How to Stop Procrastinating eBook

TAKE BACK CONTROL
OF YOUR LIFE
A SELF-COACHING
WORKBOOK
Personal Skills Development

for Professional People
HOW TO
S TO P
PROCRASTINATING
TAKE BACK CONTROL

OF YOUR LIFE
A SELF-COACHING
WORKBOOK
Personal Skills Development

for Professional People
This e-book is published by:
Rediscovery Consulting Ltd

Registered Address:
Bank House
Market Street
Whaley Bridge
High Peak
SK23 7AA
United Kingdom
The Rediscovery of Me is a trade name of Rediscovery Consulting Ltd. Rediscovery

Consulting is a Private limited company registered at Companies House, company number:
12390191.
Copyright © Rediscovery Consulting Ltd 2021. All rights reserved. This e-book is protected
by international copyright law. You may only use it if you have received it under license from
The Rediscovery of Me. This e-book is only to be used by the person who purchased it or
their intended recipient. It must not be reproduced for use by others.
Version 1.0.
Please direct all enquires to: [email protected]
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CONTENTS
Introduction 9
How to Use This Workbook 11
13
1. What is Procrastination? 15
1.1 Are You a Procrastinator? 16
1.2 How Serious Is Your Procrastination Habit? 18
1.3 What Do Your Results Tell You? 27
1.4 A Note on Hidden Procrastination 30
1.5 Keeping Score: Recording the Truth 31
1.6 What Do You Want to Be Different? 34
1.7 Conclusions and Getting Ready to Move On 38
2. Why Do I Procrastinate? What's This About? 39

2.1 The Importance of Emotion Regulation 41
2.2 What Is Our Inner Procrastinator Saying? 42
2.3 The Present Self Versus the Future Self 50
2.4 Perfectionism, Fear and Limiting Beliefs 52
2.5 Identifying Your Limiting Beliefs 55
2.6 The Positive Intention Behind Our Procrastination 64
3. What Action Can We Take? 66

3.1 Building Emotion-Regulation Skills 68
3.2 Labelling and Understanding Emotions 69
3.3 Forgiveness 76
3.4 If All Else Fails... STOPP 79
4. What Strategies Should I Use? 83

4.1 Strategies Focussed on Time 85
4.2 Getting Organized 90
4.3 Mindset and Psychology 95
4.4 Reward and Positive Reinforcement 105
4.5 Accountability 106
Strategy Templates 108
5. Your Action Plan 115

5.1 Create Your Action Plan 116
5.2 And Finally! 128
5.3 What Next? 129
References and Further Reading 130
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INTRODUCTION
You're here because you procrastinate.
You're fed up with wasting your precious have time" to do this stuff despite our
time. Maybe you don't achieve what you desires. Yet, we persist in dragging these
know you're capable of. hollow intentions around with us. It's
exhausting.
Welcome. You're in the right place.
Procrastination is so much more than 'the
Procrastination is the habit of putting off thief of time.' It can harm our mental well-
tasks that you should be working on by being and affect our physical health. It's
focussing instead on less urgent or also not binary – many of us are both
unimportant tasks that are more enjoyable procrastinators and productive. Sometimes,
and easier to complete. It's a deeply we aren't even aware when we're
ingrained pattern of unproductive behavior procrastinating because it's concealed
that drains time from your life like sand within some plausible activity that outwardly
through an hourglass. seems like a productive use of our time.
Chronic procrastination inhibits your Research over the last three decades has
potential, affects your performance, told us much about procrastination and,
undermines your career, affects your more importantly, what we can do to
relationships (both at work and home). It address it. At times it seems to defeat us,
can lead to depression and anxiety. and there is no doubt that some people are
Procrastinators miss deadlines, struggle to more prone to it than others.
work with others and even, inadvertently,
damage their reputations. But procrastinators are no longer consigned
to the 'lazy' scrap heap, nor are they labeled
Many of us have big to-do lists, cluttered poor time managers. Researchers now
with tasks that we want and need to do, recognize that procrastination is far more
goals we'd like to accomplish, new things complicated than it appears on the surface.
we'd like to try. Yet even though we know Real procrastination is a complex brew of
what action to take, we repeatedly fail to ineffective emotion regulation. It's a
show up. We tell ourselves that we "don't breakdown of self-control.
9
However, change is possible.
Procrastination is a destructive habit that

needs correcting, and just like building
muscle in an exercise routine, we can create
more positive habits in our lives. It is
possible to beat procrastination.
Congratulations for showing up! You've

already taken the first crucial step. You can
only deal with something that you're
prepared to acknowledge fully. By being
conscious of your procrastination, you can
take action to do something about it.
This workbook is a guided self-coaching

program that gradually builds your
awareness of your procrastination habit so
that you can effectively address it once and
for all. In this workbook, you will work
through a series of activities that help you
to understand the extent of your
procrastination and the reasons for it. You
will learn how to address it and select
several approaches that meet your
individual needs in dealing with this issue.
You'll then finish by creating a personalized
action plan, a road map that you can refer
to support you on your journey.
Life beyond procrastination will be very

different. You'll have more time to do the
things that you want to do. You'll be more
fulfilled. You'll get more done. You'll have
more purpose in your life. You'll be happier.
Ready?
Great. Let's get started.
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HOW TO USE THIS WORKBOOK
WHAT IS COACHING?
Coaching is a creative process in which the Coaches are not mentors. They do not tell
person being coached, usually called a their clients what they should think or do.
‘coachee’, gains increased clarity and Coaches believe that the individual can
understanding of a situation or area of their formulate their own ideas, engineer the
life. This learning then enables them to best solutions for themselves, craft their
make progress in some way, working own theories and make their own decisions.
towards a desired outcome.
Coaches work side by side with clients. A
Coaching helps people to improve their collaborative partner, an equal, who does
performance, achieve their goals and move not believe that s/he has all the answers.
their life in the desired direction. Coaching Coaches are not superior beings. Coaches
is not therapy. It deals with the present work in partnership with their clients to
moment. The coach focuses on their client enable them to surface their own insights.
and their situation with what Carl Rogers In doing so, the client grows in confidence
called ‘unconditional positive regard’ – a and fulfillment as they begin to unearth
highly supportive razor-sharp attention that their inner resources.
the coachee will rarely find outside of the
coaching session. Coaches are experts in questioning. They
work with a wide range of theories, ideas,
Coaches facilitate exploration and and research, selecting the right exercise to
discussion. They enable their clients to be help their client move forwards. These tools
mentally and emotionally agile, free their are matched to the needs of the client and
thinking and get ‘unstuck.’ The coachee their situation. Helping them see things
works through a process of enquiry, moving differently, they leverage progress and
forwards systematically. assist the client in bringing about the
change they want to see in their life.
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CAN I COACH MYSELF? “You may delay,
Yes. but time will not,
Working with a coach can be costly. Sadly,
many people don’t have the money. A 2013
and lost time is
study by Stanford University revealed the
considerable gap between CEO’s wanting a never found again.”
coach and those that had one. Rather like a
personal trainer, it’s a service that many Benjamin Franklin
people would love to invest in. They just
don’t have the available resources.
Luckily, most experts would agree that it is

absolutely possible to coach yourself with
the right guidance. After all, it’s the ultimate
aim of any coach: their client makes enough
progress and develops the tools needed to
go it alone and self-coach. Coaches are
never permanent fixtures. They only ever
work with their clients for a period of time.
Of course, it takes commitment and

discipline. However, working with a range of
professional coaching tools in a structured
process of enquiry designed to address the
needs of a particular topic, self-coaching
can be a remarkably cost-effective and
efficient way to bring about the change you
want to see in your life.
This workbook was written by an

International Coaching Federation (ICF)
Accredited Coach. The tools and resources
within it were selected to create a rich and
profound program of enquiry for those that
struggle with procrastination.
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A FEW NOTES BEFORE
YOU START
It’s straightforward, progress through the or 3 sessions. Should you have any
workbook page by page, completing the questions about this workbook or its
exercises as you go. Approach your learning contents, please do not hesitate to get in
journey with an open mind. Trust the touch with us at
process. Start with a quiet mind; if necessary, [email protected].
practice some mindfulness or meditation
before you start. Stay in the present
moment.
You must be ruthlessly self-compassionate.

Do not seek to judge or blame yourself.
Don’t be distracted by disapproval or
criticism - either yours or someone else’s.
There will be times where it is helpful to

share your learning with other people.
That’s fine – choose a trusted partner and
discuss your thoughts and ideas with them.
See this journey as an investment in

yourself. Treat yourself to a beautiful new
journal where you can document your
thoughts and your learning. Reflection is a
powerful part of this journey. As with
coaching sessions, it is often the learning
between the sessions that is most powerful.
This is a very comprehensive self-coaching IMPORTANT

program. It will address your procrastinating
behaviors at their source. There are links
throughout the workbook to resources on While the techniques and approaches in
The Rediscovery of Me Website. Make sure this workbook have been selected for the
that you take the time to click on the links purposes of addressing procrastination,
and read these. procrastination can nonetheless cause
stress and anxiety. This workbook is for
It is possible to complete this workbook in guidance only. You should take the advice
one sitting, and it would likely take several of suitably qualified health professionals if
hours to do this. However, we you are feeling unwell or are significantly or
recommended that you approach this in 2 persistently unhappy.
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1 WHAT IS PROCRASTINATION?
Building Awareness: How Much Do You Procrastinate?
Procrastination is a common problem to

which most people can relate. Looking
career, and financial security. Procrastination
can erode your sense of self and self-
closely and honestly at your habitual confidence. People who procrastinate feel
behaviors is a vital part of the journey to guilt and shame. They spend their lives
finding a solution. feeling like failures.
Procrastination inhibits our success.

Procrastinators waste time focusing on the
INTRODUCTION: wrong things while the task that needs
attention sits untouched. Procrastinators
Procrastination is the habit of putting off aren’t lazy people. They have good
tasks that you should be working on by intentions; it’s just that there is a gap
focussing instead on less urgent or between intention and action. No matter
unimportant tasks that are more enjoyable what, chronic procrastinators cannot seem
and easier to complete. to bring themselves to get things done.
When we talk about procrastination, it’s It doesn’t always have to be this way. It is
usually with a smirk. We talk about it like it’s possible to change your behavior and learn
an endearing irritation, a minor ailment that how to bridge the gap between intention
seems harmless enough on the surface. and action.
And, well, let’s face it, most of us have
transgressed at some point or other. We’re The way to do this is to start by being honest
all guilty of mindless online meandering. about your procrastination habits. Habitual
One minute you’re wading through your behaviors are those that we often repeat
inbox and, before you know it, you’re because they are easy, comfortable, or
marveling at the Viking incense smoker on rewarding. Habitual behaviors are common
TikTok. We rarely stop to consider the more in procrastinators because they sit at the
serious side of procrastination. heart of what it means to procrastinate: to
avoid completing challenging, unpleasant,
The truth is that procrastination can be or tedious tasks by focussing instead on
deeply harmful. It can impact your physical those that are easy, comfortable, or
health, mental well-being, relationships, pleasant.
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TASK
1.1 ARE YOU A
PROCRASTINATOR?
To get to the heart of the problem, you
need to be honest about your habitual
behaviors to build your awareness. Now
📄
we’re going to identify your procrastination
habits. You will need to reflect on your
behavior.
Procrastination shows up in many guises.

For example:
• Constant checking of emails, social

media, and reading the news
• Excessive preparation and research
before you start a task
• Tackling small, non-urgent tasks that can
easily wait
• Taking a lunch break when working from
home that drifts way beyond the
allotted 30 minutes
• Skipping wildly from one task to
another, feeling overwhelmed by how
much you need to do but never even
starting the most important jobs
• Believing that you prefer to work last
minute or ‘under pressure.’
• Wanting to do everything ‘later.’
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TASK 📄
1.1.1 What Habitual Behaviors Do You Demonstrate?
In the box below, brainstorm the habitual behaviors you exhibit when you
procrastinate. Remember, habitual behaviors are those that you revert to
because they are easy, comfortable, or rewarding. We have included an
example. Be honest and write those down that immediately come to
mind.
I get
side-tracked by my
notifications.
I check them as
soon as they
‘ping’.
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TASK 1.2 HOW SERIOUS IS YOUR
PROCRASTINATION HABIT?
📄
We all procrastinate from time to time. We
might put something off that we don’t want
to do or get caught up in our social media
instead of our work.
Approximately 20% of the population are

chronic or habitual procrastinators. For
chronic procrastinators, the avoidance of
tasks takes complete precedence over their
responsibilities. This behavior’s
consequences can be catastrophic and can
be the start of a negative spiral of decline.
Procrastinators deceive themselves. Deep

down, they are aware of the consequences,
but correcting their behavior requires
tremendous effort. Procrastinators know
what they need to do, but they do not
follow through with the necessary action
even though they know this will make them
feel bad.
Now we are going to explore the extent of

your procrastination.
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TASK 📄
1.2.1 Aspects of Procrastination Questionnaire
Complete the questionnaire on the following pages and then total your
scores. Make sure that you follow the instructions.
Work quickly and with purpose through the following behavior

statements. The task is to see how these statements apply to you. Read
the statement and then circle the number to state if this is always true,
mostly true, somewhat true, rarely true or never true. Don’t spend too
long thinking about the statements. Go with your gut feeling. When you
have finished transfer your scores on to the separate score sheet.
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Sometimes True
Mostly True
Rarely True
Never True
Always Tru
Behavior Statement
When my alarm goes off in the morning, I struggle to get out of
1A 4 3 2 1 0 -
bed.
1B I often say ‘yes’ to other people when I want to say ‘no.’ 4 3 2 1 0 -
1C I delay doing things because I don’t feel like doing them. 4 3 2 1 0 -
1D I rarely complete all the work I set myself to finish in the day. 4 3 2 1 0 -
There are lots of unread emails in my inbox. I struggle to reply

