Below are some tips to put strategies to work to AVOID AVOIDANCE and PROCRASTINATION.
1. Prioritize work before play.
2. Develop a priority hierarchy.
3. Trick the brain.Have children (or adults) turn “HAVE TOs” into “GET TOs.”
4. Break BIG projects into smaller, more manageable tasks.
5. Help your child make a checklist.
6. Organization is KEY! We are much more likely to put things off if we lack the supplies or materials necessary for the work. Teach and model how to prepare for a task by thinking about everything they need to get the job done!
7. Use the 2-minute rule – any task that takes two minutes or less to complete should be done right away.
8. Be a role model. Procrastination is a learned behavior.
Julia Cook’s book ThePROcrastinator tackles these types of challenges. Once again “Noodle” is facing the realities of childhood. In PROcrastinator, Noodle learns the importance of doing things right when his mother (and teacher) asks him to do them, rather than putting them off until later. This title is part of the Responsible Me series from Boys Town Press. For more info, go to www.juliacookonline.com.