Page 188 - End Procrastination Now Get it Done with a Proven Psychological Approach

152 End Procrastination Now!

In using the five-phase self-regulation approach, your key is to
identify productive opportunities that are impeded by procrastina-
tion hot-spot thinking and diversionary actions. This is a framework
for coordinating basic management methods to prevent procrastina-
tion and to produce higher-quality results. The steps are to (1) ana-
lyze a procrastination situation, (2) set a direction, (3) create an
action plan, (4) execute the plan, and (5) evaluate the results.

Problem Analysis

Analysis means breaking something down into its parts. This
is a logical place to begin a procrastination prevention process.
Information from the analysis flows to future steps, which involve
organizing and coordinating your actions to break through
procrastination barriers. However, the approach serves a dual pur-
pose. You can also use it as a stand-alone productivity program.
Your answers to where, when, why, what, and how questions
give you a way to look at the procrastination process from an ana-
lytic angle. Let’s start here.

• Where are you likely to procrastinate? Do you put off mainte-
nance activities? Do you back away from conflict? Do you fall
behind on the latest information about your job? Do you
delay preparing written work?

• When are you more likely to procrastinate? When you feel
pressured? After lunch? When you are facing a complex
challenge?

• Used in an inquiry, why invites analysis. Why do you procras-
tinate when you are facing some complex situations but not