Change Process of Stop Procrastinating

Assignment #5 Final Self Reflection Paper

Fixing My Habit of Procrastinating

Rehman Lalji

April 1st, 2020

BADM 466

Laurie Prang

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Change Process of Stop Procrastinating

Since I was in high school, I was a person who would have trouble handing assignments

on time, did poorly on exams and had trouble studying for classes. I was a kid still so didn’t care

about making a change. I did put effort in high school, but I could have put more effort and

gotten better grades. I carried this habit on to University. My first year at Capilano University

was September 2015. For the first two years I only took three classes because I was working full

time. I still remember my first semester where I got two Fs and a C-. The reason I got these

grades is because I didn’t study for my midterms and left assignments to last minute, so marks

fell. I realized when I saw those grades that I have to change my studying habit. I told myself I

have to stop procrastinating. University isn’t the same as high school, I can’t get away by just

studying for a day or so. Classes are much harder in university, especially when I’m in

accounting concertation. So, I knew I had to change myself, the way I take school.

In my second semester at Capilano University I took the same classes again, I did pass

the courses with an average of around 65%. I wasn’t that happy though, because I re-took the

courses and got about the same grades, and I did not change the way I study, so that’s why I got

low grades. I would always put everything else over school stuff. My university years kept going

and my habit was the same, never changed I was still procrastinating. I was passing the courses,

but my average was about 60%-75% and I was happy with those grades. So, I didn’t bother

changing myself, but I knew I had to at some point. I knew I will come to a point where I will hit

“rock bottom” meaning at the end of the line, where procrastinating won’t work anymore. So, I

entered my fourth year and I saw it was getting harder, more assignments were given, they were

pretty long, and I knew it’s not possible to finish the assignments and studying for exams in few

days. But I still tried to finish it in two days, and it didn’t go well. I still passed the class

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however, I told myself, maybe it was just that one class, but again I was wrong. All fourth-year

classes are much harder and require much more work, so I knew it was time for me to make a

change.

Starting the 2020 semester I planned to change the way I take school. I told myself I will

study harder and work harder. When I went to my first BADM 466 class I was told, I will have

to do a reflective journal for one of my assignments. For this assignment I had to make a change

something important in my life. So, my project I decided to change myself from procrastinating

on school stuff. I first had to write five different memos. I had to write a memo after every 2-3

weeks. In these memos I had to answer questions regarding on the change. In each memo I had

to do a reflective journal on the change process. For example, what steps I am doing to help me

change my habit, are these steps working, do I have to change any of these steps, and did I ask

for additional help. I am going to go over each memo briefly what steps and actions I took to

change myself from procrastinating.

Memo #1 was written on January 30th, 2020. The first memo was mentioning

what change I am going to work on, pretty much choosing a topic. On memo #1 I wrote that I

was not doing well in school, because I was getting distracted with other non-important things

and I was going to study for four to five hours a day. While studying for the four to five hours I

was going to put away my cellphone and use my laptop for assignments only. Then I mentioned

the benefits that by changing this habit I will be able to do better in school, hand in assignments

on time and study few weeks before exams. Lastly, I mentioned that I will probably have think

of other ways because knowing my self just putting my cellphone won’t be enough. Memo #2

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was written on February 14th, 2020. On the second memo I wrote about how I did for the first

two weeks. I mentioned that I wrote on memo #1 that I would study for four to five hours a day

but ended up studying for two hours. It had been two weeks since starting the change process,

but I was still falling behind in assignments. So, I knew I had to do something about it so I

decided to listen to music while studying to see if I can study longer. The foundation education

website mentions that music helps with mood and memorization ("Does music help study?",

2019). I was going to try that for the next few weeks and see if that helps me. I also mentioned

that I was going to read my notes and assignments while I commute to school. This way I am up

to date with all my assignments. I would also take mental health break in this way I would be

able to study longer. Memo #3 was written on March 5 th, 2020. On the third memo I wrote that

the change process was going well, I was able to study for 2-3 hours more than before, however I

am still not able to put my phone away while studying. Also, while taking health breaks I would

take long breaks, more then I tended to take. By memo #3 I realized that maybe I am a

procrastinator, I can’t change who I am, however I didn’t give up for the next few weeks I was

going to make a time frame that I am going to study 1pm-4pm at school and then 8pm-10pm

after school before the gym, so I would have no excuses not to study. While studying from 8pm-

10pm I was going to leave my phone in a different room, so I wouldn’t get distracted while

studying. If I never did this assignment, I would have never taken the initiative to make the

change. I was planning to make this change for a while but never happened till this semester.

