Productivity
How do I stop procrastinating with the BBC method?
Productivity
How do I stop procrastinating with the BBC method?
Productivity
How do I stop procrastinating with the BBC method?
Summary
Procrastination can be the biggest hurdle to overcome when you are struggling to be productive. One way to tackle it is to use the BBC method:
Be clear
Break it down
Cheat yourself
Summary
Procrastination can be the biggest hurdle to overcome when you are struggling to be productive. One way to tackle it is to use the BBC method:
Be clear
Break it down
Cheat yourself
Read this article
2m
Be clear
Procrastination often comes about when you are unsure what you actually need to do to complete a task, so start by asking yourself if this is the case - if it is, how can you resolve this:
read through instructions or an assignment brief
ask a friend
contact a tutor
Break it down
Are you procrastinating because you feel overwhelmed by everything you have to do and don't know where to start? If so, break tasks down until they become achievable, and put them in the order that you need to get them done:
Using a pack of post-it notes, write down all the tasks that you need to complete.
Group the post-its into 3 groups: now, next, last based on what you feel are the most and least important. Don't think too hard about this, you can always move things later.
Take a task from the now pile and see if you can break it down into all the small steps that you need to do
Now, you have the first step that you need to do for the most important task, get it done and move on to the next. When you’ve completed the whole task, grab the next post-it and repeat.
Cheat yourself
Use one or more of the following techniques to get into the right headspace to start working:
Eat the frog: start with the worst task so that all other tasks after that seem much easier by comparison
Quick wins: start with the easiest task so that you feel positive and have made a start, making it easier to then move onto tasks that are more difficult
5-minute rule: plan to spend just 5 minutes on a task - nothing is so bad that you can't do it for 5 minutes, right? After 5 minutes are up, can you go again for another 5 minutes?
Treat yourself: give yourself a longer amount of time to work for and then have a treat waiting to reward you. But be realistic, working for 15 minutes is better than not working at all, so maybe start with that. Then, after the reward, try for 20 minutes.
Picture your future self: think about how you will feel when you have completed the task that you are struggling with. Embrace how good that is going to feel and use that positivity to help motivate you to get going.
Read this article
2m
Be clear
Procrastination often comes about when you are unsure what you actually need to do to complete a task, so start by asking yourself if this is the case - if it is, how can you resolve this:
read through instructions or an assignment brief
ask a friend
contact a tutor
Break it down
Are you procrastinating because you feel overwhelmed by everything you have to do and don't know where to start? If so, break tasks down until they become achievable, and put them in the order that you need to get them done:
Using a pack of post-it notes, write down all the tasks that you need to complete.
Group the post-its into 3 groups: now, next, last based on what you feel are the most and least important. Don't think too hard about this, you can always move things later.
Take a task from the now pile and see if you can break it down into all the small steps that you need to do
Now, you have the first step that you need to do for the most important task, get it done and move on to the next. When you’ve completed the whole task, grab the next post-it and repeat.
Cheat yourself
Use one or more of the following techniques to get into the right headspace to start working:
Eat the frog: start with the worst task so that all other tasks after that seem much easier by comparison
Quick wins: start with the easiest task so that you feel positive and have made a start, making it easier to then move onto tasks that are more difficult
5-minute rule: plan to spend just 5 minutes on a task - nothing is so bad that you can't do it for 5 minutes, right? After 5 minutes are up, can you go again for another 5 minutes?
Treat yourself: give yourself a longer amount of time to work for and then have a treat waiting to reward you. But be realistic, working for 15 minutes is better than not working at all, so maybe start with that. Then, after the reward, try for 20 minutes.
Picture your future self: think about how you will feel when you have completed the task that you are struggling with. Embrace how good that is going to feel and use that positivity to help motivate you to get going.
Written by Tim Jones
Written by Tim Jones
0:00/1:34
Summary
Procrastination can be the biggest hurdle to overcome when you are struggling to be productive. One way to tackle it is to use the BBC method:
Be clear
Break it down
Cheat yourself
Read this article
Procrastination can be the biggest hurdle to overcome when you are struggling to be productive. One way to tackle it is to use the BBC method:
Be clear
Break it down
Cheat yourself
Be clear
Procrastination often comes about when you are unsure what you actually need to do to complete a task, so start by asking yourself if this is the case - if it is, how can you resolve this:
read through instructions or an assignment brief
ask a friend
contact a tutor
Break it down
Are you procrastinating because you feel overwhelmed by everything you have to do and don't know where to start? If so, break tasks down until they become achievable, and put them in the order that you need to get them done:
Using a pack of post-it notes, write down all the tasks that you need to complete.
Group the post-its into 3 groups: now, next, last based on what you feel are the most and least important. Don't think too hard about this, you can always move things later.
Take a task from the now pile and see if you can break it down into all the small steps that you need to do
Now, you have the first step that you need to do for the most important task, get it done and move on to the next. When you’ve completed the whole task, grab the next post-it and repeat.
Cheat yourself
Use one or more of the following techniques to get into the right headspace to start working:
Eat the frog: start with the worst task so that all other tasks after that seem much easier by comparison
Quick wins: start with the easiest task so that you feel positive and have made a start, making it easier to then move onto tasks that are more difficult
5-minute rule: plan to spend just 5 minutes on a task - nothing is so bad that you can't do it for 5 minutes, right? After 5 minutes are up, can you go again for another 5 minutes?
Treat yourself: give yourself a longer amount of time to work for and then have a treat waiting to reward you. But be realistic, working for 15 minutes is better than not working at all, so maybe start with that. Then, after the reward, try for 20 minutes.
Picture your future self: think about how you will feel when you have completed the task that you are struggling with. Embrace how good that is going to feel and use that positivity to help motivate you to get going.
Written by Tim Jones
Prior to co-founding Booost Education, Tim previously worked with neurodivergent and disabled students at various universities and trained as an assistive technology consultant with AbilityNet.
Written by Tim Jones
Prior to co-founding Booost Education, Tim previously worked with neurodivergent and disabled students at various universities and trained as an assistive technology consultant with AbilityNet.