See how you can avoid procrastination and meet deadlines with confidence
Have you ever delayed working on a project because it felt like too much?
It can be overwhelming thinking about everything you need to do. Instead, focusing on one part at a time can help you break down a project.
These three stages of the creative process can help you separate your work into smaller pieces that feel more manageable.
1. The planning stage
First, review the rubric for the assignment and plan how you will meet the requirements. This will help you avoid redoing work later.
Then, divide your project into smaller pieces. Writing an essay, for example, might include brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and revising.
Next, make a timeline for when you expect to work on each small part of the project. Do your best to plan lighter amounts of coursework on your busiest days.
Your schedule for completing an essay might be:
Monday: brainstorm
Tuesday: start outline (lighter schoolwork day because of family gathering)
Wednesday: finish outline
Thursday: draft
Friday: revise
Saturday: submit
Working on smaller pieces of your project over time can help you reach your deadline with confidence!
2. The working stage
This is when the creative work happens! Do your best to follow the plan you made in step one, but you can always change it if needed.
Once you have a first draft of your project, revise the most important parts first. For an essay, this means making sure the main idea and supporting points are strong before reworking a sentence or checking grammar.
Consider using your resources — books, videos, mentors — they can be especially helpful if you feel stuck!
For Ambroise Ntambue from Kenya, the students in his gathering are a great resource. “We are friends,” he said. “When I have questions, I can contact them and get responses.”
3. The reflecting stage
After you finish the project, reflect on your process. Even just a few minutes of reflection can help you improve how you plan and complete your next project.
Questions to ponder:
If I did the project again, what would I do the same?
What would I do differently?
What resources were most helpful to me?
Involve God in every stage
Most importantly, seek to involve God in each stage of your project — He will help you reach your goals.
BYU-Pathway Worldwide student Lavinia Lavaka Taufa from Tonga felt prompted to study information technology. “At first, I rejected the idea because it seemed too hard,” she said. “The next day I went to the temple and prayed.
Sometimes you may feel similar to Lavinia when working on a project, but when you seek God in every step, He can help you finish any project.
Does going back to school feel like an enormous task? Break it down and take the first step by opening the application today.