Re: Is there help for procrastination?
Eagle Mum
08/29/26 11:59 PM
My 2E kid has a terrible problem of procrastination. He has good intentions but everything is "later." It hasn't been that big of deal in the past because last minute worked. Now that he has gotten older, the workload at school has greatly increased and the demand on time for all of his extracurriculars has made his procrastination an issue. He understands it's a problem and really wants to stop doing it but he can't. He sets out a reasonable plan but it ends up being all talk and it doesn't happen. He genuinely wants to change but can't seem to enact any changes. Does anyone have any suggestions about how I can help him? We have calendars and written plans but it kind of goes out the window. Appreciate any advice.
It’s a great approach to plan, but for all the reasons Indigo has given, sometimes it’s just too daunting to take the first step to execute a well thought plan. I’d start with low hanging fruit (simple, short tasks), as the sense of achievement from accomplishment is often enough to spur on to the next task.
I often say, tongue in cheek, that my strategy as a busy working parent, is to harness the ‘power of procrastination’. That is, I’ll get half a dozen ‘easy’ tasks done whilst I’m avoiding a task that I really don’t want to tackle and I then ride the ‘high’ that I’m on, from completing all the other tasks, to tackle the task that I procrastinated.
On the more serious side, I think scaffolding by providing actual practical help to start and see tasks through to completion, rather than just planning, is very useful. For example, my son has always been a self-directed learner and has never had any problems with academic tasks (he has a near perfect GPA at Uni and has topped several subjects in his engineering degree), but now in final year of Uni, he is absolutely daunted by the prospect of job seeking and sending applications and I’ve had to stay on the phone with him as he drafts his applications. I’ve absolutely no doubt that he will be a great asset to whichever company he eventually lands in, but, as Indigo has suggested, his fear of failure or making mistakes in his applications is palpable.
