Procrastination

Procrastination is a deadly curse that affects every person at some point in their lives. Personally, I have tried countless attempts to try and fix this flaw about myself for years and can never seem to find something that has worked for me. This was the major reason for taking this class; to find the motivation to do the work right when it was given, instead of right before it was due. The first lecture on impulsivity and self-control was the perfect way to start of the course because it highlighted the key theory on procrastination, the Temporal Motivation Theory. The Temporal Motivation Theory states as follows:

 

It was the perfect equation to understand exactly when and how a project or paper becomes my first priority and why. In the beginning of the course my expectancy (the chance of an outcome occurring) was high that I would accomplish the course and my value (how rewarding the outcome is) was average. On the bottom, my impulsiveness (the likelihood of you being distracted by instant gratification) was very high because it was summer and I wanted to just have fun. The delay (how long the wait is for the reward) was high, because the end of the course seemed so far away. This made my motivation to do the class in the beginning low.

However, as the days creeped closer to the ending of the course I saw my motivation rise slowly. Then it got even closer and I saw it skyrocket to where it became my first priority. By doing this I realized that my procrastination stems from the belief that I know I can accomplish a set amount of work within a set time frame. However, I also realize like most the amount of stress that accompanies which is why I would like to rid the label of ‘procrastinator.” By understanding Temporal Motivation Theory, I was able to come up with a way to raise my value by adding rewards to tasks that I accomplish, and by lower my impulsiveness by shutting off all my distractions. To reinforce this, I plan on putting my rewards (ten minutes on my phone or watching YouTube, a quick snack, etc.) after I shut off all my distraction and work for a set amount of time. Hopefully, by using the formula I can final shed the label of 'procrastinator.' 

Procrastination=Stress

Every time I have a paper, exam, or project due I am the biggest procrastinator. I will spend a few weeks to a month stressing about what is due but I never really do it. Instead I try to do relaxing things and put it off until the end.

Then the day before my paper or project is due or my exam date I will finally do my work or start studying. It seems to me that I can only study or do my work under this extreme pressure. I am able to do things like write a ten page paper in three hours and still get an A but sometimes I wonder if I didn’t wait until the night before could I reduce my stress levels.

Stress leads to many things and for me it mostly leads to a bad immune system so when I stress a lot I get really sick. If I didn’t put of all my work until the end I would not stress out as much. Also I take off a lot of work to finish projects that are due if I have to do them over the weekend while I work. My boss does not mind but this also affects my pockets which also cause stress.

The best solution for all of this would be to do my work in a timely fashion and not procrastinate but every one knows that that is easier said than done.

"I'll get that done tomorrow"

As a college student, I know all too well about procrastination. I am sure I am not the only one who has waited until the day before something was due to start it, even though I knew about the assignment for weeks (high delay time). According to Chapter 10, students get side-tracked with activities that have a higher "utility" than, say, writing a 5 page essay. These utilities could be checking email, texting a friend, watching a favorite tv show... you know what I'm talking about. When a deadline nears, the delay interval decreases causing its utility level to rise and become more important to get done. Professor Dan Ariely of Duke University has procrastination among college students down to a T. He is spot-on about how, in the beginning of every semester, students are focused and eager to learn. Then somewhere along the way, excuses begin to pop up about why assignments could not be handed in on-time and such. This video is interesting because I have never heard a professor's point of view on this subject before.