by Joanne Chang (Founder of Owl Academy)
Let's admit it. Not only do children procrastinate and put off work, but adults do too. The effects of procrastination are insidious and what might have been a 3-hour task stretches across days and possibly even across weeks. All this while, the unfinished task weighs heavily on our minds. We feel an underlying sense of anxiety which inevitably affects our mood and performance in other areas of our lives, including relationships.
In order to help our children overcome procrastination and become more productive, we have to master the procrastination beast ourselves. That is the most effective way to teach - by modelling desirable behaviour.
Who is the panic monster?
Tim Urban has come up with a humorous yet unbelievably accurate take on why procrastinators procrastinate. You can read about the panic monster here or watch his TED Talk video.
Does multi-tasking work?
Once panic strikes, we may fall into the trap of doing multiple things at once in a desperate bid to clear our terrifying work backlog. However, are we truly accomplishing more in the same amount of time? I used to think so but then I did an exercise in this enlightening video. Try it! It's eye-opening and fun!
So...how do we stop procrastinating?
This video shares some helpful tips.
