After reading the article on procrastination, I have thought about the subject regularly, and probably procrastinated in responding to it. On the question of when do I procrastinate, I think it would be quite often, but primarily on big, long-term assignments. I think there are two main reasons. One: I feel like there is enough time to do it so I push it aside and work on my short-term assignments until the week it is due. Two: When I work on a big assignment over a long period of time I loose interest in the topic and the quality of my work turns poor as I struggle for a mental focus that could last for a very long time period.
Another problem is that I have difficulty finding a good place to work. I find this particularly difficult with economics as it requires internet, which greatly limits my workspace and also seems to tease me when it fails and I loose everything I have been working on. I also find it quite difficult to find a place comfortable to sit for a long-period of time and also has limited distractions. Many things distract me, particularly the mosquitos currently biting my feet.
In addition, I also notice that as work stacks up I loose motivation, because even though I get some of it done, there is always more to follow, making me sad because I never get a break from homework. Especially with these two-year courses, its the most depressing thing I have ever had to endure… it never ends!!!
In response to which methods will most likely help me here are my comments:
1) I know procrastination hurts me. Nothing has changed as a result.
2) When I work on assignments ahead of time, I suffer from extreme perfectionista. I never just leave it once it is complete. I need to perfect it. Sometimes this has led to me redoing the entire assignment. I question if that does not hurt me more.
3) Creating a flow simply distracts me. I will begin by doing push-ups and cleaning the bathroom mirror, then I remember all those chores I still have to do and things I have been trying to remember to do. Basically I get so distracted that I don’t actually begin the project for two or four hours.
4) I don’t know how this could help me homeworkwise. I like making lists but then observing everything I have to do only makes me flustered.
5) I have found that when I do this I focus a lot on the first bit and then put less effort and time into the following bits.
6) This one confuses me.
7) It is almost impossible to do any adequate work in five minutes. I need more time and I can’t leave and come back to something after I start it. I have a focus and then I lose it. Once I lose it I don’t get it back.
In conclusion, I don’t find the methods in this article very helpful, but by writing this post I have learned about my own productivity as I write in this hotel lobby with spotty internet connection and hungry mosquitos. I know now that in order for me to complete an assignment I need to go somewhere I can be for a long time, gather all my materials, get my focus in the subject and work on it until it is complete. When I am focused on a particular subject I can retain knowledge more effectively and work more efficiently. I need to be at peace, rid myself of my stress and just work, focusing only on that work.