How to Start an Assignment

Restructuring Your Assignment

Tackle the most enjoyable parts first. Look over your assignment and discover the steps it will require you to take in order to complete it. Find the most appealing and personally interesting steps and work on those first. By doing the parts of your assignment that you like the most, you will be more inclined to get started and see the rewards of working rather than procrastinating. For example, you might research areas of a report that you find most interesting before moving on to other areas. If your math assignment has different types of questions, try doing those that you enjoy the most before moving on to the others. You might also try tackling smaller or easier tasks first so you can cross a few items off your list. Seeing that you've already made progress may help you feel motivated to continue.

Start working for five minutes. The biggest challenge in overcoming procrastination is often taking the first step. To help you get started make it a goal to start working and only work for five minutes. Doing this will help you take the first and most difficult step, allowing you to build momentum and view the assignment as a much easier task than you may have originally thought. Promise yourself that you will meet your goal of working for five minutes on the assignment. Once you get started, you may find that you don't want to stop working. Otherwise, you can take a break and come back to the assignment, knowing you're at least five minutes closer to finishing than you were before.

Break up your time. Looking at your assignment as one large task can make it seem more intimidating. The same thing occurs when you look at the time it will take as one solid block. Instead, try breaking your work up into manageable blocks that seem more easy to tackle. Try to set reasonable periods of time that you know you can meet. For example, you might set aside two hours on a Friday to dedicate to your assignment. If you don't have that much time all at once, try to carve out a few 20- or 30-minute blocks. You may or may not wish to continue working after your time limit has gone by. Have a realistic understanding of how fast you can write and plan your schedule accordingly.

Get started. Again, just getting started can often be the most difficult part of the process, but you can't get anything done until you sit down and do it. So stop cleaning, stop emailing, stop making lists, stop worrying or thinking about the assignment or feeling bad that you haven't gotten started. Just start working on it. Now.

Be sure you understand your assignment. To successfully restructure your assignment, you should fully read and understand it. While it might seem simple, properly understanding your assignment will allow you to effectively break the assignment down and meet it's requirements. It can also be an easy step to get you started on your assignment and overcome procrastination. It can help to read the assignment as soon as you get it and then ask any questions you might have. If you're not sure if you understand the assignment, try rewriting it in your own words or explaining it to someone else. If you find you can't or have a lot of questions, you may need more information. You should have an overview of the assignment, understand the main task, and understand the technical and stylistic requirements. Look for important words in the instructions to understand the assignment. These words might include define, explain, compare, relate, or prove. Keep your audience in mind and write a paper that would best deliver information to them.

Make sure your goals are manageable. Most assignments can seem like a lot of work when viewed as a whole. Viewing your assignment in this way can make it seem daunting and difficult to complete, resulting in procrastination. Try breaking the assignment down into smaller goals that you know you can achieve to make it seem more manageable right now. Goals that are too big or not well defined can be difficult to start working towards. Smaller and well defined goals can seem easier to achieve than larger ones. For example, you could break a research paper down into several smaller tasks: 1) do preliminary research, 2) write an outline, 3) draft an introduction, 4) draft body paragraphs, 5) write conclusion, 6) revise. Each of these is much more do-able on its own.

Changing Your Focus

Change your mood. Bad moods tend to make procrastination seem much more appealing. Procrastinating seems to offer an escape from the work that will likely only make your mood worse. Instead, set positive rewards for yourself to look forward to after you have done your work. You might want to go for a quick walk after working for a set amount of time. Try reading a website or book that you enjoy for a few minutes after working. Alternatively, try a quick burst of exercise before setting to work. Exercise releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins and can also help boost your memory.

Stay positive. Procrastinating often results when the focus is on how negative the assignment seems. This negative focus causes us to avoid it, delaying the perceived discomfort and doing something we enjoy instead. It can be useful to focus on the positive aspects of getting your assignment done to make it seem like the more appealing option. Instead of dreading your work, focus on how good it will feel to make progress. You won't have it hanging over your head. You can actually enjoy the weekend instead of feeling guilty. Keeping your eye on long-term rewards can help you stay motivated to finish your assignment.

Avoid procrastination while working. Even though you may have started your assignment it is still possible to procrastinate while working on it. Pay careful attention to how you are working on your assignment and avoid some of the following examples of procrastination: Avoid moving your workspace constantly. Don't get lost on tangential research. Don't take constant breaks to get a snack.

Create some consequences for procrastination. Procrastinating focuses your attention on short-term rewards while neglecting the long-term consequences of putting off your assignment. Creating some immediate consequences for yourself can help you focus on the immediate benefits of starting your assignment.. For every hour you waste procrastinating, you can limit how much television you watch that night. If you waste too much time procrastinating, you might deny yourself a favorite snack later on.

Don't worry about perfection. When you are setting out to start your assignment you needn't worry about a perfect first draft. Producing a perfect assignment on the first draft can make the assignment feel more overwhelming than it needs to be. The goal when starting your assignment is to simply begin the process. You can always come back later on after you begin and refine your assignment.