How to be More Productive and Procrastinate Less

by Toni Grogg

Procrastinate less by staying on track. Achieve more and see results through these tips on how to stay productive this semester.

1. Set a day that will be best for you to plan out your week.

Choose a day that you do not have any work or school, or the day you have the least, to plan out your week. On this day go grocery shopping, plan and prep your meals for the week, choose what you are going to wear all week, make goals and rank them from least to most important, etc. This day should be a day for planning that will allow the rest of the week to run smoothly.

2. Set daily, weekly and monthly goals.

Each day, week and month make a list of things you want to get done in that amount of time. For daily goals you could plan to reach 30 minutes of exercise or 10,000 steps, to finish an assignment or two, to make or send and important call or email or even to go without a cigarette or a can of pop for the day. Weekly goals can consist of making a sales goal at the end of the week at work, having all your assignments done by their due dates and plan and prep your meals for the week. Monthly goals could include paying all your bills on time, doing a 30 day challenge to exercise or write in a journal or adventure somewhere you have never been or do something you have never done before.  

3. Use a planner to track your thoughts and keep things on track.

Get a planner that suits your needs and track appointments, due dates, exams, quizzes, work schedule, paydays, etc. Schedule certain times around classes and work to study and stick to it. (Ex. Math homework at 4:30-5:00 and 9:45-10:45)

4. During breaks between classes and work, plan to study or do homework.

If you have a break between classes, schedule a study group or plan to do homework during your break. Even if it is 30 minutes or four hours, getting some homework or study time out of the way will allow some free time at home. This will also prevent stress from procrastination.

5. Put the phone down!

When studying or doing homework, you should never have your phone around. If you are at home put it in another room or atleast where you can not see it. If you are at school put it in your backpack and do not pull it back out unless you are done. Phones are a huge distraction and major cause of procrastination.

6. If you choose to procrastinate, be productive.

If you choose to procrastinate or take a break from studying, do something that requires some physical or mental effort. This could include going on a walk or run, doing a puzzle, playing a sport, clean, cook, etc.

These helpful tips will allow you to manage your time, stay on task and procrastinate less this semester.