Memo #4 was written on March 16th, 2020. On the fourth memo I wrote that after 2 months of

the change process I have been getting better in handing assignments on time, however I am still

behind on some assignments. My cellphone is still a distraction to me, I can’t stop using it for an

hour. That’s how addicted I am to my cellphone. I mentioned on Memo #4 that There was a

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research done by Harvard University that technology is a student distraction. The technology is

causing students grades, they can’t stay away from their phones even during class time, so more

professors are changing the rules about overall technology use in classrooms. Some profs are

increasing marks on assignments, so students focus more in class to get higher grades

("Technology and Student Distraction"). Then at the end of memo #4 I just mentioned that I

would focus more and finish off rest of the assignments for BADM 466 class and my BADM

469 class. Since it was my second memo, so I wanted to try harder changing my habit. So, I

planned to turn off my cellphone before studying and I would take a health break when I am

60%-70% done studying. My last memo #5 was written on March 26, 2020. On memo #5 I was

given a list of questions to answer regarding my reflective journal. I am going to briefly over

them. First question was: why did I choose this incident? I choose this assignment because I am a

procrastinator, I tend to do assignments and study for exams few days before the deadline.

Second question was: what is significant about it for you? I said its significant because I wanted

to stop procrastinating and get higher grades, in order to get higher grades, I would have to study

harder without barriers. Third question was: who or what holds power? I said I only hold the

power to make the change. It takes time, but if I am consistent with it, the change will happen. I

will be able to change my habit. Fourth question was: what did I feel at different points? I

consider each memo a different point. I felt each memo I wrote the change process got better and

better, however It’s still an on-going process. The hardest thing from all the points was not using

my cellphone while studying, fifth question was: why do you think you felt this way? I felt this

way, because I wasn’t doing well in school, so I had to change my habit of procrastinating. I felt

bad every time I got a bad mark; however, I didn’t deserve a higher mark due to not putting the

effort. These five memos summarized my entire change process and still ongoing.

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When I was working on the change process, about a few months in the change process in,

I did Kotter’s 8 step change model to guide me with the process. Kotter’s 8 step change model

guided me with the change process gave me more a clear vision about my process. I am going to

go over each step in Kotter’s 8 step change model how it guided me with the change process.

First step is creating an urgency, I created an urgency because I knew the change was necessary.

Not just for the assignment but for the rest of my life. Step two is form a powerful coalition, I

knew the change was necessary, so I convinced myself that I have to take initiative of making the

change. Third step is creating a vision of change. The vision I created was, I put everything aside

and start studying earlier for my exams and start on assignments few weeks before the deadline.

Step four is creating communication. I did not really communicate the vision. Besides the weekly

reflective journal that I posted on eLearn that my BADM 466 professor read. I also kept telling

myself that I have to start the process of the change and kept reminding myself about my vision.

Step five is removing barriers and obstacles. The barriers and obstacles I had to face was the

gym, laptop, cellphone, Netflix, friends and etc. I always had put everything over school, so it

was hard for me to make the change. So, during the first month or so I will still in the process of

making the change, putting everything away for few hours while I study. Step six is creating

short-term wins. From every memo I had one goal, that was studying for around 3-5 a day and

putting away my cellphone and laptop while I study. But I would use the laptop if I needed it for

studying. Step seven was building on the change. I was building on the change for about 2 -3

months. It was an ongoing process, kept making changes every few weeks or so. By making

these changes it would help in the process of making the change and me reaching short-term

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wins. Step eight is anchor the changes. I wrote about my change process every week or so, I

would do a self-reflective journal how the change process is going. In each self-reflective journal

I would right one positive thing about the process, that would be my motivation if keep going.

Negative feedback can cause de-motivation. There was an article written by J.Lewis a researcher

mentioning that negative feedback causes negative behavior and decreases motivation (Lewis,

2017). I did not want to decrease my motivation or behaviour towards the process, so I kept more

than half of the reflection positive. Only negative parts were the things I have to work on for the

next few weeks. Kotter’s 8 step change model really guided me with the change process, I was

able to make the change more effectively and efficiently. It was important for me to go through

each of Kotter’s 8 step change model to guide me through my change process.

In conclusion I would say I learnt a lot about myself by doing this change process. From

this project I found out that I am procrastinator, I am still trying to change myself, after this

project I am going to keep going with this change process. Near the fourth or fifth memo I got

better with handing in my assignments on time and studied more, however I still use my phone

while studying. This is one thing I am still going continue working on that. This is not something

I can change right away it is going to take time. From each memo I learnt a lot I was able to

challenge myself after every memo, to push myself more to take serious steps in order for to

change my habit. I liked that I pushed myself, I already see improvement in my habit, just have

to keep it going. Kotter’s 8 step change model showed me more of a clear change process, it

helped me out while writing the memos also. If I haven’t been given this assignment, I would

never have started to change this procrastinating habit. Everything I learnt from this project I am

going to continue doing it to help me out with the rest of my school year and rest of my life.

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References:

Does music help study? (2019, July 9). Retrieved from

Lewis, J. (2017, November 21). How Negative Feedback Affects Employees. Retrieved
from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-feedback-affects-employees-26262.html

Michele, Yolande, Mind Tools Content Team, Mind Tools Content Team, & Mind Tools
Content Team. (n.d.). Kotter's 8-Step Change Model: Implementing Change Powerfully and
Successfully. Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htm

Technology and Student Distraction. (n.d.). Retrieved from