How to Teach Students to Stop Procrastinating!

Procrastination: you may hear the word a lot, but do you realize how powerful it is in derailing dreams? When it comes to a student’s life, dreams, and goals, procrastinating can lead to rushing through work, not being prepared, and not getting the results expected. Nobody is perfect, but as parents and teachers we want to do what we can to make sure students are their best. Therefore, don’t allow procrastination to cost students different opportunities. Here are a few ways to help students stop procrastinating.
Write Down What Tasks Need to be Completed. Have them write tasks down and give soft deadlines. Having a soft deadline allows students to have more time before the hard deadline in case something happens to prevent the completion of the task. Should they complete the task by the soft deadline, then it can possibly be delivered earlier than expected. When students get the urge to procrastinate, revert back to the list of tasks in order to conquer them. Not having tasks written down can cost time and momentum when they are actually in the mood to be productive, allowing them to procrastinate.
Become Consistent. After they write tasks down, make sure they work on them diligently and not put them to the side. The worst thing they can do is have an important task due, wait until the last minute, and then something unexpected prevents them from getting it done. Having a routine is a great way to be consistent.
Stay Focus. Now that the students are writing tasks down and have a plan for being consistent, they must stay focused. Make sure the time spent working is producing results. The objective is to stay focused on the right things. When things happen that allows them to be sidetracked, have them stop and breathe, then refocus on the list and schedule. Staying focused on the tasks at hand will definitely allow them to meet goals of success and not procrastinate.
When students stop procrastinating and start diligently staying consistent, you will see the difference in work ethic. Let them know that wasting time, saying I will do it tomorrow, and always saying, “maybe later”, instead of doing it NOW; will keep them at a standstill with reaching goals. Time flies when you aren’t getting anything done.