2A 4 3 2 1 0 -
promptly to emails and phone calls.
2B I struggle to talk to people when I am upset. 4 3 2 1 0 -
2C I often say, “I’ll do it later” or “I’ll do it tomorrow.” 4 3 2 1 0 -
2D When faced with a big task, I struggle to start. 4 3 2 1 0 -
I often forget to pay my bills or find myself in a last-minute panic

3A 4 3 2 1 0 -
and have to rush to get them paid on time.
I agree to do things that I don’t want to do and complain about it
3B 4 3 2 1 0 -
afterward.
3C I avoid tasks because I am afraid of doing a lousy job. 4 3 2 1 0 -
3D I rarely stick to action plans. 4 3 2 1 0 -
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Sometimes True
Mostly True
Rarely True
Never True
Always Tru
Behavior Statement
4A I am always late. 4 3 2 1 0 -
4B I don’t like being told what to do. 4 3 2 1 0 -
4C I like things to be perfect. 4 3 2 1 0 -
I rarely complete things with time to spare; this means I have no

4D time to make improvements. 4 3 2 1 0 -
I go shopping at the last minute. I often run out of essential items

5A at home. 4 3 2 1 0 -
5B I feel stressed when people try to book up my time. 4 3 2 1 0 -
5C I struggle to make decisions. 4 3 2 1 0 -
5D I struggle to complete tasks that I find dull or pointless. 4 3 2 1 0 -
When getting ready to go out, I am always rushing around at the

6A last minute. 4 3 2 1 0 -
6B I often miss or forget birthdays. 4 3 2 1 0 -
I often feel guilty about all the things that I haven’t got round to
6C doing. 4 3 2 1 0 -
6D I often wait until the last minute to meet a deadline. 4 3 2 1 0 -
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Sometimes True
Mostly True
Rarely True
Never True
Always Tru
Behavior Statement
I am disorganized and often feel out of control. I miss events or
7A have to rush at the last minute. 4 3 2 1 0 -
7B I make promises to loved ones that I often break. 4 3 2 1 0 -
7C I put things off and feel guilty about it afterward. 4 3 2 1 0 -
I have to feel that I ‘know enough’ before I can start a challenging

7D task. I often spend too long researching. 4 3 2 1 0 -
I struggle to maintain things. My house is often untidy. The fuel in
8A the car is usually low, and the wiper wash needs topping up. I often 4 3 2 1 0 -
run out of credit on my bus/train/subway card.
8B My loved ones expect me to be late and stressed. 4 3 2 1 0 -
I get nervous or apprehensive when things are difficult or don’t

8C come easy to me. 4 3 2 1 0 -
I will often over-prepare before starting a task. This makes it more

8D complicated. 4 3 2 1 0 -
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1.2.2 Aspects of Procrastination Questionnaire: Score Sheet
Copy your scores for each of the questions into the corresponding box.
Once you have finished, add up each column to give a total. Then add
together your total score for each column to give an overall total.
Personal Admin Mood, Emotions

Relationships Work and Career
and Productivity and Confidence
A B C D
1 Score for 1A Score for 1B Score for 1C Score for 1D

TOTAL
0 /32 0 /32 0 /32 0 /32
OVERALL TOTAL 0 /128
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1.2.3 Aspects of Procrastination Questionnaire: Summary Matrix
Copy your total scores for each of the aspects into the corresponding box.
Also, write in your total score. Use the information on the next page to
interpret your score.
TOTAL
The aspect of procrastination that affects your personal life,

how well managed your life is, and how organized and in
Personal Admin control you are.
A 0 /32
and Productivity
Procrastinators often feel disorganized and out of control in
their personal lives. This can be a source of stress.
The aspect of procrastination concerned with how you get
along with other people, how you feel about these
relationships, and your ability to be honest with others.
B Relationships 0 /32
Procrastinators can struggle with relationships either
because they don’t feel in control and able to be honest
about how they feel or because they sometimes let people
down. Loved ones are often frustrated.
The aspect of procrastination concerned with your mood,
sense of self, and level of confidence.
Mood, Emotions
C 0 /32
and Confidence
Procrastinators feel shame and guilt. They berate themselves
for being useless. They often have low self-esteem.
The aspect of procrastination that impacts your working life
and career.
Work and
D 0 /32
Career Procrastinators are often inefficient at work; they can make
simple tasks more complicated and are fearful of not being
good enough.
OVERALL TOTAL 0 /128
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1.2.4 Aspects of Procrastination Questionnaire:
Interpreting Your Results
You can interpret the results from the questionnaire in two ways, firstly by
looking at the overall score to examine the extent of your procrastinating
behaviours and secondly to identify where these behaviours are most
evident in your life and the impact that they have.
OVERALL TOTAL SCORE
YOUR
SCORE SUMMARY SCORE
Your score indicates that you are not a chronic or habitual
Low Score procrastinator. Like all people, you may put off tasks that you
don’t want to do from time to time, but as a rule, you have things
0 - 32
under control.
Moderate Scores in this region indicate that there is a mild tendency to

Score procrastinate. While this score is not chronic, likely, your
procrastination habits will negatively impact your life from time to
33 - 64 time. You are probably aware when you procrastinate.
Your score indicates that you are a procrastinator. This will
Moderately significantly impact your life. It is likely that you struggle with
High Score organization and are often late. Your procrastination habits mean
that you waste a lot of time and do not achieve your potential.
65 - 96 Your procrastination habit will likely impact your mood and self-
confidence.
Scores in this region indicate chronic and habitual procrastination.
This pattern of behavior underpins your life, and its effects will be
High Score substantial. This will impact your self-confidence and sense of self.
You may struggle with other things such as low mood, poor sleep
97 or above
habits, and anxiety. Chronic procrastination can seriously affect
your career and financial health.
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Aspect Scores
Aspect scores will indicate where your habitual procrastination behaviors

impact most on your life. Placing a ✓ in the corresponding score box and
then read the summary below for each score.
Moderate Moderately
Low Score Score High Score High Score
0-8 9 - 16 17 - 24 25 or above
Personal Admin
Noticeable Significant
A and Limited Impact Some Impact
Impact Impact
Productivity
B Relationships Limited Impact Some Impact
Impact Impact
Mood,
C Emotions and Limited Impact Some Impact
Impact Impact
Confidence
Work and Noticeable Significant

D Limited Impact Some Impact
Career Impact Impact
SCORE ASPECT SUMMARY
Low Score Your procrastinating behaviors in this aspect of your life are minimal
0-8 and will have a limited impact.
Moderate Score Behaviors in this aspect of your life will have some impact. You need
9 - 16 to monitor these behaviors and take action when you notice them.
Moderately High Your procrastinating behaviors will have a noticeable impact on this
Score
aspect of your life. It is important to take action.
17 - 24
High Score Your procrastination has a very significant impact on this aspect of your
25 or above life. Urgent action is needed to reduce the stress associated with this.
Note: The above questionnaire is based on a range of research. The questions are for
indicative purposes. No validation work has been undertaken on this questionnaire.
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1.3 WHAT DO YOUR
RESULTS TELL YOU?
Facing up to your habitual behaviors is a Serial and chronic procrastinators face a

significant step on your journey to tackling much more complex landscape. It becomes
your procrastination. We need to be aware a behavioral condition that undermines
of the issues so that we can tackle them. much of their lives.
Congratulations for being open and
honest! Left unchecked, severe procrastination can
lead to other comorbid conditions such as
If your scores indicate that you tend to depression and anxiety, gambling, and
procrastinate, you are likely feeling shame, other forms of addiction. Practically
guilt, and a sense of failure right now. If so, speaking, it can impact our ability to hold
this needs to stop. You must be kind to down a job, affecting our financial future. It
yourself. After all, you have decided to take takes a toll physically as it can impact sleep
action, which is why you are here working and our health. Emotionally, procrastinators
through this workbook. It’s essential that are riddled with feelings of guilt, shame,
you recognize this. You are most certainly in and failure. Our mood is affected,
the right place. relationships suffer.
It’s important to remember that everyone The good news is that procrastination is not
procrastinates in some form. We might put a terminal condition. You can do lots to
off the ironing, delay sending our Christmas address it, which will have a very significant
cards, or conveniently ‘forget’ to defrost the impact on your life.
freezer. Such issues are situational and
rarely have catastrophic consequences. Now that we have started to take a close
look at our habitual behaviors, it’s essential
to reflect on our learning.
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TASK 📄
1.3.1 Building Awareness: Reflecting on Your Results
Take some time to reflect on your answers from the questionnaire. Answer
the questions on the following pages.
Reflect on the statements in the box below and write your thoughts
underneath each prompt. Use your results from the questionnaire and the
following questions to stimulate your thinking:
• How often do you procrastinate? Is it monthly, weekly, or even several

times a day?
• What is the impact? Does it impact your ability to lead a balanced and
healthy life?
• Does it lead to other issues such as feelings of guilt, shame, or failure?
• Do you struggle to stay organized and in control? Are you often late?
Are you always busy?
• Do you suffer from anxiety due to how much ‘stuff’ you have to do?
1. From completing the questionnaire, overall, my procrastinating behavior is:
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TASK
2. The aspects of my life where I struggle with procrastination the most are:
Personal Admin and Productivity

Relationships
Mood, Emotions and Confidence
Work and Career
📄
This impacts my life in the following specific ways:
I have missed out on the following things as a result of my procrastination:
3. The aspects of my procrastination that are unacceptable to me and need

improving are:
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1.4 A NOTE ON HIDDEN
PROCRASTINATION
Procrastination is a behavior to which most getting up from your desk to make a cup of
of us succumb. The overwhelming majority tea or coffee, endless snacking, or doing
of us procrastinate; it is one of the top continual favors for other people are classic
problems coaches and therapists address examples of hidden habits of
with their clients. procrastination.
While roughly 95% of us claim to While we might tell ourselves that we are
procrastinate in some form, research shows hungry, thirsty, or just being helpful to
it has a more destructive effect on about justify our actions, the truth is that we are
20% of the population. merely avoiding what we don’t want to do.
It’s important to recognize these behaviors
At times procrastination can manifest in for what they are. Some of them might
indirect ways, and this can mean that we seem harmless, but the cumulative effect is
might not even be aware that we are significant.
procrastinating and avoiding the things that
we don’t want to do. From the outside, we Take a moment now to consider if you have
are seemingly busy. Most of us are aware any hidden procrastination habits. Building
that working through the small, unimportant our awareness takes time. You might
jobs instead of the enormous, critical task is suddenly realize over the next couple of
a form of procrastination. However, there days that the minor foible or curious habit
are other ways that we procrastinate that we you have is a form of procrastination.
might not even be aware of. For example,
continually
Quick Reflection: My Hidden Procrastination Habits

📄
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"Time is a created thing. To
say, 'I don't have time' is to
say 'I don't want to'"
Lao Tzu
1.5 KEEPING SCORE:

RECORDING THE TRUTH
Now that you have begun to look at your

procrastinating behaviors with honesty and
openness, you will take this a step further
and examine the reality of the issue.
Recording the truth, seeing the proof of the
problem, and being honest about what your
world looks like is an integral part of the
change process.
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TASK 📄
1.5.1 Recording the Truth
As you work through the workbook this week, record your procrastinating
behaviors on the table over the page.
List your known procrastinating behaviors in the column on the left-hand

side. Add other behaviors as they come to your attention throughout the
week.
You can choose to record the time you spent on each behavior in minutes
or record every incidence when it happened using a tally chart.
At the end of each day, calculate the time spent procrastinating or the
number of separate incidences of procrastination. Total them up at the
end of the week.
Work hard and take notice, be conscious of your procrastination. There

will be other unproductive behaviors that are, in fact, procrastination; you
just might not have recognized them as this before!
You can repeat this exercise as many times as you like. It’s an excellent way
to measure your progress.
32
TASK
Week Commencing: afasdfasdf
Recording the Truth

Procrastinating Behaviour Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Total
📄
Total
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1.6 WHAT DO YOU WANT
TO BE DIFFERENT?
As we draw this first chapter of the

workbook to a close and our awareness
builds, it’s essential to take some time to
reflect on what you want to achieve at the
end of this process. You have already
started this by completing the
questionnaire, which has enabled you to
explore your habitual behaviors in more
detail. You have now started to log your
behaviors each day.
Coaching is about making a tangible

difference in your life, and at the end of this
workbook, you should expect to see
positive change. However, what will this look
like? What do you want to change? What
difference do you want to see in your life?
We’re going to conclude this chapter of the

workbook by setting some goals. These
don’t need to lengthy or complicated, but
they do need to honest and reflect what
you want – not what you feel you should do.
Your motivation for the goals you are about

to set is crucial. Lasting and sustained
change occurs when your goals are in
alignment with what you want. In other
words, you are intrinsically motivated.
Often, we set goals because we feel it’s

what we ‘have to do’ or we ‘should do.’
Goals framed in this way are rarely
successful because the motivation is
extrinsic – it comes from outside you. The
level of intrinsic motivation in your goals
needs to be high. It would help if you
began with a ‘what’s in it for me?’ mindset.
34
Self-determination theory is an important For example, if the sentence starts with
concept; it states that each person can “I must” or “I should,” this is not an
manage their own life, make their own appropriate goal because the motivation
decisions, and have control. Many of these |is outside of you; it is extrinsic. If the
emotions are often out of kilter in the sentence starts with “I’d love to” or “I’d
procrastinator. Thus, in setting the goals really like to,” then the goal is intrinsic
that you want to achieve from this process, and is coming from inside of you. That’s
you need to ensure that you are honest and great!
clear about what you want to be intrinsically
motivated. These goals should exercise This might take a bit of time to think
self-determination; they are about taking through. That’s OK. Take some time to
control of your life. digest your learning so far. Think about
what you learned from the questionnaire
Take some time to think about what you want and if you have any hidden habits of
to achieve by the end of this process. We’re procrastination. Consider your reflection
not going to be strict about how you write about the impact your procrastination
these goals. They don’t need to be SMART, habit has on your life and what it is that
but they do need to be explicit and intrinsic. you would like to change.
Once you have some idea about what you’d These goals are yours and yours alone. It
like your goals to be, say them out loud. does not matter what they are, but they must
There is a reason for this! You need to belong to you. You do not need to share
check if the goal is intrinsic or extrinsic. them with anyone if you do not want to.
35
TASK 📄
1.6.1 Setting Intrinsic Goals
Take some time and write your goals on the next page. These goals
should summarise what you would like to achieve at the end of the
process. They should be a useful guide to motivate you and measure your
progress.
These goals should be clearly defined and tangible, giving a clear picture
of where you are heading.
We have shared some examples to help you.
Example: “I would love to have control of my schedule so that

