Still Procrastinating

Joseph R. Ferrari

Description

Find out why you put things off-and learn to conquer procrastination for good!

"What if I make a bad decision?" "What if I fail?" "I'm better under pressure." There are all sorts of reasons people procrastinate. What are yours? This book draws on scientific research on procrastination conducted over more than twenty years by the author and his colleagues, to help you learn what stops you from getting things done so that you can find the solutions that will really work.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, chronic procrastination is NOT about poor time management, but about self-sabotaging tendencies that can prevent you from reaching your full potential. This book gives you the knowledge and tools you need to understand and overcome these tendencies so you can start achieving your goals-not next week, next month, or next year, but TODAY!

• Exposes the hidden causes of procrastination, including fear of failure, fear of success, and thrill-seeking
• Identifies types of procrastinators and helps determine which type describes you
• Shares surprising information on how factors such as technology and the time of day affect procrastination
• Examines specific issues related to putting things off in school and at work
• Shares more than twenty years of research on the causes and consequences of chronic procrastination
• Written by a psychologist who is an international expert on the subject of procrastination

Are you still procrastinating? This take-charge guide will help you stop making excuses and start transforming your life-right now!
Foreword by Timothy A. Pychyl, PhD

Acknowledgments.

1 Everyone Procrastinates, but Not Everyone Is a Procrastinator.

2 "I’m Better Under Pressure": The Arousal Procrastinator Myth.

3 Indecision: Decisional Procrastination.

4 Why Self-Regulation Fails: How You’re Your Own Worst Enemy.

5 Perfection is Pure Fiction.

6 Does Technology Make It Easier to Procrastinate?

7 Why the Time of Day and the Tasks That Need to Be Done Matter to Procrastinators.

8 The Three R's of Procrastination: Reactance, Revenge, and Regret.

9 Social Support: Getting By with a Little Help from My Friends?

10 Academic Procrastination: Why Students Delay, and How It the Rest of Their Lives.

11 Procrastination at Work.

12 Procrastination and Personality Styles.

Conclusion: Where Do You Go Next—and Can You Get There from Here?

References.

Index.

Sujets

• Santé et bien-être
• Développement personnel
• développement personnel
• Self-help
• Self-Management
• Time Management

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 26 août 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9780470642917
• Langue: English

Extrait

Table of Contents
 
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
No Standing, No Parking, No Waiting
Tardiness Is Tacky
Who Is a Procrastinator—Especially a Chronic Procrastinator?
What This Book Has That Others Don’t
 
Chapter 1 - Everyone Procrastinates, but Not Everyone Is a Procrastinator
 
Defining Procrastination
The Role of Irrationality
“Mind the Gap”: The Role of Intentions in Procrastination
Chronic Procrastination: The Myth of “Working Best under Pressure”
Chronic Procrastination: Living with Fear and Avoiding Life’s Pleasures
The Fear of Failure That Results in Avoidant Procrastination
Procrastination: Everyone Is Not Doing It
The Prevalence of Procrastination in the United States
The International Prevalence of Chronic Procrastination
Prevalence Rates Based on Gender, Age, Marital Status, and Education Level
 
Chapter 2 - “I’m Better under Pressure”: The Arousal Procrastinator Myth
 
The Thrill-Seeker as Procrastinator
Christmas Shopping and the Procrastinator
Living in the Moment with Drop-Dead Deadlines
Evolution and Procrastination: What Is the Survival Value of Irrational, ...
Procrastination and Health
 
Chapter 3 - Indecision: Decisional Procrastination
 
Multithinking: Complex Choices with Many Possibilities
Self-Regulation and Decision Making
How Does Indecisiveness Develop?
Focus on Success, Not on Potential Doom
How to Make Better Decisions
Navigating Phase 2 of Your Life
 
Chapter 4 - Why Self-Regulation Fails: How You’re Your Own Worst Enemy
 
Procrastination: A Self-Sabotaging Technique?
No Ifs, Ands, or Buts
What Motivates Self-Handicapping Behavior?
Do You Fail to Self-Regulate?
 
Chapter 5 - Perfection Is Pure Fiction
 
The Perfection-Procrastination Link
The Fallout from Coworkers (and the Boss) When Procrastinators Claim to Be Perfectionists
 
Chapter 6 - Does Technology Make It Easier to Procrastinate?
 
