Motivation vs procrastination
Every student will struggle with their motivation on occasion, especially when there is a lack of interest in the task
at hand, you do not want to do it or you have too many other things you need or want to do. Furthermore, the
expectation is you will automatically feel motivated before you have even started the task and this is often not the
case.
Waiting for motivation can lead to procrastination and just as you will feel unmotivated at times, you may also
struggle with procrastination.
What is motivation?
Motivation is goal oriented behaviour involving the desire to achieve a goal, combined with the energy required to
work towards achieving it. A student who is motivated usually enjoys university life, feels they are benefiting from
study and is able to meet academic deadlines.
What is procrastination?
Procrastination refers to the counterproductive putting off or avoidance of tasks to a later time. It is often used as
a mechanism to cope with the associated anxiety of starting a task, completing a task, or making a decision.
Generally, procrastination is a habit that has some specific origin, but it does not necessarily mean that you are
inherently lazy or inefficient.
You can tell whether or not you need to do something about your procrastination by examining its consequences.
Procrastination has both 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).
If you put off washing the dishes, but the dishes don't bother you, who cares? However, when your procrastination
leaves you feeling discouraged and overburdened, it is time to take action.
You may feel:
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anxious
confused
frustrated
angry
uncertain
sad
Experiencing any of these feelings can be a sign that you have lost motivation and may be procrastinating.
Loss of motivation
The most common reasons for loss of motivation are:
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a change or accumulated changes
a negative experience or several negative experiences at one time
Specific contributing factors may be:
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a low mark or a series of low marks
getting behind in your program of study
other responsibilities or commitments taking priority over your study
feeling isolated
study becoming irrelevant to short term or long term goals
a mismatch between your ideas, beliefs or interests and those you are coming into contact with
finding your courses difficult
Strategies to improve your motivation and avoid procrastination
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Set realistic goals
Make study a priority by creating a place where you can study without distractions
Create a schedule and/or lists
Break the task into smaller pieces
Allocate more time than you think you will need
Take regular breaks
Use instant rewards to acknowledge your achievements
Take care of your health and well-being
Focus your thoughts to the present, rather than the past and future
Just do it!
If you require further assistance, please make an appointment with a counsellor in the Learning and Teaching Unit
on your campus.