I only say ‘yes’ to things that I really want to do. I want to
arrive at
engagements on time and calm.”
Example: “I really want to get home from work on time so that

I can have dinner with my family every night around the table.”
36
TASK 📄
37
1.7 CONCLUSIONS
AND GETTING READY TO
MOVE ON
You’ve reached the end of the first chapter
– congratulations!
You should now have a clearer picture of

your procrastination habits and what they
look like. You’ll appreciate the overall
impact of your procrastination and
understand how your habitual behaviors
impact your life. You’ll also have a clearer
idea of what you want to achieve at the end
of this process.
Coaching takes time. Some of the best

learning often takes place between
sessions. So, if you have time, take a break
to consider your understanding so far.
Remember, you are building your
awareness. You must have a complete
picture of what’s going on; sometimes, it
takes a while for us to see things as they are.
Be compassionate to yourself in your
reflection. Although you might feel
frustration and resentment towards your
procrastination at this point, it’s important to
remember that whatever brought you here
was well-intended. Procrastination is about
protection—more of this in the next chapter.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Procrastination can be contributing factor in

several medical conditions such as stress and
anxiety. While the techniques and exercises in
this workbook will help you learn to manage
your procrastination, they are for guidance
only. If you feel unwell as a result of stress or
an anxiety-related condition, you should
consult a qualified medical professional.
38
2 WHY DO I PROCRASTINATE?
WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?
Developing Our Understanding: Exploring Our Emotions and Beliefs
Procrastination is no longer thought of as

merely a poor time management problem.
situations they find difficult, stressful, or
unpleasant.
Research has shown that this is far more
complex. Procrastination is a struggle to Of course, the issue is compounded by
control how we respond emotionally to other behaviors and traits, such as
situations that we find stressful. perfectionism, a lack of confidence, anxiety,
and a flawed concept of time. But at its
heart sits the struggle with emotion
INTRODUCTION: management and self-control.
Even though they know it will make them

Over the last 30 years, our understanding of feel bad, procrastinators still delay tasks
procrastination has evolved. Procrastinators because they struggle to face and deal with
are no longer considered to be inefficient their emotions.
time managers. Researchers now recognize
that procrastination is far more complicated It's not the task that you're avoiding per se.
than it appears on the surface. It's the way that it makes you feel that's the
issue.
Procrastination is centered on ineffective
emotion regulation. This means that The emotions that trigger task avoidance
procrastinators struggle to control and are wide-ranging and personal; a range of
tolerate how they respond emotionally to emotions set off different people.
39
For example, we avoid tasks because of: habitual behavior of each procrastinator.
• Boredom From this simple list, can you recognize
• A lack of enjoyment yours? It’s easy to see that the delaying
• Resentment tactics might be the same (e.g., you engage
• A lack of organization in a series of non-urgent tasks), but the
• Not knowing how to prioritize reasons that sit behind them are
• Fear of failure or getting it wrong varied.Procrastinators are conquered by
• Poor decision-making skills (often these emotions. They struggle to accept
associated with a fear of getting things and deal with them. Even though they know
wrong) their task avoidance will lead to feelings of
• Being fearful of success and the shame and guilt, they cannot take charge of
possibility of being swamped with their emotions and face them head-on.
further requests Instead, they delay and put things off
• Not being good enough despite knowing that they will be in a worse
• Perfectionism position.
• Complexity: we don't know where to
start, and the task is challenging Procrastination is often incorrectly labeled
• Because there is something else more as laziness. The irony is that procrastinators
fun to do instead, and the joy of giving rarely sit around doing nothing; on the
in to temptation is scintillating. contrary, they are usually very busy people.
It is an active process, where you choose to
This is by no means an exhaustive list. do something else instead of the task at
hand.
There will likely be a core of several
signature emotions that dominate the
Initial Thoughts: What Emotions Trigger Your Task Avoidance?

📄
40
2.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF
EMOTION REGULATION
Psychologists now attribute procrastination
to the way our brains and emotions
function. As we have just explored, poor
emotional regulation is the foundation of
procrastination. It is the inability to accept,
tolerate and endure emotions and feelings
that make us uncomfortable that causes
issues for the procrastinator.
Emotional regulation is comprised of a

series of skills. These include:
• Being aware of our emotions and
accepting them
• The ability to differentiate between
differing emotions
• Being able to identify and label our
emotions
• Having the ability to cope with and
tolerate difficult and unpleasant (also
called aversive) emotions and enduring
periods dominated by these emotions
• Managing and modifying our emotions
so that we can better cope with
challenging situations
• Supporting ourselves through difficult or
unpleasant emotional experiences.
Thankfully, you can develop these skills to

address your procrastination—more on this
in a later chapter. For now, we are going to
focus on growing your understanding of
your behaviors and the emotions that you
struggle to tolerate. It is these emotions
that sit at the heart of your procrastination.
By identifying your particular reasons for

procrastinating, you can take action which is
personalized to your specific needs.
41
2.2 WHAT IS OUR INNER
PROCRASTINATOR SAYING?
Don't be intimidated by this. You'll likely

While a flawed concept of time can be a feel that you don't know where to start with
factor, procrastination boils down to the this right now. There are a series of steps
inability to manage stress and distress. that we can work through to help you
Unable to regulate and control their precisely identify these emotions. Now is
emotions, procrastinators find it easier to the time to connect with our inner
avoid the source of their discomfort even procrastinator and find out what they are
though they know it will make them feel saying! Again, we are building our
bad. Psychologists now accept that the awareness to be in a strong position to take
solution to ingrained procrastination is not action. Remember, you can only deal with
just about 'getting on with it.' something that you are prepared to
acknowledge fully.
Now that we have spent some time in the
first chapter acknowledging the extent and
the impact of your procrastination, the next
step is to face the emotions you are avoiding.
42
"Procrastination is like a
credit card; it's lots of fun
until you get the bill."
2.2.1 ENGAGING WITH YOUR
INNER PROCRASTINATOR Christopher Parker
We all have an internal narrator: a voice that you master it before you realize it'll drift off
provides a constant running commentary to down some strange alleyway, and it will
our lives. begin its inane, random commentary.
Many people have never given this much Those of you who practice mindfulness or
thought because they’ve never known a life yoga will be used to these observations and
without the voice. Just like the sound of our may be able to silence the voice. This will
beating heart in our ears, we're so used to it be new to others, and now that you know
being there; we don't even notice it. it's there, it can be a little irritating.
Maybe, until now, you haven't even been Apologies. Ignorance is indeed bliss.
conscious of its existence.
Now we need to connect with the aspect of
The voice is like the heat that emits from the voice that procrastinates – your inner
the back of your refrigerator. It's a by- procrastinator. We are going to engage
product of the workings of a busy mind. with our inner procrastinator to find out
what's going on.
Take a moment now. You might want to pick
up a pen and grab yourself a piece of
paper, alternatively sit and observe what the
voice is saying. Relax and allow the muscle
to be at rest – don’t force it. It might take
2.2.2 DIALLING THE INNER
some time to loosen the leash a little, but PROCRASTINATOR: WHAT'S
once you allow it to roam freely, it’s GOING ON?
fascinating what comes out.
Ahead of this task, it's important to practice
It flits from one topic to the next, without listening to your inner voice. An excellent
rhyme or reason, covering a cornucopia of way to do this is to sit down in a quiet room
issues from the profound and the existential with a pen and paper and write down what
to the tedious and the down-right paranoid. the voice is saying. This is called stream of
consciousness writing. You need to practice
Actively observing the voice might take a dialing into the voice so that you can call it
bit of practice. It's likely to take some time up when needed. This exercise might seem
to relax and stop steering it. However, once a little crazy at first! Go with it. It does work.
43
TASK 📄
2.2.2 Dialling In the Inner Procrastinator
It's best if you complete this task over several days or more. You can
complete it faster and concurrently with other tasks in the workbook.
However, if you invest the time into this task, it will build your awareness
so that you fully understand the emotions associated with your
procrastination. Taking time on this will pay dividends.
We are now going to dial into the inner procrastinator and log the
incidences of procrastination to see what's going on. Take action as
follows:
1. Go about your daily life as usual, paying particular attention to your

habitual procrastination behaviors.
2. When you notice that you are procrastinating, stop and dial into the
voice and the aspect of it procrastinating.
3. Have a conversation with the voice and challenge it. It will look
something like this:
Noted behavior: You notice that you have 65 emails marked

as unread in your inbox. You have read them all and just
kept them as unread as they require an action of some kind.
You are struggling to take action and do something about
them. They are just sitting there. You feel guilty, and it's
getting you down.
The conversation:
You: Hey, why are there so many unread emails in my

inbox? I've read them all at least once. I know that
I need to do something with them, so what's
taking so long?
44
TASK 📄
Inner Procrastinator: Are you talking to me?! Well, I'm swamped at the
moment. I spend time on other things that need
to get done.
You: Yes, but they've all been read at least once. You've
wasted so much time already. Why weren't they
dealt with the first time you read them? You've
been on Facebook for the last 15 minutes –
wouldn't dealing with the emails be a better use of
time?
Inner Procrastinator: I don’t know!!! Why are you getting at me? It’s not
exactly an exciting task is it! Gah! You are wasting
my time!
You: Ahhh! No, come on, let's go with this. I get your
point about excitement but come on, for once,
let’s be honest. Why are you not dealing with the
emails?
Inner Procrastinator: OK! OK! You got me! They are so damn
boooorrrriiinnngggg! I mean, who wants to email
that form back to bank?! I know that there is
something in there about work, but I really can't
be bothered to upload my CV to yet another site.
It's all just so tedious. I hate it. Life should be
more exciting than this. Hmmm. OK. I see where
this is going.
You: Thank you for your honesty.
4. Next, log the interaction on the record sheet over the page.
5. Try and log as many interactions as you can over several days or a
week or so. Remember, it's essential to be honest. Don't be surprised
if some deep stuff comes out about being sacred of failing etc.
45
2.2.2 Dialling In the Inner Procrastinator Recording Sheet
You should aim to record eight or more incidences of your procrastination

to get a good feel for your dominant emotions. You might find that the
table doesn't give you enough space to record your thoughts. That's fine.
Switch to your journal and record the detail here. Try to summarise the
incidents and the dominant emotions as briefly as you can.
Rationale Given by Dominant

How it Makes You Internal
Noted Behaviour Emotions Being
Feel Procrastinator for Avoided
Avoiding the Task
I dread logging
on. I feel like a
failure and
It's a tiresome
guilty for not • Boredom
Example: There task. It's
doing anything • Tedium
are 65 emails in tedious. Life
about it. The • Lack of
my inbox that should be more
situation is excitement
need action. exciting than
getting worse. I • Resentment
this.
am getting
further and
further behind.
46
Rationale Given by Dominant
How it Makes You Internal
Noted Behaviour Emotions Being
Feel Procrastinator for Avoided
Avoiding the Task
47
2.2.3 The Dominant Emotions
Once you have spent some time on this and have recorded several
examples, collate your dominant emotions in the table below. Try to
summarise what it is about the feeling that you find particularly hard to
deal with.
My Top Dominant Emotions

