even though it is not as fast as you feel you should be going).

I am working on a number of comics that cover the subject of procrastination. Here is one that I have produced that describes the guilt I felt when I tried to finish my dissertation.

[anushka]

Shauren, thank you a lot for this. It helps me quite a lot. Especially the part where you have said "not to expect to take it all in the first time".....i mostly do the mistake and expect and think that "i have read it once already, why cant i remember the formulae? its all my fault, etc etc." and it discourages a lot. next time i'll keep this in mind.

Your comic is great, i liked it a lot. keep up the good work.

I find it helpful if I wake up - early - at the same time everyday and get ready regardless if I will be going out.

As for your goal setting. They need to be attainable, measurable, and timely.

[anushka]

thank you rcat for sharing your ideas. I agree with you, waking up early does help no doubt,i know from my past experience. But i'm stuck with lots of other bothers and that's hampering all my motivations and determinations.

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[anushka]

Shauren I'd like to ask you for another suggestion. I have a problem that even if i motivate myself and start afresh from,say,tomorrow,and achieve my daily goal, i always fail after that. Always. I have been trying to overcome this for a long time but in vain. I always fail the next day,i get disappointed and thus lose one or two more days due to lack of continuity. Any ideas to get better?

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