Procrastinator Ka Ba? This Strategy Can Help You Stop, Study Suggests
Do you ever just find yourself setting up your notes and readings on the desk but proceed to mindlessly scroll through Instagram until you run out of time to actually study? Or maybe you’re the “isang episode na lang talaga” in a world full of “mag-aaral na talaga ako.” Either way, you go along with what you feel like doing at the moment instead of committing to a plan. People call it procrastination, you call it spontaneity.
Maybe, just maybe, 2020 is the year we finally commit to something. When procrastination hits, try sticking to a to-do list, at least according to this study! Psychology Today reports about a research conducted by Shamarukh Chowdhury which dealt with how one’s usage of to-do lists in the academic setting reflected or influenced various aspects of their personality.
The study found that participants who used their to-do lists reported less procrastination tendencies, but that those who made more formal and detailed lists procrastinated even less and shared a common trait: conscientiousness. Basically, being conscientious means exhibiting goal-directed actions and being deadline-oriented—and as Psychology Today author Timothy A. Pychyl, Ph.D. pointed out, it’s the complete opposite of what procrastination essentially is.
And while it may seem like people who like making to-do lists are the only ones with potential to lessen procrastination tendencies, it’s really all a matter of building habits that complement your personality. Even if you aren’t particularly conscientious, habitually making to-do lists might help you get accustomed to gradually saying goodbye to the unhealthy practice. There’s really no one certain formula that will make us less likely to postpone our tasks and responsibilities, so trying out various techniques and seeing if they fit our own preferences wouldn’t hurt.
