Everyone procrastinates. We put things off because we don't want to do them, or because we have too many other things on our plates. Putting things off — big or small — is part of being human. But procrastination does have consequences. When your procrastination leaves you feeling discouraged, it is time to take action, and one of the best ways to get rid of it is to make an un-schedule.
An un-schedule is a weekly calendar of all the ways in which your time is already accounted for. You consider not only your timed commitments such as classes and meetings, but also your untimed activities such as meals, exercise, time with friends, and the like. Once you have made your un-schedule, you may be able to see your time is often filled with more activities than you realize, for instance, that you really don't have five hours to spend writing on the night before your paper is due. Procrastinators' views of time tend to be unrealistic, and the un-schedule can help you outline a realistic plan. By planning accordingly, you will not only get a better night's sleep, you may also end up with a better paper.
The un-schedule might also be a good way to get started on a larger project, such as a term paper or an honors paper. You may think that you have "all semester" to get the writing done, but if you really map out how much time you have available to write on a daily and weekly basis, you will see that you need to get started sooner, rather than later. In addition, the un-schedule may reveal especially busy weeks or months, which will help you budget time for long-term projects.
Perhaps most importantly, the un-schedule can help you examine how you spend your time. You may be surprised at how much time you spend watching television, and decide to make a change. It's especially important that you build time for fun activities into your un-schedule. Otherwise, you will procrastinate in order to steal time for relaxation.
You can also use the un-schedule to record your progress towards your goal. Reward yourself for your small successes. Seeing what you've achieved will help reinforce (强化) the productive behavior, and you will feel more motivated in the following process.
As you explore ways to conquer procrastination, don't expect overnight transformation. You developed the habit over a long time; you aren't going to stop magically. But you can change the behavior, bit by bit. If you start to make an un-schedule now, you will eventually develop new habits.