Why I Find This Emotion
That I Avoid
Hard to Deal With
(Group similar emotions together)
I HATE being bored. Life is short,

and I want to live it doing things
that I love and feel passionate
• Tedium/Boredom/Resentment about. I don’t believe that feeling
this way is a good way to spend my
time. I resent being forced to do
boring stuff.
48
2.2.4 Reflection
What have you learned from this activity? How has this increased your
awareness about your habitual procrastinating behaviors? What have you
learned about yourself? Are there any surprises?
At this stage, you might start to feel a dawning sense of realization about
avoiding tasks. If you find yourself wanting to spring into action, that's
great but be careful not to overwhelm yourself.
49
2.3 THE PRESENT SELF
VERSUS THE FUTURE SELF
As a coping mechanism, procrastination is immediately restored and even excited

all about avoidance and a lack of self- about achieving things in the future. We
control. The behavior is self-defeating consider ‘tomorrow’ through this lens of
because it only benefits the present-self in positivity and – ta-dah! –it makes perfect
the here and now. The reward is sense to start the diet/filing/enormous work
immediate; we banish the negative task later.
emotions associated with the task – fear,
boredom, irritation, resentment. But the job Sadly, procrastinators seldom learn from
itself remains, lurking and untouched like a their mistakes. Instead, we are blinded
dark cloud. repeatedly by the instant gratification that
comes with stalling. We naively believe that
Our selfish present-self leaves our future- the future self will suddenly be able to deal
self to deal with the task and the different with the emotions that are proving to be
emotions and pressure that come with it: too much now. We never think about how
stress, increased time pressure, and self- unrealistic this assumption is.
loathing caused by the earlier unnecessary Now that we have identified the emotions
avoidance. that we are seeking to avoid, we will take a
closer look at the beliefs that underpin
So, why does the present-self set up the these thought processes.
future-self in this way?
• What is it that you believe to be true
Research has shown that we rely on the that drives these aversions (avoidance of
present-self to predict how we will feel in emotions)?
the future. This is known as affective • What limiting beliefs do you hold that
forecasting. The term was coined in the make these emotions so intolerable?
1990s by psychologists Daniel Gilbert and • Why do you always delegate things to
Timothy Wilson. They discovered that your future self? Why can't you deal with
people are often blinded and overwhelmed them now?
by feelings in the present moment to such
an extent that we cannot accurately foresee Our next exercise will address these questions.
how we will feel in the future.
As procrastinators, we soothe the present-

self by convincing ourselves that the future-
self will be better equipped to deal with the
emotion associated with the task or
situation. We let ourselves off the hook, and
the relief is instant. When we relieve
ourselves of the unpleasant stress and do
something more enjoyable, we feel
50
Procrastination
has taught me how
to do 30 minutes
of work in 8 hours
and 8 hours of work
in 30 minutes.
51
2.4 PERFECTIONISM, FEAR
AND LIMITING BELIEFS
Research has identified several drivers of doing it badly or below expectation. We may
procrastination. Unsurprisingly anxiety and also worry about what other people think.
a lack of self-confidence feature
significantly. Procrastinators often dwell on This fear of failure, of not being good
negative thoughts and become stuck in enough, is a common emotion for
cycles of negativity. Also, the act of procrastinators. Fear in varying shapes and
procrastinating, while providing a sizes features very frequently.
temporary reprieve and mood boost,
quickly leads to feelings of shame and guilt. The sad truth is that the fears we hold and
This then leads us to procrastinate even trust as factually correct are not real or
further, and the cycle repeats. accurate. They are simply a manifestation of
our limiting beliefs. That is, they are false
Perfectionism and procrastination often go beliefs that we hold about ourselves. They
hand in hand. For many of us, it's easier restrict and inhibit us and generally make us
never even to start the task, than to risk feel miserable.
52
For example, we often think thoughts that because these fears are seldom based on
look something like this: reality. They are simply a creation of the
mind, manufactured due to past
“I can’t complete that difficult work task experiences and improbable future events
because I know it won’t be good enough. I over which we tend to catastrophize.
will get laughed at and dismissed as useless
by my colleagues. I may even get fired as a For the procrastinator, fear is the most
result.” effective form of self-sabotage. When we
focus on the imaginary scenario instead of
Really?! Be honest. When was the last time the present reality, we cause ourselves to
that happened? That's right. Never. procrastinate and run away to avoid those
However, we allow ourselves to be emotions that we are so fearful of.
dominated by these anxieties. Take some
time to observe these fear-based thoughts. Fear is simply a sequence of manufactured
When you notice them, take a moment to thoughts. We allow them to become real.
probe and dissect them. Are they true? The problem is that these thoughts have
been replayed countless times over many
Fear comes in all shapes and sizes: years, and so we accept them as reality. We
• Fear of failure never think to challenge or question these
• Fear of getting it wrong fears; we simply accept them. We
• Fear of being judged unwittingly allow these fears and beliefs,
• Fear that we don’t know enough these false truths, to inform our behavior
• Fear that we will be too successful and underpin how we feel about ourselves.
• Fear of not being as good as everyone
else. Now that we are aware of the dominant
emotions that we are looking to avoid when
We underestimate the price of these we procrastinate, we will go deeper still and
limiting beliefs and the impact they have on identify some of the limiting beliefs that we
our lives. The internal battle we hold about ourselves. These limiting beliefs
continuously fight with them is emotionally form part of the vicious circle of
exhausting. It’s also a waste of energy procrastination.
53
2.4.1 THE VICIOUS CIRCLE OF
PROCRASTINATION
It's easy to see why our limiting beliefs lead

us to a vicious circle of procrastination from
which it is hard to escape.
Interpretations,
generalisations, &
conclusions: Made quickly
with little evidence. Known
for being inaccurate. E.g.
"I'm useless."
Limiting beliefs form:

These are things we
Consequent
believe about ourselves
feelings of shame,
that are actually untrue.
guilt and failure
Personal Fears
e.g. "Whatever I do, it's
never good enough"
Fear based
behaviour: Distorted thinking &
Procrastination poor emotion regulation:
The struggle to face up to
our emotions. Avoiding the
dominant emotions that
make us feel bad.
54
2.5 IDENTIFYING YOUR
LIMITING BELIEFS
Now that we have identified the emotions

that we struggle to deal with head-on, we
will go deeper to identify the beliefs that
make these emotions so intolerable to you.
This exercise is based on the work of Nancy

Kline. It's quite a challenging exercise, and
you will need to take some time to think
deeply about the questions. It will help you
find a quiet space away from distractions
and the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Be ruthlessly compassionate here.
This exercise builds on your work from the

previous activity. Take some time to refresh
your thinking:
• What are the primary emotions that you

are avoiding by procrastinating?
• Why do you find them so hard to deal
with?
55
TASK 📄
2.5.1 Identifying My Limiting Beliefs
Using the sheets over the page, explore further each the different
emotions you are avoiding by answering the following questions:
1. What am I assuming about this emotion (or group of similar feelings)

that stops me from achieving?
2. Which is the biggest block for me?
3. Is this true?
4. What would be a more useful, freeing assumption?
5. If I knew that <insert more useful, freeing assumption here> what

action would you take?
Record your thinking on the following pages. Use one page for each
emotion you are avoiding.
An example is provided to help you.
Remember! Make time and space to think about these questions.
56
TASK
Identifying My Limiting Beliefs: Recording Sheet EXAMPLE
The emotion (or group of emotions) that I am seeking to avoid:

Tedium, Boredom & Resentment
Why I find this emotion hard to deal with:

📄
I can’t handle being bored. I haven’t got the energy to work
through things that bore me. It’ll take too long and waste my
time when I could be spending this time on things that I believe
are more valuable and important to me.
Kline’s Incisive Questions:

I can’t handle being bored. I haven’t got the energy to work
through things that bore me. It’ll take too long and waste my
time when I could be spending this time on things that I
believe are more valuable and important to me.

It’ll take too long.
3. Is this true?
No. If I focussed and didn't allow myself to be distracted, I
could easily get the tasks completed relatively quickly.

Sometimes in life, we all have to do tedious and boring jobs.
However, they are essential as they allow me to live, keep me
organized, and alleviate problems. With focus and no
distractions, I can complete these tasks quickly with little
fuss.
5. If I knew that <insert more useful, freeing assumption here> what action
would you take?
I'd allocate some quiet time, turn off my notifications and
get a quarter of the emails done. Then I'd schedule a time
for the rest.
57
Identifying My Limiting Beliefs: Recording Sheet

3. Is this true?
would you take?
58

3. Is this true?
would you take?
59

3. Is this true?
would you take?
60

3. Is this true?
would you take?
61

3. Is this true?
would you take?
62
2.5.2 Reflection: Identifying my Limiting Beliefs
Now review your answers to Kline’s incisive questions. Were you surprised
by your thinking? What have you learned from this activity? How has this
increased your awareness about your limiting beliefs? What have you
learned about yourself? Are there any surprises? What action are you now
going to take?
It's important to reiterate that this is a challenging exercise. Go easy on yourself if it takes
time to dig into these thoughts. Make sure that you find this time and invest in yourself.
Uncovering these limiting beliefs, these false truths that dictate so much of your life is
transformative and is a very significant step in building your awareness. It might help to
discuss this exercise with a trusted loved one or friend if you feel comfortable doing so. You
could ask them to run through the questions with you. Ensure that you set aside some time
to do this properly and don't be tempted to rush.
63
2.6 THE POSITIVE that we are worthless, thus causing further
INTENTION BEHIND OUR distress and anxiety. This self-
PROCRASTINATION admonishment is not helpful. We make
ourselves feel worse.
It’s essential to recognize that there is a As we begin to construct the road to our
positive intention behind every ‘bad’ recovery, we need to start to shift our
behavior. Humans, by nature, are designed attitude towards our procrastinating
to move towards pleasure and away from behaviors. Of course, it is a profoundly
pain. It’s a fairly simplistic approach to destructive habitual behavior, but it comes
survival. By procrastinating, we are trying to from a good place. To move forwards
protect ourselves from a stressful situation. positively, we must recognize this.
Procrastination is about protection.
However, instead of accepting this
unconscious gesture of self-care, noting it,
and then finding a way forward, we beat
ourselves up emotionally, telling ourselves
Reflection: What Benefits Can You See in Your Procrastination?

📄
64
2.7 CONCLUSIONS
Me: I’ll do it at 10.
MOVE ON Time: 10.02
Congratulations, you've now finished the
Me: Too late now.
second chapter of this workbook and
undertaken some heavy lifting along the I’ll have to
start at 11.
way! The series of exercises contained in
this chapter are not easy, but they are worth
it. Well done!
You will now have a much clearer picture of

the dominant emotions that you are trying
to avoid and limiting beliefs that you hold
about yourself that underpin these. You'll
likely have made some reasonably startling
observations about your thoughts and the
impact that these have on your life.
Remember, you are trying to address

behavior that has been present in your life
for a long time. This isn't going to happen
overnight. If you feel that you haven't quite
got to the heart of your procrastination yet,
that's fine. Slow down and invest a little
more time by revisiting the content and
exercises in this chapter. This is a private
journey for your benefit. It's not a race.
Remember to be ruthlessly compassionate
towards yourself. We are not here to
admonish. We are here to understand,
learn, and move forwards.
In the next chapter, we'll look specifically at

what action we can take to address our
procrastinating behaviors.
65
3 WHAT ACTION CAN WE TAKE?
Making Progress: Learning to Modify Our Emotions and Behaviors
Using a Range of Strategies
Procrastination is not a terminal condition. comes from a well-intentioned place in our

It is possible to correct this destructive sub-conscious. Procrastination is ham-fisted
behavior by focussing on both its cognitive self-care.
and behavioral aspects. This takes hard
work, commitment, patience, and self- A crucial step forward is to acknowledge
forgiveness. With determination, dramatic this and to treat ourselves gently. Don't
change is possible. Practice the strategies beat yourself up. It's a waste of time, and
that work for you. you never learn anything; all this approach
does is erode your confidence and reinforce
already held, incorrect negative self-
INTRODUCTION: assumptions. This is why procrastinators
rarely change without intervention. So,
congratulations on coming this far and
Procrastination can have a significant taking action to address your
impact on our lives. However, it is not a procrastination!
terminal condition, and we can tackle it;
change is possible. Gently steer yourself back on course.
Repeatedly. To deal with procrastination
To effectively address the problem, chronic once and for all, patience is a crucial skill.
procrastinators need to explore strategies Research has shown that procrastinators are
that strengthen their self-control and build less able to demonstrate self-compassion
their emotion regulation skills. We need to and forgiveness towards themselves.
develop the cognitive processes involved in Noting this trait is vital as we build our
executive functioning so that the present understanding of ‘why’ we procrastinate
adult self takes control and address the and take action to correct it.
issues in the 'now.'
Humans as a whole do not excel at self-
Additionally, as we saw in the previous compassion, although we can exercise this
chapter, although procrastination is a multi- will freely with others to whom we regularly
faceted negative behavior, it nevertheless demonstrate loving-kindness.
66
Now that we are clearer on the extent and
causes of our procrastination, in this
chapter, we will examine the psychological
aspects of addressing our procrastination
habits and some different approaches we
can take. In Chapter 4, we will look at some
effective strategies we can use to reinforce
this understanding. Tomorrow (noun)
As outlined at the start of this workbook, a mystical land
and as is the case in any self-development
journey, journaling will help you progress.
You don’t need to morph into Marcus
where 99% of all
Aurelius or Mark Twain; your journal doesn't
need to read like a piece of Nobel prize-
human productivity,
winning literature. Nor does it need to be
read by anyone else. It should be raw and, motivation
and achievement
maybe, a little bit messy. It’s an opportunity
for you to consider and reflect. The process
of reflection is far more important than the
end product. is stored
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3.1 BUILDING EMOTION- A concept central to emotion regulation is
REGULATION SKILLS accepting that we all suffer from
unpleasant, stressful, and negative
As we go about our daily lives, we are emotions and that this is part of a balanced
continuously exposed to a range of life. Emotion regulation is understanding
different stimuli. Emotion regulation is the this and coping with these emotions in a
practice of responding to these stable way when they occur, not losing
experiences, or triggers, in a socially control.
acceptable way while allowing for natural,
spontaneous reactions. Emotion regulation People who struggle with emotion
is successfully managing one’s emotional regulation are characterized by emotional
state. As outlined earlier in this workbook, vulnerability and volatility. We all know
emotion regulation skills include: people who suffer from this kind of
• Being aware of our emotions and emotional suffering: you are never quite
accepting them sure how they will respond to a situation,
• The ability to differentiate between they are well known for being
differing emotions unpredictable. When emotion regulation
• Being able to identify and label our fails, people often say and do things they
emotions later regret.
• Having the ability to cope with and
tolerate difficult and unpleasant (also Emotional dysregulation is often
called aversive) emotions and enduring demonstrated by:
periods dominated by these emotions • Overreaction to relatively minor events
• Managing and modifying our emotions • Emotional outburst such as crying,
so that we can better cope with sobbing, screaming
challenging situations • Overly emotional responses such as
• Supporting ourselves through difficult or blaming, becoming aggressive,
unpleasant emotional experiences. becoming 'moody' or even passive-
aggressive
As high-functioning adults, we take much of • Avoidance – as in the case of the
the complex processes involved in emotion procrastinator.
regulation for granted. It occurs somewhere
in the dark recesses of our brain, almost like Not everyone who struggles with emotion
an autopilot. However, these skills play a regulation is necessarily 'noisy' about it.
vital role in our lives. Even knowing that the Sometimes these people might remove
processes of emotion regulation exist can themselves from situations and shut down,
dramatically impact how we respond to going into the darkness of their private
situations. While we might never fully universe.
control how we feel, we can undoubtedly
excise more control about how we respond One of the great things about emotion
– the issue at the heart of our regulation is that you can actively develop
procrastination. these skills.
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3.2 LABELLING
AND UNDERSTANDING
EMOTIONS
As we have discussed in this workbook, at Primary emotions are our natural responses
the heart of your procrastination lies the to stimuli, and they are largely beyond our
well-intended action of your sub-conscious control. They are instantaneous. On the
to distract you from emotions that you find other hand, secondary emotions are much
unpleasant or difficult to tolerate. more within our control as we have more
choice over how we choose to respond to
By building a conscious habit of identifying the feeling.
our emotions, we can manage them more
effectively. As in procrastination, by labeling For example, in the case of being angry at a
our emotions, we can learn to tolerate and naughty child, our primary and secondary
work with them. Scientific research has emotions might look as follows:
proven that the simple act of labeling our
emotions can reduce the physiological
impact of our feelings. In other words, when
we name them, we can better handle them. ENRAGED
Lose you temper,

