If you are like me, this time of the semester can be challenging to push through to get things done.
Procrastination is common during this time of year when there are multiple deadlines and priorities and we have less energy as a result of working for the past few months.
If you are finding it hard to get things started, done, or even identified, you may be feeling frustrated that you just can't seem to get things to work.
So what are you supposed to do?
Spend some of your valuable time examining why you can't seem to get anything done.
Here are some questions that may help:
Why am I struggling to get work done?
What tasks are particularly hard for me to do right now? What tasks are easy?
How am I feeling right now?
What do I think I could be able to get done in the next hour? Half day? Week?
What do I need right now?
Who in my life can help me when things aren't going the way I want them to?
As you've read before on this blog (and heard on our podcast), I'm always talking about the benefits of task understanding in grad school.
And that is exactly what this is -- when you notice that you are procrastinating, spending time understanding (or attempting to) why you can't get things done is crucial.
Many grad students just skip straight to choosing strategies rather than spending time task understanding.
But, I promise you, spending 10-15 minutes away from your computer/desk/work answering the above questions will help you get there faster.
Next week, I'll write about how I did this process for myself at this point in the semester to help you see what it looks like in action!
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