Natalie

January 18, 2023 | Read time: 6 min

Beating the Procrastination Demon: How to write that thesis

Procrastination refers to the act of delaying or postponing tasks or actions, often to the point of experiencing negative consequences. It is a common behavior that can result from a variety of factors, including lack of motivation, fear of failure, and poor time management skills. Procrastination can take many forms, such as engaging in distractions, constantly checking social media or email, or simply avoiding tasks altogether. It can lead to decreased productivity, increased stress, and missed deadlines, negatively impacting one's personal and professional life. Understanding the underlying causes of procrastination and developing effective strategies can be vital to achieving success and reaching goals.

It’s not uncommon for students to procrastinate. In fact, as many as 90% admit to doing it. A Google search for “I can’t write my thesis,” “thesis writer’s block,” or “how to stop procrastinating” returns scores of social media threads of desperate students asking if it’s possible to write 80 pages in a month or a week.

So to understand how to avoid procrastinating, it’s key to understand why we do it in the first place. Because while, of course, the newest show on Netflix or another weekend of drinking Marg towers with friends sounds more fun than writing your dissertation, procrastination brings a feeling of guilt and dread. It’s hard to fully enjoy yourself when your thesis hangs over your head like a sword of Damocles.

So why do we procrastinate, and how can we stop?

Why Do We Procrastinate?

There are many reasons people procrastinate, but for students, the two main causes are fear of failure and waiting to be motivated. Many people who fear failure are actually perfectionists. Some signs you might be a perfectionist include:

You can’t start a task until you are sure you can execute it flawlessly
You take much longer than usual to complete a task
You focus on the final product instead of the process of creating it
You don’t consider a task finished until it’s perfect in your eyes

Fear of failure can make it impossible to begin a task. If you don’t try, you can’t fail. Right? So instead of just getting started and writing a less-than-perfect thesis, many perfectionists find reasons to delay starting it. This fear causes perfectionism-induced procrastination, and it’s one reason many struggles with dissertation writing.

But perfectionism isn’t the only reason we procrastinate. It’s also easy to overestimate how motivated you will feel later. Maybe right now you are tired, hungry, or have other things to do, but you’re sure that tomorrow you’ll feel like writing that paper! You will not. You will find another reason not to write. Writing, especially a thesis, takes practice and should be done regularly, no matter how you feel. If you wait to feel inspired, you might never start writing.

Overcoming Procrastination

So how do you overcome the desire to procrastinate? The drive behind your procrastination will slightly impact what techniques work best for you, but here are several that work pretty well regardless of why you’re finding it impossible to sit down at the computer and start writing.

Minimize Distractions

Distractions come in many forms, as any procrastinator knows. By minimizing your distractions, you can make it easier to focus. For example, some people find it easier to concentrate at home, while others prefer the library or cafe.

Figure out what works for you and carve out a regular period each day to go there and work. To avoid online distractions that are present no matter where you work, consider temporarily blocking the websites most likely to distract you (social media, blogs, news, etc.)

Similarly, leave your phone in another room while you work, or turn it on silent and place it face down where you can’t see it.

Break It Down

A significant driver of procrastination is the feeling that a task is simply insurmountable. However, b breaking down your thesis into small steps, you can make each part of writing into an achievable daily goal.

Make a schedule for yourself, then follow that as strictly as you can. Your calendar shouldn’t just say, “work on the thesis.” Instead, break it down into manageable chunks like “write three pages of the literature review” or “create two data tables for the methods section.” Then, just focus on the task you’ve been assigned today, and feel free to stop working for the day when you finish.

Use Productivity and Writing Tools

Productivity tools are very popular— because many struggle with time management, not just thesis writers! A timer system like Kanban or Pomodoro blocks out time segments to be productive and then schedules breaks.

Source management products like Endnote are also helpful for students who need assistance organizing their research and sources. Finally, AI grammar checkers and online editing services can offer a shortcut for improved writing and fast editing when you don’t have the time or energy to expend.

Get Feedback

Obviously, your advisor will provide you with feedback periodically, but it can help you move forward when you’re stuck on getting another pair of eyes on your work. You can ask a peer or colleague to review some of your work to hear some feedback and get a fresh perspective.

You can also use an editing service that provides substantive editing to see what suggestions they have for your work. Specialized academic editing services for thesis writing are particularly useful for this type of feedback. Online forums and social media can be another good way to find like-minded students researching and working on a dissertation. You can commiserate and share ideas.

Don’t Let Your Thesis Take Over Your Life

One of the most impactful things my (very frustrated) advisor said to me as I sat in his office for the thirtieth time, giving an excuse for why I didn’t have a draft, was, “this isn’t actually that important.” Honestly, I went home and cried after he said that to me.

I was spending hours researching and thousands of dollars a semester on tuition. So how could my thesis, the culmination of all of these efforts, be insignificant? But after I dried my tears, I realized what he meant.

A thesis is just a paper; you’ll probably write others, and the world will go on regardless. Two weeks later, I finally handed in my first draft. His words were the reality check I needed to get over the hump of perfectionism-induced procrastination.

Regardless of your technique, remember that you’re not alone in struggling to start, write, or finish your dissertation. Writing a thesis is a monumental task, which is one reason students must complete it in the first place to prove they have acquired the skills to succeed at a higher level. But others have done it, I did it, and so can you!