Beating procrastination
Don’t think that the irony is lost on me that it’s taken 11 days for me to get around to writing the promised blog entry on beating procrastination. I haven’t really been procrastinating; I’ve just been really busy. (They’re different, right?)
Nearly everyone procrastinates, especially if the task is particularly unpleasant or overwhelming. If you are procrastinating your preparation for the PHR or SPHR exam, here are some suggestions that might help:
- Create a written study schedule. Identify the topics that you need to study and determine how much time you will need to put into each area. Break up the content into manageable chunks so that you don’t become overwhelmed. Be sure to build review and testing periods into your schedule. Also, schedule in some make-up days. If something comes up and you miss a day of study, you can catch up on your make-up day. If you’ve stayed on schedule, you get the day off!
- Calendar it. When you create your schedule, use an actual calendar. You know, the kind with the little squares that each represent a day. Be date-specific in your schedule.
- Make a social commitment. You are more likely to stick to your schedule if others know what you’re doing, and even more so if you are required to report to someone. Studying with a partner or joining a study group are ways to accomplish this. You might also report your progress to your spouse, your children, a friend, a carpool mate, or your parents. Ask those who love and care about you to help you stick to your schedule by not planning other events during your study time. Your loved ones can have an active role in your studies, even if they know nothing about HR. An eight-year-old son, daughter, niece, nephew, or neighbor would get a kick out of quizzing you on flash card terms.
- Reward yourself. Plan rewards for sticking to your study schedule. A little reward each day (a walk, a favorite TV show, a tasty treat), and a bigger reward for completing one of the major functional areas (go out for dinner, order takeout, see a ball game, or have a movie night).
If you have trouble sticking to your schedule, determine if you’ve made your plan too aggressive and revamp it. Ask for more help from family or friends. Adjust the rewards, if necessary.
October 10th, 2007 at 9:48 am
I have not paid to retake the exam yet… I am not sure if it procrastination or fear. I have begun to call on others to form a study group but we have not met yet. Last year my procrastination cost me an extra $50 bucks, I don’t want to afford that again this year. but I have two more days to decide…
I was thinking of taking the test in mid January but then if I delay I would have 5 extra months of study time. It’s just so over whelming… I have all these books, the LS and a rainbow of flash cards
all laid out with my notes and cd’s and tapes and it just looks like a lot of work with like 14 weeks to get it all done.
Any advise for a fearful procrastinator?
October 17th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Ack! I’m too late responding to persuade you to register before the regular deadline. So I didn’t help you save any money, Lakecia. I honestly don’t think it matters much whether you take the exam this go around or the next. What matters is that you’re willing to commit yourself to the necessary preparation. Plunking the money down is a way of saying (both to yourself and to the world), “Yes, I’m doing this. I’m going to set aside the time—come heck or high water—to study for the exam.”
I always take the exam in May. The fall is when we are working on updating the HRCP Program for the new year. Then fall slides into the holidays. There is just too much going on for me to worry about studying for the SPHR exam. Others find the holiday break a great time to study, so you’ve got to decide what works best for you.
October 31st, 2007 at 6:13 am
I have decided that I will test in May. Just like you! I have formed a new study group here locally. (You may recall my last study group was an hour away in Va. Beach.) We meet each week on Tuesdays at my office. It is soooo perfect. We all intend to take the test in May/ June. You know what was so cool, one of the women in the study group just bought your leanring system!!! I told her I had the pleasure of meeting you in Vegas…she loves the system. Her name is Rosemary O’Steen. I have encouraged others to get your system and told them to read your blog too!!I will give you direct feedback on what they have to say about it. I am using a 2006 SHRM LS that a friend loaned me. I will tell you what I think about the differences if there are any. Perhaps this information can be useful to you. Anyway, all the best. Lakecia King