It's essential to be specific and descriptive shout and yell in
in labeling our emotions as it helps us an uncontrolled
understand them. You cannot address rage.
something that you do
not acknowledge
and understand.
Secondary
It's also Emotions- FRUSTRATED
important to we choose how
consider our Sternly tell the child
we respond to to go to their
emotions as the primary room.
being either emotion.
primary or
secondary.
Primary emotions
are our initial Primary Emotion: Anger CONCERNED
feelings, for example, Calmly inform the
child that you do not
being angry at a naughty child or feeling like their behaviour
and then ask them
sad when someone dies. Secondary why they are
emotions are the things that behaving in
the way.
happen next; they are the response to our
primary emotions.
69
The same is true for procrastination. When discussed, it is the gap between intention
we procrastinate, our emotions might look and action that causes the issues. We need
something like the list below, note the third to take action once we have labeled our
green option shows the alternative, which is emotions.
rarely chosen by the procrastinator.
This next task builds further on the
While we know the value of labeling and awareness we developed in the previous
accepting our emotions, there is still work chapters and focuses on approaching tasks.
to be done for the procrastinator. Labeling
alone is not enough. As we have already
Primary Emotions Secondary Emotions
Afraid – fear of failure • Discouraged and melancholic

• Irritable and bitter
• Cautious but curious
Empty, bored • Aggravated and annoyed
• Resentful and agitated
• Calm and accepting
Exhausted, cannot face the effort, • Pessimistic and hopeless
overwhelmed • Resistant and hostile
• Hopeful and tolerant
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"Procrastination is
the most common
manifestation of resistance
because it's the easiest
to rationalize.
We don't tell ourselves,

'I'm never going to write
my symphony.'
Instead, we say,
'I am going to write
my symphony;
I'm just going to
do it tomorrow.'"
Steven Pressfield, The War of Art
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TASK 📄
3.2.1 CARR: Sitting in the Seat of Your Procrastination: Using
Psychology to Approach Tasks
This task is a significant step in working to reduce our procrastination. Use

this approach as you tackle the jobs on your to-do list. …
We have begun to shine a light on the emotions at the center of our

procrastination. Our awareness of these feelings, which are unique to us, is
increasing. When we procrastinate, we are paralyzed by these emotions,
and they stop us moving forwards and instead cause us to delay and avoid.
As our fluency in identifying and labeling these emotions increases, we are

in a stable position to move forwards. Psychologist James Gross, a leading
light in emotion regulation research, states that we can control our
emotions at different points in a situation – both before it occurs and after
we have started to respond emotionally.
Using the following approach to tasks, we start by accepting our

procrastination; we then seek to work with it.
1. C omprehend Your Triggers – Plan and Modify Them
By this point in the journey, you'll be aware of the issues that trigger your
procrastination. The simple act of being conscious of what these are will
have a significant impact. Immediately you can adopt a subject-object
view. In other words, the emotions associated with your procrastination
become a separate external entity and not who you are. You, the subject,
can observe the object, the feelings associated with your procrastination.
In advance of a situation where you know that you are likely to procrastinate,
plan and make adjustments. This doesn't need to be a massive exercise and
can involve making some subtle changes. For example:
• If the task seems impossible and you don't know where to start, just
start. Set yourself a strict time limit and work for a set time.
• Commit to reading half of the emails and schedule the other half for
another time.
72
TASK
•
•
If you are intimidated by the task and are frightened of not being able
to do it, schedule a meeting or a call with someone who can help you.
If you find the task simply boring, schedule something you find
enjoyable immediately afterward.
📄
2. A djust Your Focus
In advance, you can make your environment more pleasant, play some
gentle background music, make a pot of tea to drink as you work, have
some tasty snacks on hand. The simple act of being conscious of your
procrastination emotions means that you are aware of what they are when
they start to gnaw at you. When you begin to feel distracted by them,
recognize them, pause and then move on.
For example, if you have a lengthy report to write, you might sit down and
start the introduction before the feeling of boredom begins to overwhelm
you. Once this starts, recognize it, note it and then shift your attention to
something else. Instead, focus on how much better you'll feel once the
report is done and then refocus your attention on the task at hand.
Remember, you, the subject, can observe the object, the feelings
associated with your procrastination. Work to actively separate yourself.
3. R eappraise – Look for the Silver Lining
You might not be able to change the situation, but you can change how
you feel about it. Cognitive reappraisal is replacing negative thoughts that
make us feel unhappy with thoughts that give us feelings of happiness
instead. Research has shown that people who actively reinterpret the
meaning of negative emotions can restore their positive mood. There are
longer-term benefits such as increased resilience and self-confidence.
Label the dominant emotions associated with your procrastination, then

make it your goal to reappraise the situation. Do not be prepared to
accept procrastination as an option.
When you start, it might seem like too much of a leap to outright remove
the feeling of fear of dread, instead seek to lessen it.
The best way to do this is to 'look for the silver lining' (Allinson et al.,
2010) – in other words, look for the positive aspect of a seemingly
negative situation.
73
For example, say to yourself:
• I know that I am dreading writing this report, but once it's finished, I'll have
achieved something that I'll be proud of, and I'll learn a lot in the process.
• I know that trawling through these emails is boring, but when I'm done,
they won't be on my mind anymore. I'll feel much better. I'll be able to
relax this evening.
• I know that I don't know where to start, but I won't get anywhere if I do
nothing. I'm going to move forwards at least one step today.
4. R espond Differently
If all of the above fails, at least try to get a handle on your response, in
other words, the action that you are taking.
Don’t bury your head in the sand.
Don’t do nothing.
Do something.
• If you have tried and can't even start the report, email someone
appropriate and ask for help.
• Can't bring yourself to reply to all the emails? Fine. Be ruthless and
delete some of them so that you have fewer to respond to.
• Can’t find the energy to paint the spare bedroom? At least go and buy
the paint. Set your equipment out. Call a professional decorator.
The key here is not to do nothing.

Be brave. Take some kind of action to move forwards.
Key Reminders:
• The simple step of labeling feelings as you progress through tasks will
help you learn to manage your emotions. It will also help you to
empathize with others.
• It's part of an everyday, healthy existence to feel highs and lows.
• Not all emotions require emotion regulation.
Note: In some instances, emotion regulation issues can be a sign of a

more complex problem, such as depression. If you aren't able to work
through these exercises, either alone or with a coach's help, seek advice
from an appropriately trained medical professional.
When your first start out using this approach to tasks, use the prompt
sheet over the page to help you. Jot notes down in each section as you
work through the process.
74
PROMPT SHEET
CARR: Sitting in the Seat of Your Procrastination -

Using Psychology to Approach Tasks
Comprehend Your Triggers – Plan and Modify Them

Make simple adjustments to limit the impact of your triggers.
E.g., Set yourself a time limit to work on a difficult task.
Adjust Your Focus

When you start to feel yourself distracted by your
procrastination thoughts (things that encourage you to do
something other than the task at hand, stall, or delay), recognize
them, pause and then move on and think of something else.
Reappraise – Look for the Silver Lining

Label the dominant emotion associated with your
procrastination, then make it your goal to reappraise the
situation. Do not be prepared to accept procrastination as an
option. 'Look for the silver lining,' in other words, look for the
positive aspect of a seemingly negative situation.
Respond Differently
If all else fails, don’t bury your head in the sand.
Don’t do nothing.
Do something.
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TASK
3.3 FORGIVENESS
Research has shown that one of the most

effective remedies to address
procrastination is to practice self-
forgiveness. Psychologist Tim Pychyl found
3.3.1 A LOVE LETTER TO
YOUR FUTURE SELF
📄
We have already discussed that the selfish
present self sets the future self up to fail. By
avoiding unpleasant emotions in the now
that students who forgave themselves for and mistakenly believing that they will in a
procrastinating on an earlier exam were less better position to complete the task in the
likely to procrastinate on the second. In future, the present self effectively throws
other words, they broke the cycle by not the future self under a bus.
engaging in a self-admonishment and
beating themselves up. The future self pays the price. At some
point, the debt has to be paid. The price is
Pychyl and other researchers have found usually stress, a drain on self-worth, and
that procrastinators are less likely to reprimand.
exercise self-compassion. This is the reason
why you get stuck in the vicious circle of To address this, we need to develop a sense
procrastination we talked about in of empathy for the future self.
Chapter 2.
As you begin to address your behavior, it's

important to acknowledge this insight and
use it to our advantage. We need to learn
to forgive ourselves.
We have discussed that while our

procrastination is a profoundly destructive
habitual behavior, it nonetheless comes
from a good place. While on the surface,
self-forgiveness might seem easier said
than done, it is an elegantly simple solution.
76
TASK 📄
3.3.1 A Love Letter to Your Future Self
Your future self is almost you, but not entirely. While they might look,
sound, and have the same life as you; nevertheless, they have a different
set of problems, other thoughts, and different dreams.
You get to decide what their life will be like. If it will be filled with joy and
happiness or beset with trouble and difficulty. It's your choice.
The key is to see the future self as another person.
In seeing yourself as a different person, it’s easier to exercise empathy to-

wards them, rather like a beloved friend or family member.
You can choose to use this approach in several ways.
• Simply hold this thought in your mind at the point of your

procrastination. Are you the kind of person that shows so little empathy
towards another human being? Would you want to see someone else
put in such a position?
• Use this as a journal prompt and explore this topic in your writing.
• Create an 'Empathy Log' – like the one over the page. Keep it on hand,
and every time you feel yourself about to procrastinate, write a quick
note to your future self, following the prompts for guidance.
77
Self-Empathy Log
Dear Future Self...

However, I know
that I will put you in
a far worse position
I found myself if I do this. As a
about to This was because I result, I did/will do
procrastinate on the was struggling and the following
Date following... was feeling... instead...
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3.4 IF ALL ELSE FAILS...
STOPP
There will be times when, despite your best
intentions, you will find your emotions
getting the best of you. That's OK. You are
only human, after all. When you find yourself
struggling to manage your emotions and
find your procrastinating behaviors creeping
in, try to STOPP (Vivyan, 2015).
This is a powerful tool that will halt your

procrastination in its tracks!
3.4.1 STOPP
📄
STOPP is an approach based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with
elements of mindfulness. It's a framework you can apply when you feel
yourself losing control, or things are getting on top of you. It's quick and
easy to access and can be used in a range of situations. It will benefit
other aspects of your life.
Learning to pause between an intense emotional reaction and your

resulting actions is a critical life skill.
The outline below is an adapted version of Vivyan’s STOPP (2015), using

the work of Professor Steve Peters (2012) and Nancy Kline (1999).
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LEARN TO STOPP
Stop!
S o
o
Recognize that you are feeling intense emotions and are stressed.
Pause. Take no further action at this point.
Take a Breath
o Focus your attention on your breathing. Feel the rise and fall of your
T
chest as you breathe in and out.
o Allow yourself some time to calm down.
o Put some distance between you and the situation, physically by
taking a walk or emotionally by thinking of something that you find
uplifting.
Observe
o What is the focus of your attention?
O
o What is causing you to react in this way?
o What are you thinking?
o What are you assuming?
o What physiological sensations do you notice in your body?
Pull Back and Gain Perspective

o Step aboard your imaginary helicopter.
o Look at the bigger picture.
o
P
Ask yourself, ‘How important is this to the rest of my life?’
o How might someone else with a different view see this situation?
o What would a trusted friend say to you right now?
o How reliable is the witness? Is this true? Is it opinion or fact?
o What is the most significant barrier? What would be a more helpful,
freeing thought?
Practice What Works, Proceed & Plan

o Smile. Laugh at yourself. This is more powerful than you think!
o What things can you change? Do you want to stay where you are
P o
o
with the same problem or cut your losses and move forwards?
Can someone help you, or can you help someone else?
Decide on the best course of action for the situation. Make sure it
aligns with your values.
o Move on. Learn from the experience.
This is an adapted version of Vivyan’s STOPP (2015), using the work of Professor Steve Peters (2012) and Nancy Kline (1999).
80
3.5 CONCLUSIONS
MOVE ON
Congratulations, you've now finished the the goals you set for yourself in Chapter 1
third chapter of this workbook! and the steps you want to achieve along the
way. Practice getting good at your goals.
In this chapter, we explored a range of Emotion regulation is a crucial life skill.
different psychological strategies you can There is a range of healthy approaches that
use to address your procrastinating habits. you can take as part of everyday life to help
You will likely pick and choose and use the you in this endeavor: exercise, chatting to
ones that work for you. That's great! You friends and loved ones, meditation, and
don't need to be a slave to the process; be mindfulness, journaling, sleeping enough,
brave and decide what makes you feel taking a break when you need it. Be careful
comfortable. of investing too much in those behaviors
which cause more harm than good. They
We have explored the notion of emotion might feel great in the moment, but they
regulation and how you can learn to be have potentially longer-term consequences:
conscious of your feelings and better alcohol and drugs, excessive use of social
manage them. We saw how the simple act of media, becoming isolated.
labeling our emotions can be life-changing.
In the next chapter, we'll look specifically at
We then revisited the concept of the future a menu of strategies you can use to
self and how paying attention to this can manage your procrastination. Again, you
help us in the present. Finally, we looked at a will be able to choose those approaches
trusted strategy to employ when all else that suit you. You are in an empowered
fails. Your journey to correcting your position to make these decisions as your
behaviors is not going to be all plain sailing. awareness and understanding of your
There will be times when you cannot get a habitual behaviors is far more advanced
handle on your procrastination no matter than at the start of your journey.
what you do. That's fine. By now, you will
understand the importance of self-
compassion. The STOPP method will help
you as you procrastinate, but also in other
areas of your life.
There is no such thing as a perfect person.

