I don’t know about you, but I am a master at procrastination. I always have been. Fear of failure, decision fatigue and perfectionism often reign their ugly heads when it comes to completing a major task. This proved true in college. And, given the fact that I started this blog post three months ago and didn’t reopen the Google doc until today, I guess it can still prove true! 

In business school, procrastination can be especially harmful. You don’t want to suddenly look up and realize all your classmates have summer internships and you don’t or hurt your GPA because you run out of time to study for an exam. 

So what can you do about it?

Acknowledgement:

For me, it helps to identify that I’ve procrastinated and forgive myself. You can’t change the past so you have to look towards the future and dust yourself off. You’re certainly not the first person to put off a task that seems difficult or daunting, so don’t be so hard on yourself. 

Bite size tasks:

If a task does seem difficult or daunting though, try tackling it in smaller increments. Take one aspect of your project (even the easiest one!) and start there. When we look at things as a whole, we can feel overwhelmed. Instead, pick one or two smaller things to accomplish at a given time and focus your efforts. 

Small wins:

And when you accomplish something (anything!), celebrate it. You took a step forward and that’s a good thing, especially if you feel weighed down by the stress that procrastination can bring. Checking something off your list will inevitably lighten that load. 

Mindset shift:

If you’re stuck in front of your computer, staring into the abyss, unable to check even a small thing off your list, it might be time to get up and move around. Take a walk. Take a shower. Make yourself a cup of tea. Give yourself a moment to recharge and reset, then sit back down with a new sense of purpose and try again. 

Bottom line, procrastination is natural. It’s how you bounce back from it that matters. Heck, maybe you’re procrastinating right now by reading this post instead of applying to that internship or studying for that test. If so, this is your sign to polish your resume or open your study guide and get to it. 

You’ve got this…now back to work!

Rachel Wasdyke is Director, Corporate Engagement & Strategic Communications. Learn more about Rachel and connect with her here.