Jack
Jack, 11th grader struggling with chronic procrastination,
missing assignments, and deteriorating grades
Introduction
Jack is a bright student who earned good grades throughout middle school without spending too much effort. However, procrastination from video gaming and YouTube, along with the increased demands of more challenging courses in high school, finally caught up with him. John could not curb his use of distracting technology, and his self-esteem and confidence took a tumble as he couldn’t control the downward spiral of his grades. Being strong-willed, Jack did not like to be told what to do, and his mother’s efforts to restrict his gaming only exacerbated the nightly battles around homework that took a toll on the entire family.
Problem
Poor Self-Regulation
His lack of structure with schoolwork further enabled procrastination as Jack constantly told himself he would do his work later. Unfortunately, later would never come, and the number of missing assignments only grew larger.
Missing Assignments
On days that Jack did schoolwork, he usually started late, disrupting his sleep schedule and creating other avoidable issues.
Reactive Mindset
Ultimately, Jack’s reactive approach to academics caused him to feel high levels of anxiety as he frequently thought about his missing assignments and the overwhelming amount of work he needed to make up.
Negative Self-talk
Jack’s anxiety with missing assignments was made much worse by his negative self-talk that he would never get accepted to a good university.
Solution
his inability to manage his procrastination.
Create Structure
Jack and his coach immediately set out to create structure and routines around doing schoolwork. It includes specific start times for when he would start doing schoolwork as well as alarms that would prompt Jack when it was time to get started.
Avoid Distractions
Another layer of structure to help Jack stay on task was using timers to regulate the length of breaks. To minimize distracting technology, Jack’s coach recommended using Internet restriction software that only Jack could activate.
Action Plan
Jack also began using a daily action plan containing the tasks he agreed to complete and the specific days he agreed to complete them. Jack would then check off on his progress toward completing his tasks in the action plan on a daily basis.
Accountability
Using the action plan created multiple layers of accountability as Jack would hold himself accountable for what he agreed to do and allow Jack’s coach to act as his accountability partner.
“I wanted my son to be college-ready, and I am happy to report that he finished his first semester in college with a 3.8 GPA!”
- Jack’s mother
Benefits
- Jack responded very well to the structure he and his coach created. Having a predetermined start time for when to begin doing schoolwork circumvented his brain’s go-to pattern of thinking, “You have plenty of time; just do it later.”
- The use of a timer during breaks from schoolwork was also very effective, as Jack’s previous “5-minute breaks” would usually turn into 1.5-2 hour gaming sessions. Jack’s chronic procrastination essentially became a non-issue once these 2 strategies were implemented.
- The Internet restriction software Jack used to block himself from distracting websites allowed his brain to remain calm and focused as he did not need to rely on self-regulation to prevent himself from being distracted.
- The action plan Jack used to track the tasks he agreed to do helped to hold himself accountable and kept him motivated as he crossed off completed tasks.
- Jack also responded very well to the accountability partnership his coach provided and appreciated being treated with dignity and respect, particularly when he did not follow through on what he said he would do.
Results
Excellent Grades
In contrast to the semester before working with his coach, where Jack struggled to earn Cs and Bs, he completed his final semester of high school with straight A’s.
Increased Confidence
The long list of missing assignments essentially came to a halt, with only the odd late work showing up on his grade portal occasionally. His confidence in his abilities to succeed had reached a level he could not have imagined before working with his coach.
Reduced Anxiety
Jack’s anxiety, while not completely gone, had reduced to a very manageable level as he had concrete systems and processes in place to ensure he knew every upcoming assignment and had a concise plan for how and when he would complete all of his work.
College Ready
Jack matriculated to a 4-year university, finishing his first semester with a 3.8 GPA.
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