PROCRASTINATION

I am a procrastinator. I put everything off. I make to do lists and never complete them.

How can I get over my procrastination? Are there self help books available?

I'm tired of putting things off! Help!

Fri. Feb 23, 9:18am

You say that as if there's some sort of robot controlling you. The answer is just do it. I'm a major procrastinator as well (also very lazy) but I just decided that I'm going to do things instead of not doing them or saying that I'm going to do it later (i.e. get to the gym, do the dishes, finish work projects, etc.). I think it has to be a concsious choice.

Friday, February 23, 2007, 9:23 AM

usually I put something off because I don't like to do it! so, why not reward yourself with something small when you complete your task. when I am at work, and I have a ton of paperwork to complete, I allow myself five minutes every hour on the internet to check peertrainer, or some other website as long as I am staying on task and getting things done.

Friday, February 23, 2007, 9:33 AM

In answer to your question, here are a couple of self-help titles on procrastination:
-- Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It, by Jane B. Burka & Lenora M., Ph.D. Yuen
-- The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by Neil Fiore

Alternatively, is your procrastination trying to tell you something? Is it trying to help you simplify your life? Is it trying to tell you that others are taking up too much space in your day? Is something valuable missing from your life and is procrastination trying to get it for you? Just food for thought...

Friday, February 23, 2007, 9:44 AM

i'll post something later...

Friday, February 23, 2007, 10:24 AM

You might start by thinking about why you are procrastinating. Then you can figure out how to approach the problem. I am a horrible perfectionist. I would rather not do something if I can't do it right, so often I just put it off. In order to get started, I have to think about how much doing something would be better than doing nothing at all. Other times, I know it is just because I don't like to do something. In those cases I try and motivate myself by saying it will get done and then I won't have to think about it any more.

Friday, February 23, 2007, 12:28 PM

Most people who are procastinating are perfectionists. And that is not a good thing. To stop procastinating you have to tell yourself that even if the outcome is not what I have imagined I will be happy with it. Also, motivaton follows action, do it for only 15 min and if you don't get a desire to go any further quit, but chances are you will keep doing.
Most people's to-do lists are too ambitios. Don't try to do everything at once, you will accomplish nothning, plus you will run out of steam. Instead focus on 1 or 2 most important things and chip at them until they are done.

Get "Feeling Good" from dr Burns, he has a good section on procastination.

Friday, February 23, 2007, 1:24 PM

Make a list and do the toughest thing first.

Don't say I want to do...
Maybe I'll get around to....
I'm going to try to.....

SAY: I AM doing this.

Procrastination has been a huge hurdle for me, too!

Friday, February 23, 2007, 2:10 PM

i've learned to put procrastination off when i feel it creeping in. for example, when i need to do laundry and find i'm about to decide that i'll do it tomorrow, i instead decide to put off the next chore/task i need to complete. like, "i'll do my laundry now, and i'll wait til tomorrow to do the dishes." then when i am in the kitchen, i'll do the dishes with the notion that i'll exercise tomorrow morning instead of now. i then exercise and when i reflect on the day, i find that many things got done regardless of my intent to get them done.

Friday, February 23, 2007, 2:33 PM

Check out the Flylady website. On its face, it is about house cleaning. But it's really about perfectionism and procrastination - and techniques to overcome them.

Link

Friday, February 23, 2007, 3:26 PM

I tried flylady.com but I think it only works if you are not working. For working people, to keep up with flylady is too much!

Friday, February 23, 2007, 3:29 PM

Getting Things Done - from David Allen

I've heard good things about this.
-powerfrau

Friday, February 23, 2007, 5:08 PM

have you read the book yourself? have you benefitted from it? if you did not read it, what good things have you heard? (easy to read, great tips section, outlines strageties, identifies reasons, cites experts reasearch results....) i'd like to know how those who read it changed afterwards. thanks!

Saturday, February 24, 2007, 9:14 AM

Actually, I finally got off my arse and bought it yesterday.
It's meant to be revolutionary - I've read books written in the 70s/80s about how to get stuff done, but they were all about "To Do" lists and prioritizing by assigning "ABCs" to the tasks. Well, this "Getting Things Done" book picks up from there and makes that stuff sound outdated/insufficient (and so it is, given how dynamic our work/life is now). At first glance, it is easy to read and is all about strategies that can be applied to life/work "projects". I'd say the guy is himself an expert.

He has a website (google David Allen) where you can probably learn more.
There's also articles about him in most newspapers, so you'll be able to get an idea of what other people think of him.

I've also found a website (below) recently that is helping me focus and get work done (and avoid surfing the web at my desk).
The link from there leads to more tips.

I guess the "43 things" idea was also sparked by David Allen? But I don't really know enough about it...

Just be careful you don't end up procrastinating by reading about procrastination!
-powerfrau

Link

Saturday, February 24, 2007, 3:45 PM

Procrastination

"Procrastination is the theif of time.
I must refuse to let him get away with mine."

~ Brenda Beaty

Saturday, February 24, 2007, 5:35 PM

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