Page 53 - End Procrastination Now Get it Done with a Proven Psychological Approach

Perspectives on Procrastination and Awareness for Change 21

• Contrast procrastination and do-it-now views. What do you
gain by thinking that later is better? What do you gain by
following a do-it-now path? What makes later seem so
hopeful when reality tells a different story?
• Is it possible to change procrastination goals to avoid effort
and work to productive goals? Can the productive goal
include observing a strong procrastination process to
identify its weaknesses and vulnerabilities?
• Can you convert complaints that support procrastination to
positive goals? For example, “This is too complicated for me”
may be converted to “I can handle the first step.” If you first
see an action as too complicated, yet you can handle the
first step, you’ve found a procrastination paradox.
• If you tell yourself that you work better under pressure,
why not plan to put something off until the very last minute?
If you tell yourself that you work better under pressure and
then swear that you won’t put yourself through this type of
emotional wringer again, can you have it both ways?
• What might you learn by locating and examining procrasti-
nation paradoxes? An example of a procrastination paradox
is that you work better under pressure, yet you want to work
smarter next time by starting earlier. The odds are that you
don’t work better under pressure; rather, you are more likely
to start when you feel pressured.

Phase 4: Acceptance

Acceptance is the phase of change in which you take reality for what
it is, not what you think it ought to be. Acceptance supports toler-
ance, and this frees up energy that is ordinarily sopped up by blame
and doubts and beliefs that promote fears. Acceptance is cognitive,
but it is also an emotional integration phase of change. Acceptance
has a quieting effect, but also a positive energizing effect when you
translate this view into a willingness to experiment and satisfy your
curiosity about how far you can stretch and grow.