Procrastination - Its A Choice

Whether you fashion yourself one of those creative types who believe they do their best work in the last minute, the analytic and scientific core academic demands of nursing or medical school are less accommodating. Truth is, it's better to leave the "pull it out of your hat at the last minute" strategies to rock stars and reporters.

While creativity and innovative thinking are appreciable strengths in any field, the rigorous academic demands of nursing and medical school will require first and foremost your mastery of time management. The professional and ethical qualifications and academic mastery required for entry into a medical discipline cannot be achieved in a series of "all nighters".

Besides, the evidence is clear that no matter your profession the negative side effects of procrastination -- increased stress, inattention to detail and, by-and-large, work that is beneath one's capabilities -- will outweigh and overshadow any perceived benefits of the "rush" in the long run.

Why We Procrastinate
Procrastination often boils down to a lack of prioritization; Our plates are so full we simply don't know which project, assignment or personal demands to tend to first. Especially for students in nursing and medical school, family, career demands and internships often compete for a share of a students limited time.

For some, an in depth inventory of the personal factors contributing to chronic procrastination -- a procrastination profile -- may aid in identifying the issues underlying the decision to "put off today what can be done tomorrow".

Procrastination Profile
Here are some questions chronic procrastinators should ask themselves:

• Does the process of organization -- the thinking, prioritizing, planning and acting in accordance with these plans prove difficult? (People with A.D.D./A.D.H.D. may fall into this category)
• Do these tasks seem so overwhelming that even minimal efforts seem futile?
• Do hostile feelings towards someone cause you to want to punish them by putting things off?
• Does establishing a routine and schedule cause feelings of rebellion that leads to self-sabatoging your routine and schedule?

Prioritization -- The Arch Enemy of Procrastination
Though not impossible to prioritize and procrastinate at the same time, prioritization raises the often unconscious urge to procrastinate to conscious level. Experts say this recognition is the first step toward breaking the habit.

This is where some tough decisions need to be made.
Indefinitely postponing the annual family trip to the beach or your weekly poker night with friends in order to concentrate on more pressing concerns (an overdue research paper for instance) is not easy at first.

However, by prioritizing, we put ourselves in a position of power and announce to the world "we" are in charge of our lives and how we run them. Employers, friends and, yes, even loved ones will (eventually) grow to respect this.

Organization
After prioritization, organization is the next crucial step on the procrastinator recovery plan. Organization is key to accomplishing more, enjoying more immediate results and fortifying your commitment to change.

Let's face it, its much easier to initiate a priority school project when we can locate the syllabus. Faced with a pile of manila folders overflowing with coursework, the best we can do is straighten everything out. Frustrating yes, but also very important. Setting aside time each day to organize will help you get to work on your priorities more quickly.

Time Management Tips to Beat Procrastination
Time management is the glue that holds all other procrastination ending strategies together. Without it, expert psychologists agree that all other strategies will ultimately fail. Use a day runner or weekly calendar to help you organize and prioritize your schedule. These tools will aid you in thinking forward through the semester, noting reading assignments, due dates for important projects, papers and exams, and so on. Break down complex assignments such as research papers into week by week objectives to accomplish. This can be listed in no particular order and will give you a handle on just what you need to accomplish in a given week.

Just don't beat yourself up if you don't accomplish everything you scribble down. It's easy to be overly ambitious on paper. Just experiment at first and do whatever works for you. Continually modify and adjust until you find a system that works best for you.

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