Procrastination: What really helps
People who procrastinate, i.e. repeatedly put off tasks, are quickly labelled as lazy. More often, however, they are struggling internally and procrastination is simply an outlet to release a little excessive psychological pressure.
That's what happens to Carla. The 14-year-old is supposed to write a paper for school, but although she is actually hard-working and ambitious, she has been putting it off for weeks. Her guilty conscience and the pressure grow every day. She keeps making a note of «Write a paper!!!» in her diary.
But whenever she starts the laptop and stares at the still blank page, uncertainty and fear wash over her like a wave: «I don't even know where to start!», «How do you even write a paper like this?», «I can't do it!», «The others are probably almost finished!», «Mrs Binz will be so disappointed in me!».
If she does manage to pull herself together to write a paragraph or two, she considers her attempt to be «rubbish» and deletes it again. Everything in Carla's body screams: «Just get out of here!» So she tells herself that «it's no use anyway» and vows to «really get going» at the weekend when she has more time. Then she closes her laptop and is relieved: the anxiety and pressure have eased a little.
In one of our workshops on the topic of «procrastination», Carla learns that she has to face her fear, endure it and deal with it. To do this, she opens her laptop and pays attention to the thoughts that assail her. Instead of avoiding her unpleasant feelings, she writes down everything that goes through her mind. She soon realises that she is becoming a little calmer.
What exactly is the problem?
In the group, she discusses with other students and the course leader which perspectives could help her to find her way into the writing process. In response to the thought «I don't even know how to write a paper like this!» another student replies: «That's obvious, you're doing it for the first time!»
Carla had never thought about it like that before. «What exactly don't you know? And how can you find out?» asks the course instructor. Carla realises that although she knows her topic, she is unsure how to structure her written work.
Carla can finally relax. Her new task is: «Write a really lousy first version!»
She quickly realises that her school's media library contains many examples of other students' work from recent years and that she could copy their tables of contents to see how others have done it before her. More specific questions such as «How do you write an introduction?» can also be answered in this way: she reads three or four other examples and then thinks about which form particularly appeals to her and would suit her own work.
Carla learns that her high standards stand in her way. As long as she immediately dismisses her texts as «rubbish», she paralyses herself. Of course she can strive for a good end result. But it is important to realise that not everything has to be perfect right from the start. In the group course, she learns that many famous writers revise their manuscripts several times and that even Ernest Hemingway once said: «The first draft of everything is shit!» She can finally relax. Her new task is: «Write a really lousy first draft!» This will help her to put a better version on paper.
How to outsmart yourself
People with ADHD or ADD in particular often avoid strenuous and boring tasks. «I'll do it later», they say too often, or «I just need the pressure». At some point, this pattern becomes a problem: at the latest when the tasks become so extensive that the «necessary pressure» comes too late and parents no longer help with structuring or more or less lovingly insist on meeting certain deadlines.
Julian, 19, actually wants to complete his apprenticeship as well as possible. If only he could pull himself together! In the workshop, he jots down thoughts such as «I'm not in the mood at all!», «It's enough if I start tomorrow», «This is so boring!», «I'd much rather be gaming right now».
Only when Julian can use the 45 minutes of learning time sensibly is he allowed to use more time.
The course instructor's first task surprises him: he has to reserve blocks of time for his free time. Even if he hasn't studied the day before, he should keep to these breaks and do something that he really enjoys. His learning time is limited to a maximum of 45 minutes per day. He may shorten it, but not extend it.
«What?! But that's far too little!», he gets angry, even though he has spent barely 20 minutes a day preparing for his final apprenticeship exam in recent weeks. The trainer remains firm: only when he can make good use of these 45 minutes is he allowed to spend more time. «What if I haven't done anything at all on one day? Can I do 90 minutes the next day?» Julian wants to know. No, he can't. But he is allowed to draw up a plan so that he can really make good use of the 45 minutes.
And if he doesn't feel like it at all, he should try the 10-minute trick. He says to himself: «I'm going to study for 10 minutes. When I get in, I'll carry on. And if I still don't like it, I'll stop - then at least I've learnt for 10 minutes!»
Julian is amazed: now that he's only «allowed» to do 45 minutes, he wants to. He is a little annoyed that the coach has forbidden him to do more.
Admission as a first step
Of everyone in the workshop, 24-year-old Louis finds it the hardest to face his feelings and thoughts. He has been studying economics for three years, but his bachelor's degree is still a long way off. He has not yet passed too many tests, and the seminar papers and bachelor's theses are still pending. He keeps talking about all the things he should and ought to be doing - only to end up doing something else.
What exactly? He doesn't even know. The days go by somehow, he surfs on his mobile phone, goes shopping, «chats» with his flatmates. At first he makes jokes about it, describes himself as lazy. But he actually feels like a failure. «Are you interested in the subject?» asks the course instructor. «No.» «Can you imagine working in this field later on?» «No.» «Why are you continuing your studies?» Because he had to do something, had already invested so much and didn't want to look stupid. And anyway, once you've started something, you finish it!
Louis is in a tight spot. He doesn't want to go back. He can't go forwards. His reasons for continuing his studies have no motivating power. They won't be enough to complete the outstanding tests and assignments. By the end of the workshop, Louis doesn't know what to do. Two months later, he writes an email to the course instructor: He had cancelled his studies, finally felt free and had energy again. He liked it better at the university of applied sciences. Social work had not been his parents' first choice, but in the end he had to like it.
