Page 217 - End Procrastination Now Get it Done with a Proven Psychological Approach

Sample Therapy Script for a Procrastination Scenario 181

Interaction Process Comments

Bill: And when later comes, what normally
happens?
Ted: I continue to put them off.

Bill: Do you think of anything you can do to Question to see if
prepare for the reviews? contingency mañana
thinking is present.
Ted: I need to read up more on how to do a
better review. Then I’ll get to it.
Bill: That’s known as the contingency mañana
way of thinking. You’ll get to it after you do
something else first, like reading up on reviews.
Do you read up on the reviews?

Ted: (Laughs) Nope.
Bill: And when you run out of time with the
performance review, what happens?

Ted: I ask for an extension. I say I was too busy
helping salespeople and customers. I ran out
of time.
Bill: What happens then?

Ted: I get into hot water. I’m six months behind
on the reviews. No one believes me.
Bill: Ted, what have you gotten out of what we’ve It’s useful to check
talked about so far? the client’s under-
standing periodically.

Ted: I feel uncomfortable about the reviews. Ted shows that he has
Rather than starting them, I do something differ- a good grasp of what
ent. I end up with my back to the wall, making up he does when he
excuses that my boss doesn’t believe. I think that procrastinates.
I have to stop telling myself that I’ll get to the
reviews later.
Bill: It will normally take more than an awareness Focus Ted’s attention
of this process to get the performance reviews on the behavioral
started and finished. But you have to start some- assignment phase.
where if you expect to finish the reviews. What
can you do to start the ball rolling?