procrastination is a different problem...

[flexiblefine]

Other procrastination book recommendations

Aside from "The Now Habit," which was recently released in a revised edition, here are a couple of other books about procrastination people might be interested in...

-- Rita Emmett's "The Procrastinator's Handbook"
-- William Knaus's "Do It Now!"

I'm reading "Do It Now!" at the moment, and I think it's thorough and complete -- the procrastination book I would have written if I had enough research. Knaus's "The Procrastination Workbook" is also on my reading list.

 

[Desultory]

Having read through this thread, I am appalled at my own extremely unhelpful post nearly two years ago. I've learned to deal better with my own procrastination since then. The Now Habit did help me examine my feelings about unpleasant tasks, but it only went so far. We've already discussed how much GTD principles will help.

I am easily distracted and will spend hours pursuing immediate pleasures to avoid unpleasant tasks. That's probably why I found the formula here (page down to TMT) most illuminating. Basically it says that it's perfectly rational to choose activities that are very likely to give immediate rewards, over those that have a low chance of paying off in a distant future.

The best way to structure your time so that even scutwork gives an immediate reward is to break it into short chunks and insert your own reward at intervals. Also known as the (10 + 2) * 5 Dash. There's a very cool meditation timer called PocketDoan that handles the intervals. You will probably want to adjust the intervals to suit the tasks you're tackling. For example, I usually do (15 +5) * 3. Don't skip the breaks; it feels extra satisfying to play a round of (insert game you don't want to admit you play) guilt-free.

There's lots of great stuff at 43folders, but currently I find Zen Habits most helpful. Things like establishing a daily routine, and knocking off one "Big Rock" as early as possible. Check out his series on ZTD!

Hope this helps,
Pam

 

[Howard]

Thanks Matt

One thing that helped me was applying the "STING" method

Just wanted to say thanks for this Matt. Absolutely brilliant.

I'm not so much a procrastinator as just chronically overworked (my own fault - it's my business). I tend to allow myself to get diverted as my concentration ebbs so I've stuck the acronym on my laptop and it's actually helping!

Have a good weekend.

 

[theorganizedartist]

ironic

In case anyone here is a procrastinator and needs help with that different (but related) problem, there's a new Web site with some innovative ideas and suggestions for a solution.

http://www.procrastinators-anonymous.org

I would join but I can never seem to get around to it... :mrgreen:

 

[Barry]

This is a great thread. I wanted to give it a bump and add that I agree that procrastination is a different problem for some of us. GTD helped me get things organized and off my mind, but not necessarily DONE. Getting organized is essential to productivity, but I have come to the realization that organization is not the only thing needed for some of us. Implementing GTD did increase my productivity, but I still struggle with procrastination which continues to be a significant obstacle for me.

"The Now Habit" was recommended several times in this thread and elsewhere in GTD resources, so I finally got a copy. I am not quite all the way through it, but it has been helping me already and I can give it a hearty recommendation. It is addressing the procrastination problem at a practical level with techniques that are easy to implement and not just advising me to buckle down and be more disciplined (that method does not help most procrastinators).

The book is available as an audio book, which makes it easy for me to get through while commuting rather than having to set aside extra time for reading. There is also an audio copy in my local public library, so you might check yours. However, I bought a downloadable copy because there is a long waiting list at the library.

By the way, the techniques in the book are not only applicable to procrastinators, but anyone who would appreciate an increase in productivity or just making both their work and free time more fun and rewarding.

I think that "The Now Habit" along with the GTD book would make a very complete and complimentary 2-book set of essential work skills for virtually anyone.

 

[dal1mdm]

Thanks, pro. I agree with you that DA's definition of procrastination, while well intended and undoubtedly true for many, does not reach deeply enough.

Its overly simplistic. I mean how excited an outcome is 'the bill is payed"?

 

[dal1mdm]

By The Way...

DA has said that the folks who embrace GTD most are those who need it the least. The converse is also true. Those who need it most have a hard time embracing it for the reasons that place them among the list of those who most need it.

 

[kewms]

Its overly simplistic. I mean how excited an outcome is 'the bill is payed"?

That is true. However, "bill is not paid" can lead to all sorts of exciting outcomes: "bank has foreclosed," "IRS has garnished wages," "sheriff's deputies have seized office furniture," etc.

Katherine

 

[Barthox]

Dave:
But if I peel back another layer, I think that one of the reasons I do this stuff at work is that I have no time to do it at home. Seriously, I often make it home 30-60 seconds, before I have to run off to a practice or a meeting or some event for one of my children. After the kids go to bed, my wife would like to have some adult communication rather than see me with my face in a laptop ... besides the fact that I am exhausted. The next day brings more of the same. It is like setting the goal to "get up by 6:00 a.m.," and then going to bed at midnight, knowing that I generally need 7-8 hours of sleep to function.

Alleluia, I'm not alone in this world!

I'm experiencing exactly what Dave said, but also the fact that I can't find the slightest trace of satisfaction in most of the things that I should be doing ...

 

[Brent]

Fantastic thread.

I've been helped by recent realizations that procrastination is:

a) Natural, that is, everybody does it (in different amounts)
b) Often externally caused, by unpleasant pressures from other people
c) A habit, which means it can be changed
d) A symptom of some deeper fear or frustration or exhaustion or what-have-you

Now, just because it's a symptom, doesn't mean that you have to unearth and deal with the deep psychological cause. However, recognizing the problem can free you to search for solutions.

Gah, I'm explaining this poorly. It's not just about deciding to act differently. It's about a deeper priority change. But frustration with procrastination is the first step in priority change. If you don't like your procrastination and are looking for fixes, you're halfway to stopping your procrastination.

Or: I'm learning to stop worrying about how hard a habit is to fix, and pay more attention to my attitudes and behavior.

 

[kewms]

Or: I'm learning to stop worrying about how hard a habit is to fix, and pay more attention to my attitudes and behavior.

Perhaps that's the "one day at a time" approach to procrastination? Don't worry about whether you can be productive tomorrow, focus on getting stuff done today?

It seems to work for other bad habits, so why not for procrastination as well?

Katherine

 

[TheEpicLifeTV]

I find that I procrastinate if I'm afraid of the KEY activity, I know will make the difference; and the REAL reason I'm scared is that deep down I feel like what I'm about to do might not work out and then I'll feel stuck.

So how I've learned to overcome my fear it is simple, (since there is no real way to overcome fear other than to face it). I will use some kind of leverage of something I fear even more than the KEY Activity to force me to face doing the KEY Activity if that makes sense.

I recorded a video on YouTube about what I do to Stop Procrastination in 29 Seconds:

I also have a http://theepiclife.co.uk/pab-lp-02 Free Download of the Instructions:

This really helped me overcome this problem. Enjoy