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52 End Procrastination Now!

or subject, you are more likely to complete such a task. For ex-
ample, you look forward to doing things that you find pleasurable,
and you may get some things you’d ordinarily delay out of the way
if they block the path that you want to travel. On the other hand,
if you connect an activity to past distresses, you’ll probably ap-
proach it more tentatively than you would if you favored the activ-
ity. If you view a timely priority as highly unpleasant, uncertain,
or threatening, you may avoid it even when this costs you dearly.

A Twofer Process. The twofer process is a term that I like to use to
describe how, by addressing procrastination at the same time you
manage its underlying causes, you get a double gain. This effort
supports your long-term efforts to build emotional muscle and to
prosper more by procrastinating less.
As you saw in an earlier chapter, deadline procrastination,
while important to address, is only the tip of the iceberg. How you
manage you is the more profitable area to probe. By living through
avoidance urges and making productive actions to promote ac-
complishment, you gain in both meeting your deadlines and
developing your emotional muscle.

The Horse and Rider Model for
Emotional Procrastination

The horse and rider is a metaphor that I like to use when explain-
ing the procrastination process in the context of the emotive ap-
proach. It describes why you may feel tempted to take the path of
least resistance on matters that are important to start and finish,
but that you also view as unpleasant, threatening, boring, uncer-
tain, or risky.
Taking the road of least resistance usually depends on respond-
ing more to impulse than to reason. From a producing and thriv-
ing vantage, retreat is normally negative. Your higher mental
process may have a better way. How is the conflict between a pro-
crastination retreat and a constructive advance resolved?