#16 - How to Break the Procrastination Habit

Kelsey writes, I’m worried I will get really behind in nursing school. What can I do to avoid procrastination?

The sheer amount of work you have to do in nursing school can be very overwhelming. If you put assignments off, you’ll be in a tough spot later when there aren’t enough hours in the day to finish your assignment, or prepare for that big exam.

You can break this habit.

Let me tell you a story about how Lauren.

 I first met Lauren when she was a sophomore nursing student. In her first semester of nursing classes, she quickly found that her habit for procrastination was really affecting her ability to turn work in on time and come to class prepared. She quickly went from B’s to C’s and even failing assignments that were turned in incomplete.

The question she needed to answer was, “Why had procrastination become such a habit?”

She was afraid that when she finally sat down and did her assignment, she wouldn’t do it correctly. She wanted her work to be right and even perfect, if that’s possible. The fear that she wouldn’t be able to do it to perfection, was getting in the way of her simply sitting down and getting it done.

Once she recognized this pattern and saw the impact it was having on her grades, she committed to breaking the procrastination habit and turning her work in on time.

It wasn’t enough to want to fix the habit, she had to make a plan for how she would stay on top of her assignments.

She would give herself a personal deadline before the class deadline and even begun turning assignments in early. She asked her closest friends to keep her accountable.

Every assignment wasn’t done perfectly and she still occasionally missed a deadline, but the pattern was broken. This of course, improved her grades and led to success in her classes.

Kelsey, students procrastinate for a variety of reasons.

Take some time and think about why this has been a pattern for you. 

Is it because you don’t want to do what you are needing to do?

Is it that, like Lauren, You’re afraid your work won’t be right or perfect?

Is it that you’re optimistic about the amount of time you have?

Or are you are thrilled with the challenge of seeing if you can get things done at the last minute?

Once you’ve identified why procrastination has been a pattern, take intentional steps. Get insight from those that know you, make a plan and ask for accountability from friends and family.

Kelsey, I hope this story has been helpful.

Please like and share it with your friends.

And as always, if you have a question about nursing school or life, Nursing School Masterclass can help!