⏱️ Time Management & Exam Prep · Lesson 3 of 6

Beating procrastination

Why we delay, the 5-minute start and implementation intentions.

Why we procrastinate

Procrastination is mostly about feelings, not laziness. When a task feels boring, confusing or scary, avoiding it brings quick relief — and the relief trains us to avoid again. The fix is making the start feel smaller and safer.

Tricks that work

The 5-minute start	Promise only 5 minutes. Starting is the hardest part; most people keep going
Tiny first step	Not “write paper” but “open the doc and write 3 bullet points”
If–then plans	“If it’s 2 pm Tuesday, then I go to the library and outline the essay”
Remove friction	Phone away, materials ready the night before
Accountability	Study with a friend, tell someone your deadline, join a study group

Perfectionism

Waiting for the perfect first sentence is procrastination in disguise. Write a bad first draft on purpose — you can’t edit a blank page.

Be kind to yourself

Research suggests students who forgive themselves for procrastinating on one exam procrastinate less on the next. Guilt makes the task feel worse; a fresh plan makes it feel doable.

Tip

💡 Ask yourself: “What is the smallest next step?” Then do only that.

✏️ Practice: your turn

Pick a task you are avoiding and do just 5 minutes
Write two if–then plans for this week
Set up your workspace the night before
Find one accountability partner

✏️ Study planner: your exam dates in, a day-by-day plan out

🧠 Quick quiz

Answer all 4 questions correctly to mark this lesson as done.

1. Procrastination is mostly about…

2. What is an implementation intention?

3. A good tiny first step for a paper is…

4. After procrastinating, what helps most next time?

0 of 4 correct

🐢 Beating procrastination