Procrastination

Procrastination is a deadly curse that affects every person at some point in their lives. Personally, I have tried countless attempts to try and fix this flaw about myself for years and can never seem to find something that has worked for me. This was the major reason for taking this class; to find the motivation to do the work right when it was given, instead of right before it was due. The first lecture on impulsivity and self-control was the perfect way to start of the course because it highlighted the key theory on procrastination, the Temporal Motivation Theory. The Temporal Motivation Theory states as follows:

 

It was the perfect equation to understand exactly when and how a project or paper becomes my first priority and why. In the beginning of the course my expectancy (the chance of an outcome occurring) was high that I would accomplish the course and my value (how rewarding the outcome is) was average. On the bottom, my impulsiveness (the likelihood of you being distracted by instant gratification) was very high because it was summer and I wanted to just have fun. The delay (how long the wait is for the reward) was high, because the end of the course seemed so far away. This made my motivation to do the class in the beginning low.

However, as the days creeped closer to the ending of the course I saw my motivation rise slowly. Then it got even closer and I saw it skyrocket to where it became my first priority. By doing this I realized that my procrastination stems from the belief that I know I can accomplish a set amount of work within a set time frame. However, I also realize like most the amount of stress that accompanies which is why I would like to rid the label of ‘procrastinator.” By understanding Temporal Motivation Theory, I was able to come up with a way to raise my value by adding rewards to tasks that I accomplish, and by lower my impulsiveness by shutting off all my distractions. To reinforce this, I plan on putting my rewards (ten minutes on my phone or watching YouTube, a quick snack, etc.) after I shut off all my distraction and work for a set amount of time. Hopefully, by using the formula I can final shed the label of 'procrastinator.'