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128 End Procrastination Now!

the long-term benefits you will gain and the long-term hassles you
will avoid. Press forward.

Cognitive-Behavioral Correction Exercise

Procrastination can have a snowball effect: one diversion can roll
over into another. In an earlier chapter, you saw how the ABCDE
approach can be used to address complex forms of procrastination
successfully. However, another powerful method is through a more
comprehensive and structured cognitive-behavioral exercise.
Let’s look at Brad’s procrastination challenge, which surfaced
when he was due to write a comprehensive report. The approach
he took was different from his loose and avoiding style when he
procrastinated. Doing the structured appealed to him.
In this exercise, Brad mapped his procrastination process, the
change steps he would take, when he would start, and what re-
sulted. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
The following describes the process and results when Brad suc-
cessfully came to grips with procrastination by following this plan.
But first, let’s look at some background information to put this
program into context.
Brad had grown into the position of human resources man-
ager for a rapidly growing insurance and financial consulting ser-
vice company. The company employee handbook had originally
been prepared by legal counsel with boilerplate materials. It was
outdated and no longer suitable.
The company president wanted a comprehensive manual with
graphic artwork, the company logo, a history of the company and
its mission, and a state-of-the-art statement of company policies
and procedures that conformed to state and federal law. Brad was
the manager of human resources. He was the logical person to
update the manual. He also had direct access to the company’s
labor lawyer and was one of the organization’s best writers.
Brad had a different take on this. Because of the company’s