Even at the end of this journey, there will
still be times when you procrastinate. That's
perfectly normal! You mustn't compare
yourself to other people. Instead, focus on
81
82
4 WHAT STRATEGIES SHOULD I USE?
Being Unique: Selecting the Approaches That Meet Your Needs. Re-
inforcing Understanding by Taking Action.
The change process is based on several awareness and understanding. Well done
factors, including awareness and for coming this far!
understanding. These elements reinforce
the likelihood of success when tangible Your understanding of your procrastination
action is finally taken. In this chapter, we and its origins should have increased
present over twenty-five different strategies significantly by this stage in the journey. You
to actively beat procrastination. Choose should be relatively clear about the extent
those that resonate with you based on your of your procrastination, the underlying
learning so far. emotions that sit at the heart of this
behavior, and now, as a result of your hard
work in Chapter 3, some idea of the kinds of
INTRODUCTION: psychological approaches that are effective
in getting you on the right track. The next
step on your journey is to consolidate your
Procrastination is a tough nut to crack. The
learning and progress by taking concrete
habits that you find so frustrating likely
action to bring about the positive changes
originated in your childhood. Accept that it
will take time to eradicate them completely that you want to see in your life.
but that you can begin to reshape them
immediately. The change process itself is This chapter will explore a range of different
based on several factors: awareness, strategies that you can deploy daily to
understanding, scaffolding, and taking modify your behavior. Based on the deep
action. The last step, taking action, is alone, awareness you now possess, you can make
not enough. Many people are tempted to informed decisions about what works for
skip the first few steps. However, in doing you. While procrastination is a common
so, they limit the extent of their success. For problem, its nuances are unique to the
an action to have a long-lasting impact, it individual. Different solutions will work for
must be based on a solid foundation of other people.
83
That you have come this far is a good • Strategies Focussed on Time
indicator of the likelihood of your success. • Getting Organised
It's sad but true; some people who • Mindset and Psychology
purchase this workbook won't progress past • Reward and Positive Reinforcement
Chapter 1. There will always be something • Accountability
more important to do, or they will be
unable to find the time. If you are here, at You can find the accompanying templates
the start of Chapter 4, having read and at the end of the chapter.
completed the exercises in the earlier
sections of this workbook, you have already Good luck and enjoy!
taken the most significant step. You have
tapped into the most critical element in the
battle to beat your procrastinating habits:
you have dug deeper and committed to
improving this aspect of your life, you have
found personal meaning.
Many people dream about desired results

but will not commit to the work required. In
this way, imagination is the enemy of
motivation. Taking practical, systematic, and
tangible steps forward, no matter how small
they might appear, is the only route to
success.
In this chapter, we present a range of

tangible strategies for you to review and
deploy. Not all of these will work for you.
Some of them may seem outlandish. Others
are straightforward. Take your time, read
them, consider them and then commit to
those that resonate with you. There is no
magic wand. Try. Rinse. Repeat. “Do not put
There are over twenty-five different
strategies in this chapter. Some of them are
your work off
simply ideas, thoughts, or snippets of
knowledge to hold in your mind and till tomorrow
and the day after.”
continuously refer to. Others are practical
approaches with an accompanying
template for you to complete.
The strategies are divided into five sections: Hesiod, Greek poet, 800 B.C.
84
4.1 STRATEGIES FOCUSSED
ON TIME
4.1.1. ‘JUST GET STARTED’ 4.1.2. THE FIVE-MINUTE RULE

Procrastination has little to do with time Even when you don't want to do something,
management. It’s all about emotions. As make a promise to do at least 5 minutes. At
Joseph Ferrari, Ph.D., Professor of the end of the 5 minutes, if you've had
Psychology at DePaul University Chicago, enough, that's fine – you have permission to
states: stop.
“It really has nothing to do with time- Researcher at the Yale Center for Emotional
management,” he says. “As I tell people, to Intelligence, Julia Moeller, suggests the
tell the chronic procrastinator to ‘just do it‘ notion of the five-minute rules is
would be like saying to a clinically emotionally comfortable. Commitment is
depressed person, 'cheer up.'" not required. You have the right to
reconsider your options at the end of the
Psychologist Tim Pychyl suggests that the five minutes. This increases ‘the feeling of
concept of ‘just do it’ is too overwhelming. being in control and making an
Instead, you need to focus on 'just get autonomous decision, rather than feeling
started.' He goes on to explain that we forced to do something the person really
believe that we have to feel super-motivated absolutely does not want to do.’
to get things done. Not the case at all. It's
OK to recognize that you don't want to do The real beauty in this approach is that it’s
the task. That’s fine. Just get started. more likely that you’ll end up working on
the task for much longer. As with 'just get
Research has shown that as we progress started,' your expectations of the job will
towards our goals that our well-being have been far more dismal than the reality.
improves. In the first instance, Pychyl states It’s very much a case of ‘things are rarely as
that we need to 'bootstrap a little progress.' bad as they first appear.'
In other words, use what limited motivational
resource you have to get the task underway. Also, any task, no matter how inane or dull,
This will then fire your motivation, and your can trigger a 'flow' state. The flow state,
progress will increase exponentially. Your also known as 'being in the zone,' was first
perception will change, the task won’t seem conceptualized by Hungarian-American
as hard as you initially thought. psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in
1975. When we are 'in flow,' we become lost
in a feeling of energized focus. Time flies.
Chances are you’ll spend far longer than 5
minutes on the task.
85
4.1.3. BREAK THINGS UP INTO
SMALLER PIECES
Procrastinators are intimidated by tasks that

appear overwhelming. It’s much easier to
break things up and then work through a
more manageable sequence of jobs.
However, you'll need to work hard not to

get stuck on the pre-phase of carving the
bigger job into smaller pieces. Try to think
of it as a recipe and sequence your steps in
the order that they need to occur, and then
begin to chip away at them. It’s totally up to
you to decide if you want to do all of the
steps one after the other or at different
times. You could even sandwich unpleasant
tasks between or before things that you
love to spend your time on.
Use the template in the Appendix.
4.1.4. MAKE A COMMITMENT

AND SCHEDULE YOUR TASKS
(SEE 4.2 ORGANISATION)
Shift your focus to ‘doing’ instead of

'thinking' or even 'avoiding.' Write down
the tasks you need to do on a To-Do list
and then schedule them in your diary.
Try and work out when you are most

productive and schedule your most
challenging tasks for then.
Some people recommend that you ‘eat the

frog first’ - in other words, get the worse
things done at the start of your day. Your
mind will then be free to focus on other
things instead of dreading what is to come.
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4.1.5 TRY THE POMODORO
TECHNIQUE
The Pomodoro Technique was developed in Each Pomodoro (25-minute slot) is
the 1980s by Francesco Cirillo to address separated by a 5-minute break.
several time management issues. Cirillo
believed that by working for long periods After working for four consecutive
both, the mind and the body suffer. In Pomodoro's, a more extended break of 15 –
particular, he noted that we are all less 20 minutes is taken.
productive in the latter part of the working
day. When working during each Pomodoro, you
are only permitted to focus on the task at
He found that people lost significant hand. You must not be distracted by any
amounts of time to seemingly minor other interruptions, such as checking emails
interruptions, which, when added together, or social media.
amounted to a large portion of the day.
The timer does several things, it instills a
The beauty of the Pomodoro Technique is sense of urgency, and you will see your
that it costs nothing to put into practice. All productivity increase. It also reminds you
you need are a timer and some sheets of when you need to take a break to maintain
paper. your rate of productivity.
In essence, all productive time is broken up Read this article here for a more detailed
into slots lasting for 25 minutes, otherwise explanation.
known as Pomodoro's, the Italian word for
tomato – named after Cirillo's original
kitchen timer.
87
4.1.6 FOCUS ON THE 4.1.8 BE REALISTIC-PLAN
LONG TERM FOR DELAYS
Research has shown that impulsivity and One of the most common behaviors of the
procrastination are associated. Impulsive procrastinator is their inability to be realistic
people tend to focus only on short-term about how long a task takes to complete.
gains. Work hard to switch your focus to the Procrastinators have a tendency not to
long term instead. allocate enough time to a task. When they
fail to complete it in the time given, the
Ask yourself, while there might be some negative cycle begins, and they become
short-term discomfort, what are the long- disillusioned.
term benefits of completing the task? (You
could use the template in the Cost-Benefit Instead, set yourself up for success, when
Analysis strategy to help you.) Alternatively, planning a task, add in additional time.
what will happen if you don’t complete the Even if you don't need it, you will feel a
task? You could use these questions as dramatic sense of accomplishment when
journal prompts. you complete things ahead of schedule.
This is an incredibly empowering strategy
but exercise caution. Don’t be over-
4.1.7 SET PERSONAL generous!
DEADLINES
Research has shown that procrastinators are

capable of setting meaningful deadlines for
themselves. While these aren't as effective
as professional deadlines, they do have a
positive impact. You can also pair them with
personal rewards.
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4.1.9 LIMIT PREPARATION 4.1.11 ACCEPT THE PACE OF
CHANGE
The procrastinator's hidden habit is
preparation time or 'procrasta-learning.' We have already discussed at length the
Many people lull themselves into a false need for self-compassion and realism.
sense of productivity and spend way too Accept that your procrastinating habits
long on getting ready to start the task. have been with you for a long time and that
they will take some dismantling.
This habit has its roots in imposter
syndrome; we might be comparing Change is possible and achievable, but it
ourselves to others, think that we don't will not happen overnight. Be patient. Limit
know 'enough,' and that we need to ensure self-sabotage by setting yourself
that we are 'ready.' Of course, preparation reasonable targets with reasonable time
is a vital part of any task. However, there is a scales. Don’t expect the impossible.
delicate balance to be struck.
You will never know everything. Likely, you

will never feel ready as a procrastinator –
this is actually about anxiety and emotion
regulation. Be conscious of this. Set a time
limit for preparation and stick to it.
4.1.10 LEARN THE ART

OF ‘NOW’
"Never forget: This very moment, we can

change our lives. There never was a moment,
and never will be, when we are without the
power to alter our destiny."
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks
and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, Steven
Pressfield
Write this down on a sticky note and put it

somewhere where you will see it, often.
We are what we do. If we do nothing but

fantasize about our dreams, we will achieve
nothing. The magic is in the doing. By
learning the art of 'now' repeatedly, we will
change our lives.
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4.2 GETTING ORGANIZED
4.2.1 CREATE A ‘LIVE’

TO-DO LIST
To-do lists are not known for being Finding the right tool is crucial. Make a list
incredibly inspiring or innovative; however, of what you want your app to do, conduct
they are handy. There is a real sense of the research and find the one that meets
safety and control in a useful to-do list. As your needs. Think about:
life rushes by, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. • Being able to split your list into separate
We all forget things. Capturing your tasks in sub-lists or projects
a safe place means that you can forget • Sharing your list with other people (such
about them until it’s time to get them done. as family members for personal things or
There is a satisfying sense of control that colleagues for work)
comes with an accurate ‘live’ to-do list. • Scheduling tasks in your diary – is there
Even the act of collating all of your jobs in a function for this?
one place will make you feel better. • Can you delegate things to other
people with who you share a list?
With a range of readily available apps for all • Can you print your list?
forms of computers and devices, there is no • Can you color-code things by priority
longer the need to rely on a simple slip of and also by theme?
paper. Many of us prefer a written to-do list,
and that's fine. Find the right app that There is no right or wrong here. Start simple
allows you to print off your weekly and/or and go from there. Get control.
daily list and electronically keep all your
jobs. This way, you can list things for several
months or even years hence. There is no
longer a need to forget anything.
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4.2.2 “PUT FIRST THINGS
FIRST”
“Effective leadership is putting first things

first. Effective management is discipline,
carrying it out."
Dr. Stephen R Covey
The truth is that you don't have to do

everything that other people want you to
do. A critical life skill is learning to say ‘no’
when appropriate so that you can focus on
your priorities.
The first step is to define your priorities in

life: your purpose, values, and goals.
Procrastinators often focus on short-term
gains instead of long-term objectives.
Identifying our ‘why’ is a great motivator
because it inspires us.
This is an extensive journey of self-discovery

to embark on (and probably a subject for
another workbook!). An excellent place to
start is by identifying your values. These act
as your moral compass. They will guide your
decision making and underpin many of the
choices that you make in life.
From there, you can align your tasks so that

they match your ‘first things’ – those values
that are most sacred in your life. This might
include things like putting your family first,
making a difference, social justice, or
invention. In the words of Dr. Covey, “It is
living and being driven by the principles
you value most, not by the agendas and
forces surrounding you.” In other words,
your values inform your priorities.
Read on for the next step.
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4.2.3 LEARN TO PRIORITIZE
WITH INTEGRITY
Your values are the touchstone of every

