How to avoid Student Syndrome at work, a.k.a technology is fantastic

If you are anything like me, you probably suffer from Student Syndrome every so often. I didn't know that Student Syndrome was real, nor that it is slightly different from procrastination. Yet, it is, at least according to Wikipedia: the phenomenon where people will only start to complete a task at the last possible moment leading up to a deadline. Says Wikipedia, "The student syndrome is a form of procrastination, but with more of a plan with good intention. "

While many direct marketers and advertisers long-ago discovered the effectiveness of deadlines to get customers to act, wouldn't it be great if you could apply this to your own procrastination?

Cue iCal, Outlook, Google Calendar or any other program that let's you create reminders, deadlines, to-do's with due dates, and appointments. If you can get yourself to schedule prompts via an automated system, this can be step one in helping ease the pain of deadlines and binge-working. Here's a good one (thanks to @swissmiss).

I have an unbreakable iCal habit for even the tiniest of reminders (ex. mailing back my Netflix, picking up something at the pharmacy, or returning a phone call). Some people make to-do lists, but I make appointments. With myself. I schedule these all the time (I'll jump out of bed at night to add one) and while my calendar can appear flooded, I'm dependent on these appointments with myself.  My iCal is my virtual assistant who knows me *extremely* well.

Someone once recommended I "O.H.I.O it", an acronym for "only handle it once." Applicable to everything from email to menial items in day-to-day life; deal with each thing right away and only once.  Finally found that missing Scrabble letter under the couch? O.H.I.O it: add it the game box right when you find it, don't leave it on the table to do later. If this sounds simplistic, it's because it is, but it's shown me a glimmer of efficiency from time to time.

In my work I purposefully fake myself out with self-imposed "deadlines" to force me to begin a project, and I add reminders for hard deadlines that start 2 weeks out with regular notifications of "get going on X!" This helps me avoid project denial and keeps reality in my peripheral vision.

If you are responsible for multiple tasks and areas, as any entrepreneur or experienced employee is, it's easy to be swallowed up by the quantity of challenges and all of their required steps. Rather than the thrill of completing something at the last second before the buzzer goes off, working ahead can make the work itself more enjoyable; it's not due tomorrow. When I avoid Student Syndrome, I succeed double-time.

photo: www.illegalart.org