Initiating

• Difficulty sensing how to start
• Impulsive or haphazard starting

• Do task analysis first

• List the steps in research process before doing any hands on work

• Difficulty conceptualizing outcome
• Leaps into work without establishing goals
• Defines goals vaguely

• Plan “backwards” first by beginning with outcomes, then determining how to get there
• Ensure goals are concrete and measurable

• Decide what successful research will show
• Write down or draw a few examples

• Goes through steps with inefficient sequence
• Skips key steps in process
• Leaps ahead

• Order steps in task analysis
• Recognize additional steps may need to be added later

• Visualize how the steps will follow in order
• Arrange steps from task analysis accordingly
• Be open to reordering and adding to the list

• Difficulty measuring time needed to complete steps
• Begins without planning out steps

• Set a completion goal date/time
• Assign times to steps in task analysis to design a work plan
• Evaluate how realistic estimates are and make adjustments

• Determine which aspects of a research project require more and less time and assign accordingly

• Focuses on smaller or less important tasks to the exclusion of larger ones because they appear more accessible or personally preferable
• Has difficulty letting go of or delaying lower priority tasks
• Wants to get it all done now

• Include prioritizing as part of original task analysis
• Remind self how plan includes a place for each step to be covered

• Determine which parts of research project are critical to complete first
• Refer back to plan for grounding when stressed about the size or complexity of the project

• Materials are disorganized
• Prefers the “free flowing” creative approach that does not involve keeping everything in an assigned place.

• Assign practical places to keep materials
• Use a date book/planner
• Set up a designated work space
• Use the “free flow” approach during creative portions of the work, but organize materials before next session
• Discard unneeded material

• Maintain written plan in a precise, accessible location with other materials for project
• Set up research folder, binder or note cards
• Keep all materials for project at a work desk
• Spread out materials as desired during work times, but clean up afterward, throw out extraneous papers, return everything to designated work space

• Distracted by competing stimulation
• Follows impulse toward preferred interests outside of work
• Switches between steps or portions of work
• Hyperfocuses on particular tasks and without connection to other parts of project

• Find a work place that minimizes distractions and temptations
• Determine work habits and rituals that allow efficient and comfortable working
• Make an agreement with self to pursue personal interests as a future designated time.
• Take short timed breaks to reward self
• Consult work plan to remind self what is needed to stay on task

• Locate a comfortable, private research room in the library
• Check e-mail, make a phone call or play a computer game after one hour of work
• Keep work plan visible and consult

• Does not maintain focus on extended task for duration
• Has difficulty sustaining motivation and concentration when difficulties arise

• Commit to working for a set period of time longer than usual then take a break to build stamina.
• Use a brief period of positive self-talk to restore self

• On an extensive research project, divide the day’s work into separate 45 minute intervals with 10 minute breaks
• When progress feels limited and desire arises to give up, tell self this is a natural phase of the work. Also name one or two concrete accomplishments to remind self of progress

• Rushes or lags in work pace
• Does not accurately predict or measure progress over time and make adjustments
• Loses poise when deadline approaches or stress builds

• Warm up gradually, but steadily in beginning work
• Monitor pace from beginning
• Recall that work plan includes design for how to finish on time
• Determine work habits and rituals that allow efficient and comfortable working
• Finish work session gradually instead of working intensively and stopping abruptly

• Compare how long is needed to research in particular sources with previous estimates and make adjustments accordingly
• Start with a fun or easier source to get into the work.
• Finish with an interesting or less demanding source to finish up on a relaxed note

• Gets overinvolved in a task and does not shift to new one
• Wastes time or becomes stressed in the transition process

• Build transitions into the work
• Determine habits or processes that ease shifts between different types of tasks

• After consulting one source, take a breather or check off the item to get a sense of completion before heading into the next one.

Self-Monitoring

• Does not evaluate own progress or observe own process.
• Has difficulty stepping back and monitoring while working
• Monitors self, but does not make strategic adjustments
• Recognizes adjustments need to be made, but does not implement

• List specific work techniques and work session goals to observe and evaluate
• After a specified period of work note down degree of progress and evaluate which study or work techniques are going well
• Make adjustments in work plan, use of work techniques, or pacing based on self-evaluation

• Decide how many notes or sources to be taken in a work session and measure progress after one hour
• Choose one or two work techniques, such as skimming process or bibliographical organizing system to evaluate while working

• Difficulty deciding what constitutes completion
• Delays finishing because ending and letting go involve stress
• Ends before work is completed

• Define what completed work will be like in task analysis and work plan
• Recognize that ending can be stressful and include ritual or activity that gives a sense of completion

• Determine in advance how many notes and sources completed research will have
• Wrap up note cards with a rubber band or some kind of package and label as complete