Procrastinación

Procrastination

Introduction

It is well know that everyone procrastinates. We put things off because we don't want to do them, or because we have too many other things to do. For example; you could be a much better student if only you didn't put off projects until the last minute. You find that just when you have really gotten going on the work, it is time to turn it in; so, you neverreally have time to revise or proofread carefully. People have a rush of adrenalin when they finish a paper ten minutes before it is due, but you and your body are getting tired of pulling all nighters. You feel okay about procrastinating while in college, but there is the worry that this habit will follow you into your working life.
You can tell whether or not you need to do something about yourprocrastination by examining its consequences. It can have external consequences (you get a zero on the paper because you never turned it in) or internal consequences (you feel anxious much of the time, even when you are doing something that you enjoy).
When your procrastination leaves you feeling discouraged and overburdened, however, it is time to take action.

1. What procrastination is aboutProcrastinators are made not born. It is learned in the family, but not directly. It is one response to an authoritarian parenting style. Having a harsh, controlling father keeps children from developing the ability to regulate themselves, from internalizing their own intentions and then learning to act on them. Procrastination can even be a form of rebellion, one of the few forms available undersuch circumstances. What's more, under those household conditions, procrastinators turn more to friends than to parents for support, and their friends may reinforce procrastination because they tend to be tolerant of their excuses.
“Procrastination is not a problem of time management or of planning. Procrastinators are not different in their ability to estimate time, although they are moreoptimistic than others. "Telling someone who procrastinates to buy a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just cheer up,"” insists Dr. Ferrari.
Also there are big costs to procrastination. Health is one. Just over the course of a single academic term, procrastinating college students had such evidence of compromised immune systems as more colds and flu, moregastrointestinal problems. And they had insomnia. In addition, procrastination has a high cost to others as well as oneself; it shifts the burden of responsibilities onto others, who become resentful. Procrastination destroys teamwork in the workplace and private relationships.

2. Are you a procrastinator?
Ways to procrastinate
* Try to ignore the task, hoping against hope that it will go away?
*Over or under estimate the degree of difficulty that the task involves?
* Minimize the impact that your performance now may have on your future?
* Substitute something important for something really important? (For example, cleaning instead of writing your paper.)
* Let a short break become a long one, or an evening in which you do no work at all? (For example, claiming that you aregoing to watch TV for ½ hour, then watching it all night.)
* Focus on one part of the task, at the expense of the rest? (For example, keep working on the introduction, while putting off writing the body and conclusion).
* Spend too much time researching or choosing a topic
Once you better understand how you procrastinate, you will be better able to catch yourself doing it. Too often, wedon't even realize that we are procrastinating until it's too late.
3. Can we do something about it?
The fact that we procrastinate does not mean that we are inherently lazy or inefficient. Our procrastination is not untamable. It is a habit that has a specific origin, and it is a habit that we can overcome.
For most procrastinators, there are no quick fixes. There is not a magic pill that...