Page 44 - End Procrastination Now Get it Done with a Proven Psychological Approach

12 End Procrastination Now!
table 1.1
Procrastination Styles and Corrective Actions

Procrastination Style Awareness and Action Model
Behavioral procrastination occurs Awareness: Do you tend to start
when you plan, organize, and initi- projects, then leave them undone?
ate actions, then quit prematurely If so, what are they? Where, how,
and don’t gain the anticipated and why do you stop yourself?
benefits. For example, over time,
you gather materials for 42 different Action: Select two projects that you
potential hobbies, and the materials have a high probability of starting
are now crowding your storage and finishing. Construct a plan to
get through the bottleneck. Address
areas. Your company conducts
meetings to explore different mar- any urge to diverge as you execute
keting opportunities, but follow-up the plan and come to a point where
beyond the exploratory stage is rare. you’d ordinarily stop.

Health procrastination is putting off Awareness: Do you avoid regular
making, executing, or maintaining medical or dental examinations,
healthy choices. Delays in this area eating healthily, or exercising
may have tragic results that affect regularly? If so, what do you tell
both your work and your life. yourself to support your health
Within three years, about 50 percent procrastination?
of those who have coronary bypass
operations stop taking medication Action: What purpose would taking
and revert to the same habits that positive health actions serve for
you? What three concrete produc-
initially got them into trouble. Peo-
ple who gain excess weight are at tive actions would you be willing
high risk for health problems. Exer- to take now to address health pro-
cise may be the best antidepressant, crastination? When will you start?
but it is also infrequently employed.

Reactance procrastination is a form Awareness: What is the major
of resistance toward the removal of area in your life where you resist
a perceived right, convenience, or useful changes to avoid losing an
privilege. You may think, feel, and unhealthy privilege?
act rebellious when faced with
conditions that you believe threaten Action: Do a quick long-term
this freedom. You rebel against advantage-disadvantage analysis.
any suggestion that you drink too What are the long-term advantages
of continuing a harmful habit?
much. Deadlines interfere with
other activities that you’d prefer, What are the long-term disadvan-
and so you try to get around the tages? How do these add up?
deadlines. You enjoy your daily
quart of ice cream and resent fol-
lowing a medical recommendation
to lose weight by cutting back on it.