decision you make. Once you have clarity
on your values and your priories, a logical
next step is to use a simple Eisenhower
Matrix to help you order your tasks when
you are particularly busy.
URGENT NOT URGENT
1. Do First 2. Schedule
Tasks to be done on the same day or Things that help you achieve your goals and
tomorrow at the latest. align with your values. They may not have a
IMPORTANT
Tasks with precise deadlines and deadline, but they are essential.
consequences for not taking action. Tasks in this quadrant often get overlooked.
e.g., Client project, submitting work, e.g., Exercise, professional development,

replying to some emails, hospital strategic planning.
appointment.
3. Delegate 4. Delete
Things that need to be done but don’t need Distractions. Things that are neither urgent
NOT IMPORTANT
you to do them. These are the jobs that nor important. They do not align with your
keep you busy. These are the things that we values. Delete or exercise strict moderation.
often hide behind when we procrastinate.
e.g., Social media, TV.
e.g., Scheduling meetings, uploading
content to your site.
92
Fear killed
more dreams
than failure
ever did.
Tips:
• Start with your to-do list. Even as you • Tasks in the third quadrant are important
are adding things to it, emptying your and need to be done, but it doesn't
mind, make sure that you question if the need to be you.
task should even be on your list in the • The fourth quadrant is the dark
first place. Once you have a lean list, playground that we sometimes get
move jobs into the correct quadrant on sucked into. Be strict with yourself, and
the matrix. if you absolutely must, ration your time
• It would help if you aimed to keep your in this area.
matrix manageable, don’t allow more • Set limits. If something gets repeatedly
than 6-8 tasks in each quadrant. rescheduled but never gets done, after
• Keep only one matrix on the go at any three attempts, delete it. It can't be that
one time. This should include both urgent.
personal and professional tasks.
• Focus and plan. Work through your to- Procrastinators often get stuck in quadrant
do list each morning. Align it with your three because they are kept 'busy.' Deep
values and think about what is important down, they know they should be hanging
to you. out in quadrants 1 and 2.
• Be strict with quadrant 1 – do first.
These tasks do need to be completed Use the template in the Appendix.
today or tomorrow, or there will be a
severe consequence.
• The second quadrant is where you add
real value to your life; this is the
quadrant that makes your life richer and
more balanced. These are important
tasks, but because they are not urgent,
they often get postponed or
overlooked. These are the tasks that, if
neglected repeatedly, will come back to
bite you.
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4.2.4 GET YOUR
ENVIRONMENT RIGHT
Don’t underestimate the importance of your

working environment. To be productive, you
need to maximize the environment in which
you work. Studies have shown that a
cluttered environment impacts our mood
and our self-esteem.
Clutter is exhausting and draining; there is a

lot to be said for being tidy. Not only will
you feel better, but you will also be less
stressed and more efficient. When you can
put your hands on your possessions
immediately, you will feel more in control. In
hard to function amidst the chaos – both
emotionally and physically. When your
environment is tidy and organized, you can
make better decisions, work faster, and you
will feel more balanced. You will be less
likely to procrastinate because you will
handle the emotions that sometimes
overwhelm you.
Being tidy should also extend to our digital

existence. Turn off notifications while you
are working. These things never 'take a
minute.' They drain your time. Ask yourself
if you need to conduct as much research on
the internet. Work in blocks of time with
notifications on silent. Catch up during
designated breaks. Use the Pomodoro
Technique outlined above to help you.
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4.3 MINDSET AND
PSYCHOLOGY
4.3.1 BALANCE THE SOUR

WITH THE SWEET OR THE
SOUR WITH THE SOUR
There are some things that we need to do

that we don't want to. This is a fact of life. It
applies to all of us. When this arises, try a
little self-bribery by pairing the job you
don't want to do with something you enjoy.
Hate to exercise? Get it done, and then

schedule some meditation immediately
afterward. Need to go to the dentist? Take
a day's holiday, go shopping and collect the
kids from school after you have been.
An alternative approach to this is to pair

unpleasant tasks together and use your
procrastination habit to its advantage by
focusing on one job so that you don't have
to do the other. The upshot of this is that
you will at least get one horrible task done
because you don't want to do the other
one. Once you have completed one of the
tasks, pair the second task with something
else even more unpleasant and schedule
some time.
Unpleasant tasks aren't punishment. They

are just a part of everyday existence. You
have nothing to prove. You just need to get
them done. There is nothing glamourous
about this.
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4.3.2 COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS
This strategy puts a value on our kids) and anything else that you can think
procrastination. A cost-benefit analysis is a of that hasn't been covered already.
process through which decisions are 4. Now, look at the Costs and the Benefits
analyzed. In essence, the model is as follows: side by side. Assign a value from 0 – 10
to each cost and benefit individually and
Value of Benefit – Value of Costs = Value of then total them up for each. There are
Outcome no rules here. This is your opinion, and
the values are subjective.
In industry, this is usually worked out as a 5. Subtract the value of the costs from the
ratio; however, we're going to keep it to the value of the benefits. If the number is
simple equation above for our purposes. positive, the task is worth your while;
just get started. If the number is
Don't be put off by the 'technical' negative, you need to consider if this is
approach; this strategy is speedy, easy to a good use of your time.
do, and incredibly insightful. 6. Summarize your thoughts in a couple of
points and decide on your next step.
There is a template to follow. An example is
included below. Your thoughts should look something like
the completed template over the page.
Follow these simple steps:
Always make sure you list the costs first.
1. Outline the situation Even though the column is on the right, it's
2. List all the costs associated with this. essential to get the negatives off your chest
These will include emotional costs (fear first so that you can focus freely on the
of failure, anxiety, etc.), opportunity benefits.
costs (e.g., missing out on other events
or activities), effort costs (e.g., the time Use the blank template in the Appendix.
needed to do it, how tired it'll make you
feel), and anything else that you can
think of that's not been covered in
another category.
3. List all the benefits that will come from
the activity. These will include personal
benefits (e.g., sense of satisfaction,
being able to take this off your to-do
list), professional benefits (e.g., It's an
excellent step for your career).
Contextual benefits (e.g., things that will
add value to your broader life, e.g., I will
be less stressed and more present for my
96
Outline the situation:
I need to complete my essay for my PostGrad by June 6th.
Score Costs Score
Benefits /10 /10
Personal Benefits: Emotional Costs:
I’m scared that it will be
Feel a sense of accomplishment. 9 1
rubbish.
I’ll be proud of myself. 7 I don’t know where to start. 1
I’ll enjoy the research. 5 I hate writing academically. 1
Professional Benefits: Opportunity Costs:

Will miss the night out at the
First step towards my Masters. 8 wine bar on Thursday. I'll be at 1
the library!
Postgrad is an excellent career step. 8 Less time with the kids this 3
weekend.
Learning will benefit work. 7
Contextual Benefits: Effort Costs:

I’ll be less stressed. Better for the 9 I’ll have to get up early at the 2
kids! weekend for two weeks.
I’ll have more time to meet Claire for 5 I’ll have to work late in the 3
a run once it’s finished. evenings.
Less sleep. 4
Total Benefits: 58 Total Costs: 16
Benefits – Costs = Value of Outcome Total Value of Outcome: +42

58 – 16 = 42
Summary Thoughts:
• Wow! What have I been waiting for?! The costs are really short term. Life
will revert to normal when I’m done. I can get a handle on my fears.
• This is more important to me than I realized.
My Next Step:
Break it down into small steps, put time in my schedule, and get started!
Target Date: May 15th for first draft.
97
4.3.3 STOP CATASTROPHISING
Catastrophizing is distorted, negative to deploy our emotion regulation skills that

thinking that triggers us to jump to the worst we learned earlier in the workbook. Label
possible conclusion. Commonly it occurs your thoughts rather than accepting them.
with limited or inaccurate information; our For example, if you speak out of turn in a
sense of reason goes out the window. It meeting, apologize and forget about it.
causes feelings of dread and despair. Later on, when this thought causes stress,
and you convince yourself that you will get
People with a tendency to catastrophize fired, label the thought, e.g., “This is me
dramatize all difficult or upsetting catastrophizing. Sarah accepted my
situations, so they feel they are always on apology. I need to move on."
the verge of a crisis.
If you practice this often, you will begin to
Catastrophizing often goes hand in hand recognize some repeating patterns. You will
with procrastination. When struggling to have stories, falsehoods that may have a
face up to a task that they don’t want to do, different context but contain the same
procrastinators will exaggerate how bad or message. Label these and notice them:
unpleasant the job will be to the point that "Oh, here we go! This is a new version of
it becomes unbearable and intolerable. my ‘I’m going to get sacked story!’”
The fact of the matter is that boredom or The simple act of naming and even having a
indifference are not terminal conditions. The bit of fun will improve the situation with
irony is that procrastination, on the other these thoughts. In addition, you can also try
hand, can cause stress and make you ill. replacing them with something more
The best way to deal with procrastination is realistic and balanced.
98
4.3.4 FIND A DIVERSION,
INITIATE A FLOW STATE
When we enter a flow state, we have
already seen that we get lost in time; we are
'in the zone' or caught in the moment. An
excellent way to trigger a flow state is to
create a diversion that shifts your attention
or changes your focus. It's effortless and
effective. Most of us do it naturally. Being
conscious of it, we can choose to deploy it
when we feel the procrastination beast
getting the better of us.
• Have you got 500 emails to read? OK,

challenge yourself; how many can you
delete in 60 seconds? Then another 60
seconds?
• Do you need to weed the flower bed?
Can you get it done by the end of three
songs playing on the radio?
• Got a report to finish? Can you include
five new words that you never knew
before?
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If you never start, you’ll never have
a chance to fail. But you’ll never have
a chance to succeed, either.
4.3.5 IMPLEMENTATION There is some reasonably complex

INTENTIONS psychology behind this strategy, but the key
lies in the speed at which you can get started
on the job. You have already made the
Implementation intentions affect change in decision; all that is left to do is get started.
how we do things; they lead to increased
performance and/or engagement. Implementation interventions can also be
used in an ‘if...then’ format. Again, this is
Professor of Psychology at NYU, Peter about committing to an intended action in
Gollwitzer, has demonstrated through his advance:
research that these interventions can be
significant in setting rules to minimize • If I open my emails, then I will read and
things such as distractions. While they won't action 10 of them.
fix your procrastination alone, they are • If I write the company report for an hour,
nonetheless an excellent tool as part of a I can watch an episode of my favorite TV
broader strategy. show.
• If a notification pings on Facebook, I
An implementation intention supports the won't read it until I finish work at 5 pm.
achievement of the desired goal by creating
the conditions for it. For example, if you
want to write a journal every morning, get 4.3.6 AVOIDANCE HIERARCHY
set up the night before. You might decide
to write your morning pages as you drink
your coffee in the kitchen so prepare in CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) can be
advance. Layout the cup and saucer, get the used to address procrastination. By
coffee maker ready, and set up your changing how you think and behave,
notebook, pen, and anything else you need. breaking issues down into smaller pieces,
When you get up in the morning, you can and taking action, the negative thought
set straight to it. processes and associated behavior can be
improved using an efficient approach. One
The key to successful implementation such technique is to create an avoidance
interventions is the ‘predecision' – hierarchy. This is how we learn to climb a
committing to complete the task in advance. mountain one step at a time.
100
1. Consider a situation that would trigger a 3. Once completed, create an avoidance
fairly significant bout of procrastination. hierarchy, starting with the most
Likely, this situation may also induce tolerable approach, step, or option at
other significant emotions such as fear the bottom of your list and the least
and anxiety. tolerable at the top.
2. Attempt to break down this situation 4. Reflect on the avoidance hierarchy that
into a series of options or stepped you have created. Now plan a process of
approaches. Start gradually and work up 'graded exposure,' starting with the
to full completion of the task. Grade least feared item first. Build up to those
each option or strategy according to the items you find more distressing as your
level of distress this triggers within you. confidence increases. Before you start,
Jot these down on individual sticky notes set some ground rules.
so that you can reorder them as you go.
Assign a distress score to each one. See example below.
Trigger Situation:
Tidying my closet. This hasn't been touched for two years. The doors are
bursting open. It fills me with dread. Some of my late Grandmother’s
possessions are still in there. I don’t know where to start.
Score /10
Distress
Option/Approach
Completely sort & tidy the closet. Get the job 10

finished. Clean and paint.
Sort out my late grandmother’s possessions 7

that are in the box. Keep, donate, recycle.
Sort out all the shoes. Appraise. Keep, 6

donate, recycle. Close the doors.
Open the doors. Appraise what is inside.

