6 tricks to avoid procrastination when preparing oppositions

The period of study of oppositions is a long-distance race in which we test our abilities of study, memory and concentration, but at times it may be difficult for us to maintain a work rhythm constant.

Procrastination, that is, the habit of postponing a certain job or task that we must finish, is one of the main enemies in the study of oppositions, but luckily we can make use of a series of tricks and strategies to avoid it.

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How to avoid procrastination in the preparation of oppositions?

The project of adequately preparing for oppositions requires people to manage time very well, as well as stress and the ability to concentrate. Therefore, it is important to keep procrastination at bay and not let it ruin a job of several months or even years.

If you have started studying or are planning to do so in order to apply for a place in the public system, read on. Here I explain The main tricks to avoid procrastination in the preparation of oppositions.

1. Set short-term goals

Setting short-term goals while we study the various opposition issues will help us to have a greater clarity in our work and will offer us a motivating and immediate horizon to reach (and that will not be too abstract or distant).

These short-term objectives can be carried out within the same topic or in the different sections. What can we find in it. For example, setting ourselves the challenge of studying 1 or 2 topics in a day or studying a specific section in a certain time.

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2. Set priorities

As in any job or study of any kind, having clear priorities is essential to achieve success in the task we are carrying out, with the aim of not wasting time with less important tasks.

Being clear about which sections are important in the same topic is the key to achieving success in the oppositions that we are studying and we can learn this through the help of a trainer or an academy specialized in the preparation of oppositions.

A professional specialized in the study of oppositions will help us to know which topics and sections are most important and will allow us to train said contents in specialized tests for this purpose.

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3. Set a very clear schedule

In addition to managing time through the use of strategies adapted to our needs, we must also establish a fixed schedule throughout the weekfrom the time we get up until the time we go to bed.

This means having the same times to wake up and go to bed during the week and do our study every day, preferably at the same time. hour if possible, to acquire a rhythm of study that helps us to internalize and mechanize the daily periods that we dedicate to the study of the opposition.

This schedule must also include the blocks of time dedicated to rest and leisure. In addition, it is recommended that breaks to rest are frequent; more or less one cut every 40 or 45 minutes.

4. Combat perfectionism through set goals

Another of the most common causes of procrastination is the perfectionism that some people have, which makes them waste a lot of time studying the same subject by believing that they do not know it perfectly.

Perfectionism can be combated by using the goals set in the short or medium term and valuing more the impact that the study of a certain subject has than the perfection in the knowledge of said theme. In addition, putting yourself to the test every day, through small self-created tests, will help us become familiar with the experience of not knowing everything perfectly, and lose the fear to face it in a constructive way.

This means that, instead of obsessing over the perfect learning of a certain topic or section, we must better value the fact of having studied it and of being able to continue studying the topics following.

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5. Implement time management strategies

There are many time management strategies used by professionals in all types of jobs that allow us to manage time more efficiently and help us overcome the procrastination

Some of the most common are the Pomodoro Technique, consisting of alternating work sessions with rest periods, or Time Blocking, which allows the student plan the whole week and be clear about what to do at each moment by establishing blocks of work.

In addition to that, we can also make use of the time management modalities that best suit us when studying and that provide us with the best results.

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6. Capture all tasks as a whole

Capturing tasks globally means have a complete conception of all the work that we have pending, that is, of all the topics studied and to be studied, both in our heads and in writing.

This will allow us to have a better organization while we study the oppositions, and will help us to always keep in mind the progress we have made and when we still have to do, what we It will serve as motivation and to avoid having a diffuse vision of what remains to be done (since the latter is usually very intimidating and makes us fall into avoiding our responsibilities).

Do you want to have psychological assistance to prepare for oppositions?

If you are looking for psychological assistance services before a professional project or preparation for oppositions, I invite you to contact me.

My name is Thomas Saint Cecilia and I am a psychologist specialized in cognitive-behavioral psychology; I attend adults, adolescents and business teams in my office in Madrid or online.