Technology: The New Thief of Time
Technology Can Prevent or Promote Procrastination
Getting Organized: Your Secret Weapon in Task Completion
Be Faster, but Not Frantic
Using Technology Wisely
 
Chapter 7 - Why the Time of Day and the Tasks That Need to Be Done Matter to Procrastinators
 
The Value of Waiting
Focus on the Now, Then, or What Will Be
Does the Early Bird Get the Worm?
Tasks That Procrastinators Choose to Do and Try to Avoid
 
Chapter 8 - The Three R’s of Procrastination: Reactance, Revenge, and Regret
 
“Sorry I’m Late”: Apology or Apathy?
Reactance: “Oh, Yeah? Just for That I Won’t Do It!”
Taking Revenge the Passive/Aggressive Way
Are Your Regrets Too Few or Too Many to Mention?
You Can Either Live the Sorrowful Life or Express Your Creative Soul
 
Chapter 9 - Social Support: Getting By with a Little Help from My Friends
 
When Your Life Is in Transition, Seek Circles of Support
The Buck Stops Here
Do You Confide in Family or Friends in Times of Trouble?
How Coworkers Evaluate Peer Procrastinators
Procrastinators Are Viewed as Social Loafers
Dealing with Others in Social Settings: A Summary
 
Chapter 10 - Academic Procrastination: Why Students Delay, and How It Affects ...
 
How Prevalent Is Academic Procrastination?
The Impact of Procrastination on Academics and on Life
Delayed Academic Tasks
When Is Academic Procrastination Likely to Occur? Using Lies in College
Helping Academic Procrastinators Work through Writer’s Block
Time-Management Tips for Academic Procrastinators
 
Chapter 11 - Procrastination at Work
 
Behavioral Economics: Paying a Price to Procrastinate
The Demographics of Employee Procrastinators
Jobs Chosen by Procrastinators: The Role of Creativity
How to Step Up Your Game at Work
Techniques to Help You Seize the Day
Workplace Task-Management Tips
 
Chapter 12 - Procrastination and Personality Styles
 
Procrastination and Impulsivity
Procrastination and Self-Defeating Behavior
Procrastination and Obsessive-Compulsive Tendencies
Procrastination and Attention Deficit Disorder
 
Conclusion
References
Index

Copyright © 2010 by Joseph R. Ferrari. All rights reserved
 
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
 

 
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
 
Ferrari, Joseph R.
Still procrastinating : the no-regrets guide to getting it done / Joseph Ferrari.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-470-61158-6 (paper); ISBN 978-0-470-64289-4 (ebk);

1. Procrastination. 2. Self-actualization (Psychology) I. Title.
BF637.P76F472 2010
155.2’32—dc22
2010013926
 

 
To all of the people who model nonprocrastination in life, to my three children, Catherine, Christina, and Jonathan, and above all my wife, Sharon, who models insight, patience, and the best qualities in my life: I dedicate this book.
Foreword
by
Timothy A. Pychyl, PhD
 
 
 
 
 
This book is long overdue. No, it’s not a case of procrastination. Far from it. It’s just that Dr. Ferrari, my dear colleague and friend, has been conducting procrastination research for decades. We’ve been waiting for him to write a popular book based on his research.
This is not Dr. Ferrari’s first book about procrastination, however. In 1995, he co-authored an excellent scholarly book that summarized the research up to that date. It has been a must-read for any scholar interested in the topic. He has also co-edited two other scholarly volumes about procrastination since that time and more journal publications about the topic than any other scholar in the world.
Still Procrastinating? provides a summary of all of Dr. Ferrari’s research written for everyone, not just those who specialize in psychology. Dr. Ferrari has integrated over twenty-five years of research into his own story about why we procrastinate and how we can learn to act differently.
As a scholar with an international reputation for his research, Dr. Ferrari has worked with academics throughout the world. He has collaborated with colleagues in Australia, South America, the Middle East, and Europe, as well as many others here in North America. And, true to his generosity of spirit, you will see frequent reference to the work of his colleagues and his students in this book.
It is important to recognize that you’ll hear about Dr. Ferrari’s students’ and colleagues’ research as well as his own, because this reveals something about the essence of the author. In addition to being a valued colleague, Dr. Ferrari is a caring and thoughtful mentor. He has guided many students at DePaul University directly through his work there, and he has mentored many junior colleagues throughout the world in their research. He is community minded, so it’s not surprising that the other academic hat that he wears is in the community psychology program and as the editor of the Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community.
The scholarly community has publicly recognized Dr. Ferrari’s outstanding contributions to the field. Among his many awards, this Vincent de Paul Distinguished professor has been made a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science and a charter fellow of both the Eastern and Midwestern Psychological Associations. Most recently at DePaul University, he was honored with the Excellence in Public Service award. I see this book as another aspect of Dr. Ferrari’s public service, an offering of his scholarship to the community at large.
I think this book is a good summary of what Dr. Ferrari has learned about procrastination. It reflects his understanding of this troublesome, self-defeating behavior in a way that allows readers to grasp the main issues identified in his research. Using everyday examples such as Christmas shopping, filing taxes, and simply getting to our mo