Page 28 - End Procrastination Now Get it Done with a Proven Psychological Approach

xxvi Introduction

This three-pronged program applies to reducing negatives
(procrastination) and advancing your positive choices and pur-
poses. Indeed, reducing a needless negative (procrastination) is
also very positive.
The three prongs are separate but unified. Making positive
changes in one area can have a beneficial effect on the others.
The cognitive, emotive, and behavioral approaches apply to
broad challenges, such as how to make real personal changes that
stick. For example, in the process of curbing procrastination, you’ll
learn how to meet challenges decisively and free yourself from
stresses that contribute to procrastination and that result from
procrastination.

The Cognitive Approach

The cognitive approach is grounded in thinking about your think-
ing and acting to change automatic negative thoughts (ANT) that
lead to unpleasant emotions and self-defeating behaviors. A big
part of the challenge is knowing when and how to recognize that
thinking, and how to use this knowledge to prevent or short-circuit
procrastination.
You can teach yourself to dispute procrastination thinking.
You’ll find guidelines, tips, and methods for doing so throughout
the book. Procrastination thinking, such as, “I’ll get to this later,”
represents specious reasoning that you can quickly learn to de-
bunk. You may fear failure because you fear that rejection will
follow. You put off actions in the service of avoiding what is often
a fictional fear. Part 1 of End Procrastination Now! will show you
how to recognize and deal with these cognitive barriers.

The Emotive Approach

Prior to procrastinating, you’re likely to experience some form of
unpleasant emotion(s) about starting an activity. You may feel
tempted to duck the tension and follow the path of least resistance
by substituting an emotionally safe diversionary activity for the