Hey Anna, I can’t stop procrastinating and I need to get my work done, do you have any tips?
The loop of procrastination can really get you down, and I have felt its miserable effects too many times. As a student who gets easily swayed into doing absolutely anything other than work, setting goals for each day forced me to find dopamine in daily tasks.
Dopamine is the chemical message that makes us feel rewarded after doing hard things, but we can also get this feel-good hormone from checking our phones and mindlessly scrolling through TikTok.
I will, unfortunately, never fully stop my post-class doom scroll, but there are ways to cut back on social media and find the joy in finishing that assignment that is three days late (I speak from experience, of course).
Setting goals
Setting daily goals to get a tough assignment done or even to finish a couple of chapters of that book you have been meaning to read, is sometimes enough to force yourself to do that thing.
I am the kind of person to forget to eat a solid breakfast if it isn’t specifically written down for me, so lists have become a crutch I lean on every day. The checklist of daily goals is incredibly rewarding and can keep you on track for success.
As someone with ADHD, I have been recommended many different organizational phone apps that are supposed to help me out with the mess of tasks that my brain cannot deal with. While some of these apps are better than others, absolutely nothing tops the default iPhone Notes app.
Every morning, I make a list of what today’s goals are with the check mark bullets and find myself feeling a little bit better each time I send an email or finish a paper and get to turn an empty dot into a completed goal. Boom! Dopamine.
Apps to help you quit
Obviously, each person is going to find a different way of setting goals that works for them, and it’s just a matter of finding out what works for you. A few interesting organizational apps I have used in the past that you might want to try are Notion, Remember The Milk and Structured Daily Planner. These apps are great for keeping your goals and tasks organized while you work through them, but the classic iPhone Notes app has my heart forever.
If writing lists is just not your thing, ask a trusted friend or family member to hold you accountable to get something done. I used to tell my mom what I was actively working towards, and she would call me intermittently to make sure I was getting it done.
Some people use bullet journals, which they use to track their progress toward their goals and keep themselves organized. Journals can be completely personalized and made into a fun little book you can look forward to opening and adding to every day.
Support from Dal
On campus, the Bissett Student Success Centre helps students by providing advice on both academic and career goals. Making an appointment with an advisor can help you lay out exactly how to complete your academic goals. I’d also suggest scheduling a followup to ensure you are staying on track.
Our lives as students are faster-paced than ever and it makes it difficult to slow down a little bit every day and ensure you are staying on track. Setting goals, whether it be emotional, academic, career or physical is one way to put yourself first and find your own path on your way to being the best person you can be.
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