Do it now or do it later??

How Will This Session Help Me Get Ready For Work?

In any job, you will face tasks that feel tricky, boring, or overwhelming. It is easy to put those tasks off until the last minute, but procrastination often leads to panic, mistakes, and missed deadlines. Deciding what needs to be done now and what can wait comes down to self-control. By learning how to spot difficult tasks early, set clear targets, and persist when things get tough, you will build the professional discipline needed to stay on top of your workload and earn the trust of your team.

Questions to get started

  • Think about a time when you put off doing a difficult or boring task until the very last minute. How did it affect your stress levels and the final result?

  • How do you tell the difference between taking a necessary, well-earned break and simply procrastinating on a task you find hard?

  • What helps you keep going when you are working on a job that feels repetitive or confusing?

Focused Virtues

The Focused Virtue for this session is Self-Control.

Self-Control gives us the discipline to tackle difficult tasks head-on, resist distractions, manage our time wisely, and take responsibility for our progress.

Ask Yourself: "Can I grow in self-control to spot challenges early, set clear targets, and keep going through hard or boring tasks without delaying them?"

Master your reactions, own your time, finish what you start.

Skills Development:

Choosing whether to act immediately or leave a task for later takes self-control. Managing your time and workload proactively stops small tasks from turning into overwhelming problems.

First, sense difficulty early. Before jumping into a job or putting it aside, evaluate how hard or time-consuming it might be. Self-control means pausing to spot potential problems early so you can plan the right approach or ask for guidance rather than ignoring the challenge.

Second, be accountable. Self-control involves admitting when you are putting things off, taking responsibility for meeting deadlines, and making sure your team can count on you to do your share of the work without needing constant reminders.

Third, set clear targets. When a task feels too big or confusing, break it down into smaller, manageable goals with specific deadlines. Setting clear, realistic targets gives you a concrete roadmap to follow, making it much easier to focus on one step at a time and avoid procrastination.

Finally, persist through setbacks. Working life involves doing jobs that are repetitive, frustrating, or slow. Self-control helps you push past the urge to give up or switch to easier distractions. Staying focused, taking a deep breath, and persisting until the job is finished builds real mental stamina and professional reliability.

By sensing difficulty early, remaining accountable, setting concrete targets, and persisting through challenges, you show the self-control that keeps your career moving forward.

Interview Practise: Case Studies and Questions

  • "Can you give an example of a time when you had to work on a task that you found boring or difficult? How did you keep yourself motivated to finish it on time?"

  • "How do you break down a large or confusing goal to make sure you meet your deadline without rushing at the last minute?"

Case Study:

Tanya works in an office administration team. She has been given two tasks for her shift: answering urgent customer emails as they arrive, and filing 3 boxes of old paper records, which she finds boring and confusing. Tanya spends her entire morning replying to emails—even non-urgent ones—and constantly checking her phone to avoid starting the filing. By 3 PM, the boxes of paper are even fuller, and her manager asks if it will be done before closing. How can Tanya use self-control to get the job done?

Useful Resources:

https://www.skillsbuilder.uk/universal-framework-steps/teamwork-step-6-being-accountable 

https://www.skillsbuilder.uk/universal-framework-steps/planning-step-1-sensing-difficulty 

https://www.skillsbuilder.uk/universal-framework-steps/planning-step-12-target-setting 

https://www.skillsbuilder.uk/universal-framework-steps/adapting-step-3-persisting

Guidance and Resources for Facilitators

Many entry-level workers struggle with time estimation and task avoidance. When faced with complex instructions or unfamiliar language, they may delay starting out of a fear of making mistakes or looking incompetent. Your role as a facilitator is to guide them using self-control—helping them Recognise avoidance behaviors, break tasks into bite-sized targets, and build accountability habits.

Core Concepts & Background Information

  1. Sensing Difficulty & Target Setting

    • Proactive Evaluation: Sensing difficulty means spotting potential challenges (lack of information, hard jobs, tight timeframes) at the start of a task rather than halfway through.

    • Bite-Sized Goals: Target setting helps turn intimidating projects into step-by-step targets (e.g., "I will complete 5 files every 20 minutes"), reducing task paralysis.

  2. Accountability & Persistence

    • Personal Ownership: Being accountable means owning both your successes and your delays, communicating honestly with supervisors if a deadline is at risk.

    • Building Stamina: Persistence is the self-control muscle that keeps an individual focused on a task even when initial interest fades or friction arises.

Overcoming Common Barriers

  1. The "I Don't Know Where to Start" Barrier

    • Reframing: Entry-level workers often procrastinate because an entire task feels overwhelming. Reframe starting as taking just one 2-minute action to break the ice.

    • Simple Prompts:

      • "What is the very first, tiny step you can take on this task right now?"

      • "Why does setting a quick timer help you get past the fear of starting something tricky?"

  2. Fear of Admitting Confusion

    • Reframing: Learners may delay a task because they don't fully understand the instructions and feel embarrassed to ask. Teach them that asking for clarification early is an act of accountability and self-control.

    • Simple Prompts:

      • "How does checking instructions early save you from having to redo your work later?"

      • "What simple phrase can you use to tell a manager you need a quick demonstration?"

  3. Classroom Activity: The Procrastination Reframe & Goal Split

    • Pair up learners. Give them a realistic workplace scenario involving a large, tedious task (e.g., "Stock-checking 200 items in a cold storage room"). Get them to work through a 3-part action plan:

      1. Identify the friction: Name why someone might put this off (e.g., cold, boring, repetitive).

      2. Set mini-targets: Break the task into 4 timed mini-goals.

      3. Accountability check: Practice telling their partner acting as a manager when they plan to finish each chunk.

Delivery Tips for the Session

  • Keep Vocabulary Direct: Translate abstract terms into plain language: "sensing difficulty" becomes "spotting tricky parts early."

  • Use Visual Target Trackers: Show learners how to use simple physical checklists, sticky notes, or timers to track their progress visual step by step.

  • Provide Actionable Prompts: Display helpful sentence starters on the board (e.g., "To make this easier, I will break it into...", "I am stuck on this step, could you clarify...?", "I aim to complete the first part by...") to build conversational and task-planning confidence.