Procrastinators Anonymous

1. Procrastinators Anonymous [Insert image tomorrow.] Hosted by: Sergio De Anda Ruiz Brittany Harlow Friday November 2, 2012

2. Eat That Frog! • Some of our information and recommendations come from a book by Brian Tracy. • Other recommendations come from our personal experiences.

3. Frog Eating 101 • “The first rule of frog eating is this: If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first” (Tracy 2). • Your “frog” is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don’t do something about it.

4. Frog Eating 101 • Tracy states that we usually cannot complete all of our plans. • For instance, we cannot do our homework, study for a test, and watch the CMA Awards. • Knowing this, we should procrastinate on purpose. • This involves postponing insignificant tasks, such as shopping for “necessities.”

5. Frog Eating 101 • Telling ourselves that we have procrastinated on a task–no matter how insignificant–can encourage us to start working! • In this way, practicing purposeful procrastination is a psychological tool that tricks our mind.

6. Helpful Guidelines • As soon as you wake up, take a few minutes to plan your daily activities. Just as planning your in-class essay can save you time during drafting, spending a few minutes to create a daily plan will enhance your productivity.

7. Helpful Guidelines (cont.) 2. Mark Twain once said, “If you eat a frog first thing in the morning, the rest of your day will be wonderful.” It is important to finish this assignment first because, once accomplished, it will give you a sense of achievement that will fuel the rest of your daily activities.

8. Helpful Guidelines (cont.) 3. Mark Twain also said, “If you have to eat a frog, don’t look at it for too long.” Remember that “the best way to get something done is to begin.” This emphasizes the fact that, though the first step may be the hardest, it is essential to completing a journey.

9. Helpful Guidelines (cont.) 4. Notice unintentional procrastination. This can occur when we fulfill insignificant tasks in order to delay work on others. Be concerned if you can only find the time to send a card, organize your closet, wash the dishes, or slave over a small assignment when you actually need to complete a report!

10. Helpful Guidelines (cont.) 5. Practice habits associated with success. Example: If you usually cram for tests, try studying class material a little bit every night before the test.

11. Create a New Habit • Pick a habit to create, such as beginning essays right after receiving the prompt. • Break the habit into 8 easy steps. Example: if you want to study for physics, the first step is to get out the textbook at the same time everyday. • Choose a trigger for your habit – something already in your routine that will immediately precede the habit. Examples: waking up or getting home in the evening.

12. Create a New Habit (cont.) 4. Do the 1st, really easy baby step for one week, right after the trigger. Commit to this goal publicly. 5. Each week, move on to a slightly harder step. You’ll want to progress faster, but don’t. You’re building a new habit. Repeat this until you’ve done it 8 weeks.

13. Ways to Plan • Daily Planners • Weekly Planners • Monthly Planners • Phone Calendars • Wall Calendars • Do you have a preference? • What are the (dis)advantages of each?