Page 49 - End Procrastination Now Get it Done with a Proven Psychological Approach

Perspectives on Procrastination and Awareness for Change 17

2. Take a scientific approach, in which you rely on observation
and draw evidence-based inferences and conclusions.
3. Predict the outcome of playing out different scenarios.
4. Act rationally to achieve enlightened positive goals.
5. Learn from planned procrastination countermeasures and
apply new learning.

On a case-by-case basis, you can make a radical shift from a
self-absorbent to a self-observant perspective. Unlike learning to
read, where it takes several years to get the basics and to build from
there, you can start this shift right away. However, progressive
mastery of procrastination is a process that extends over a lifetime
but gets simpler and easier in time. As the rewards for your self-
observant efforts pile up, you’ll have added incentive to continue
in this do-it-now way.

Keep a Procrastination Log to Boost Your Awareness

A procrastination log is an awareness tool for tracking what you
do when you procrastinate. Logging what you think, how you feel,
and what you do as you procrastinate promotes metacognitive
awareness. This is your ability to think about your thinking and to
make connections between your thoughts, emotions, behaviors,
and results. If you prefer a more freewheeling style, create a nar-
rative in which you log an ongoing commentary of what is hap-
pening when you procrastinate.
When you have an impulse to delay, start recording and logging
what you tell yourself and how you feel. Note the diversionary actions
that you take. If you are unable to make immediate recordings, record
procrastination events as soon as you are able to do so, and be as
concrete and specific as you can about what you recall observing.
You may find it equally important to record what you think,
feel, and do when you follow through. What can you learn from
your follow-through actions that you can apply to procrastination
situations?