Review 5 items of clothing: Keep, donate, 3
recycle. Close the doors. Enough for one day!
Ground Rules:
• Keep at it no matter how hard it is for 15 minutes at a time.
• Repeat each stage as needed until confidence grows to move on to the next
one.
Use the blank template in the Appendix.
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4.3.7 IMPROVE DECISION-
MAKING SKILLS BY BEING In the 1970s, Kahneman and Tversky
AWARE OF HEURISTICS identified several heuristics. The
‘availability’ heuristic is the tendency to
think that something is likely to happen
Procrastination and poorly developed based on the ease by which we can recall
decision-making skills go hand in hand. an example of such an event. In other
Procrastinators put off making decisions words, if we can think of something that fits
because they struggle to accept the the thought, it must be likely to happen.
responsibility for the outcome. For the This explains why people are convinced
chronic procrastinator, this struggle can they will be eaten by a shark when they
apply to even the most minute decision; swim in the sea – they can easily recall an
they sweat the small stuff. event they saw on the news. However,
statistically, this is one of the most unlikely
A heuristic is an intellectual ‘rule of thumb’ causes of death on the planet. The heuristic
that acts like a shortcut in supporting an distorts rational thinking.
individual to make a decision with less
stress and effort quickly. While not perfect, While heuristics are useful by saving us
they are an effective means of speedy hours of thinking time and a great deal of
decision making. You employ heuristics mental processing energy, they are 'best fit'
when you get up in the morning and decide thought processes. In other words, they
what to wear, which bus to catch to work, aren't definitive, and at times they can be
what to eat for lunch. You get the picture. clumsy and inaccurate.
102
My advice to you is never
do tomorrow what you can do today.
Procrastination is the thief of time.
Edward Young
Other examples of heuristics include: support a procrastinator in their day-to-day

• The Peak End Rule: we judge our past life as they free up cognitive resources for
experiences by how they were at their more complex matters, they can cause issues.
peak – be this good or bad. Virtually all
other information is forgotten. We don't choose our heuristics; they are
• Contagion Heuristic: we avoid things based on our past experiences. For the
that are thought to be bad. For procrastinator, being aware of how we make
example, a company makes ten different decisions will give some insight into the
kinds of chocolate bars. One day they process itself and the fact that our
recall all of their ‘Jupiter Bars’ – assumptions are not always correct. We
although the other nine remain on the have inherent biases that lead us to believe
market. However, everyone stops that things will happen when the event has
consuming all of their chocolate bars, not yet occurred. Just because something
not only the Jupiter bar. terrible happened in the past doesn't mean
• Familiarity Heuristic: We are most it will happen again. Heuristics can cause
comfortable with what we know. We mental blockages; they can limit creativity
know how to approach such situations and stifle new ideas.
as we have done it before.
The key? Don't assume that the first
Heuristics are far from perfect. They can be conclusion you jump to is always right. Stay
costly if deployed too quickly in complex calm and think it through. Don't rule
situations or based on biased or incorrect something out or believe the worst 'just
information. While they can effectively because'; it's likely to be a heuristic.
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4.3.8 SAGACIOUS DELAY:
EXERCISE CONSCIOUS PRO-
CRASTINATION
It is possible to choose procrastination as a
course of action as long as this is carefully
thought through and set within clear
boundaries. It also requires commitment.
Embracing the art of delay so that you can

instead focus on something else can be
useful if you can rationalize in your mind
that you are making a judgment call, a
deliberate decision. Procrastination is about
avoiding those emotions that we cannot
deal with; sagacious delay, on the other
hand, is an informed decision.
Delay can be rational. We might need to

complete certain tasks in a specific order or
wait for information from a colleague. Don't
beat yourself up. Be rational. Choose to
wait then, when you are ready, commit and
complete the task at a predetermined time.
This simple mindset shift can be
transformative and empowering.
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4.4 REWARD AND POSITIVE
REINFORCEMENT yourself a ‘completion bonus.' You could
note these on your plan. Similarly, if you
finish the task early, reward yourself with an
4.4.1 SCHEDULE REWARDS 'early bird bonus,' perhaps some time off or
something equally as valuable. Early
bonuses should be significant enough to
This is simple, make a promise to yourself motivate you!
that you are entitled to a reward if you
complete the task on time. There are no You can tie this strategy in with
rules; this can be anything you like. The implementation intentions to make them
bigger the job, the more significant the more useful. For example, “If I complete
reward should be. the report, then I can go to the movies.”
Another simple yet effective approach is to
For particularly lengthy tasks, you may wish involve other people in your rewards. When
to reward yourself in stages. Break the task other people benefit from your success,
into smaller pieces and decide at which your motivation will increase even further.
points you deserve a reward. If you struggle
to complete things, you could even award Use the blank template in the Appendix.
Reward Schedule
Task:
Complete the Audit Report for the Board and submit to my line manager before
Tuesday at 9 am.
IF: When I... THEN: Reward...
If I complete my research and pull

...Then I can finish early and take
together all of the data that I need the evening off to visit Sarah.
before Wednesday...
If I get the first draft completed on ...Then I can go for a quick manicure
Thursday... on the way home from work.
If I get Barbara to check the draft ...Then I can go out and get cakes
and then make the corrections by for the team on Friday afternoon
Friday lunchtime...
Early Bird Bonus: ...Then I can go clothes shopping and

If I submit the report before the spend $200
weekend...
Completion Bonus: ...Then I can watch a movie on

If I complete the report on time... Tuesday night with a takeaway.
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4.5 ACCOUNTABILITY
4.5.1 GET A FORMAL

ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER
A little bit of positive peer pressure can be
a great thing! The rationale behind self-
help groups is based on group
4.5.2 MAKE IT PERSONAL
accountability, otherwise known as peer
pressure!
If you are someone who finds themselves
Find someone that you respect and admire working late as a result of your
and ask them to check in on you. If you're procrastination, schedule something in your
doing this for the first time, be wise in diary with someone that you cannot let
choosing your partner and don't put too down – one of your parents, your best
much pressure on yourself so that it causes friend, or, better still, one of your kids.
unnecessary anxiety. Instead, choose a
trusted friend or loved one. However, be Having a deeply personal engagement in
careful not to select someone too close to your diary that is non-negotiable can help
you, such as your partner, as this can cause eradicate procrastination because you have
conflict. As your confidence with this to get things done on time to honor your
strategy grows, get bolder. A good line commitment. You cannot let the person
manager would find it a privilege to check down.
in on you and offer their support.
Alternatively, if your procrastination means
Agree on a schedule for checking in, such that you often work late, ask a loved one to
as a couple of times a week. Agree on what call you to see where you are. Note this in
work you will have completed in advance of your diary. Commit that you won’t let them
these check-ins and commit to doing it. down. Get home in time for dinner.
106
4.6 CONCLUSIONS AND
GETTING READY TO MOVE
ON
Congratulations! We’re are now on the and qualifications and get this stuff nailed
home straight! once and for all.
In this chapter, we took our increased You will also need to accept that the past is
awareness and understanding of our in the past and cannot be changed. When
procrastinating habits. We used it to make you notice a difference in your life, you will
informed decisions that we can deploy to realize that you don’t have to accept and
eradicate our procrastination habit day in, live with your procrastination. You may
day out. You considered a range of begin to feel guilty for not taking action
strategies and selected those that suit you. sooner. Don’t. This is profoundly
unproductive and a waste of your time.
At this point, you are ready to begin Instead, be proud of taking action now and
experimenting with these. Test them out. for beating the beast that actively steals
Tweak them. Make adjustments. Repeat and years of your life.
practice. Scrub those off your list that don't
work. Experiment with those that you Phew! Now we’re ready for the final
wouldn't usually try. As time wears on, you chapter. In the next chapter, we will pull
will eventually stumble across a range of together our learning to create an action
approaches that fit your brief. Pat yourself plan. We’re also going to consider any final
on the back! hurdles we might face and the things that
might nudge us off track now and then.
By this stage in the journey, you will be
beginning to make significant strides
forwards – that's great! However, you will
still have days where your lapse back into
your old habits. That’s fine – and to be
expected! The point here is to be ruthlessly
compassionate with yourself. Forgive
yourself. Dust yourself down and climb back
on to your horse.
Some of you might want to consider

working through some of this with a coach
or even a counselor – particularly if some of
the underlying issues prove particularly hard
to navigate. That’s fine. Reach out to
someone you trust with appropriate training
107
STRATEGY TEMPLATES
108
4.1.3. Break Things Up into Smaller Pieces
Outline of Task:
Smaller Piece Time Date Check When

Required Allocated Completed
109
4.2.3 Prioritize with Integrity – The Eisenhower Matrix
URGENT NOT URGENT
1. Do First 2. Schedule
Tasks to be done on the same day or Things that help you achieve your goals and
tomorrow at the latest. align with your values. They may not have a
Tasks with precise deadlines and deadline, but they are essential.
consequences for not taking action. Tasks in this quadrant often get overlooked.
e.g., Client project, submitting work, e.g., Exercise, professional development,

IMPORTANT
replying to some emails, hospital strategic planning.

appointment.
3. Delegate 4. Delete
Things that need to be done but don’t need Distractions. Things that are neither urgent
you to do them. These are the jobs that nor important. They do not align with your
keep you busy. These are the things that we values. Delete or exercise strict moderation.
often hide behind when we procrastinate.
e.g., Social media, TV.
NOT IMPORTANT
e.g., Scheduling meetings, uploading

content to your site.
110
4.3.2 Cost-Benefit Analysis
Outline the situation:
Score Costs Score

Benefits /10 /10
Personal Benefits: Emotional Costs:
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
Professional Benefits: Opportunity Costs:
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
Contextual Benefits: Effort Costs:
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
Total Benefits: 0 Total Costs: 0
Benefits – Costs = Value of Outcome Total Value of Outcome: 0
Summary Thoughts:
•
•
My Next Step:
111
4.3.6 Avoidance Hierarchy
Trigger Situation:
Distress
Option/Approach
Score /10
Ground Rules:
112
4.4.1 Schedule Rewards
Reward Schedule
Task:
IF: When I... THEN: Reward...
Early Bird Bonus:
Completion Bonus:
113
"I would say
about 80 to 90 percent
of most people's thinking is
not only repetitive and useless,
but because of its dysfunctional
and often negative nature,
much of it is also harmful.
Observe your mind
and you will find this
to be true."
Eckhart Tolle
114
5 YOUR ACTION PLAN
Consolidating: Pulling Your Learning Together to Create a
Personalised and Cohesive Plan of Action.
Congratulations – you’ve almost reached journey. Congratulations on coming this far!

the end of the workbook! Now it’s time to Work through the following pages answering
pull everything together to create a the questions, review your learning and
roadmap for personal success. This is the highlight the discoveries you have made. In
final chapter of the workbook, but it’s also creating this action plan, you will reaffirm the
the real start of your journey to beating actions that you intend to implement,
procrastination and, crucially, bringing creating a roadmap for your success. By the
about the changes that you want to see in end, you’ll have increased confidence,
your life. detailed knowledge of the specific struggles
you face, and the strategies that you can use
to address them. You’ll have a much clearer
INTRODUCTION: idea of how to conquer your procrastination
for once and all.
You cannot underestimate the cost of Research has shown that progress creates a
procrastination. Not only do you delay positive spiral of improvement. When we
tasks, but you also wait to live life itself. get a taste of success, no matter how small,
Procrastination not only erodes time; it also our well-being improves, and our
eats away at your self-worth and motivation increases. When creating your
confidence. Many people see action plan, you must be both realistic and
procrastination only as a harmless foible, strategic. There will be days when things
but the impact is felt in all corners of your don’t go to plan; it's vital that you recognize
life for the chronic procrastinator. this from the beginning and don’t let this
derail your progress. This is a crucial part of
By deciding to do something about this the learning journey. Willpower alone is not
behavior, you are already on the right path. enough! You need strategy too.
Hopefully, this workbook has helped you
make some significant progress on this Let’s go.
115
TASK 📄
5.1 Create Your Action Plan
Remind yourself why beating your procrastinating habit is so important to

you. Take a look at your habitual behaviors on page 17, your questionnaire
results on page 24-25, and the initial goals you set for yourself on page
36-37.
Consider all of this information together and review your thinking. You
may want to adjust your goals based on other things that you have
learned along the way. Remember, these need to be intrinsic goals. They
are for you.
116
TASK
My top three goals for addressing my procrastination are:
1.
📄
2.
3.
117
Reaffirm these goals. Remind yourself what your procrastination looks like
and the behaviors you will remove from your life. Use your record of your
behaviors from page 33 to help you reflect.
The top five procrastinating behaviors that I am going to stop doing are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
118
Your procrastination is based on several dominant emotions that you
struggle with. We must be aware of these. Review page 48.
The emotions that I have struggled to deal with are:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
119
You now know that these emotions are based on limiting beliefs. To
conquer your procrastination, it’s vital to recognize and reprogramme
these. Review page 58 onwards.
My key limiting beliefs that underpinned Now I see the following freeing
these emotions were... assumptions instead...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
120
The actions that I am going to take as a result of these freeing assumptions are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Developing your emotion regulation skills is a critical strategy in

combatting procrastination. Labeling your emotions, stepping back from
them, and then reappraising; looking for the good in the situation will stop
you from getting drawn into a negative spiral of procrastination. You have
seen that you can use the CARR strategy on page 72-74 to help you with
this.
Some of the strategies that I am going to use to reappraise situations and respond
differently are:
1.
2.
3.
121
We know that while our procrastination is profoundly destructive behavior,
that it nonetheless comes from a good place. Exercising self-compassion is
essential. The present self needs to protect the future self. Review your
learning from page 78.
I am going to demonstrate self-empathy to my future self by:
1.
2.
3.
122
No one is perfect. There will be days when things won't go to plan, and
you may find yourself procrastinating. In this situation, you can quickly
regain control of the situation by using the STOPP method on page 80.
I’ll practice getting control of situations quickly and calmly using the STOPP method:
123
You have reviewed over twenty-five procrastination beating strategies in
Chapter Four.
I am going to practice the following strategies to help me beat my procrastination.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
124
There will be times when you feel For example, if you’re concerned about
overwhelmed by your procrastination. You what to do after you complete the
won’t know where to start. You might even workbook:
be feeling that way now! That's very normal.
After all, you have a greater understanding • You understand your procrastination
of your procrastination, and you’ll probably more clearly. You have a head full of
feel more ready than ever to start to tackle ideas, but you're feeling overwhelmed
things. That’s great! about what to do first? Well, this is 'in
my control.' You can get your to-do list
You need to manage this carefully so that started, and you can notice your
you don’t take too much on all at once. emotions, journal your learning, and get
Start by taking action on the things that you started on some of the strategies. This is
can control. Complete the Sphere of entirely in your control. Remember, 'just
Influence diagram on the following page. get started.'
• Worried about what people will say
It's up to you how you complete this. You when you start to behave differently at
can use it as a way of filtering tasks, or you work? Put this under 'I can think about.'
can use it as a way to consider aspects of You can't control other people, but you
your procrastination as a whole. can control how you respond to them.
Have a response prepared.
• In the inner circle, labeled 'In My • Feeling guilty and beating yourself up
Control,' list all of the things you can for not taking action sooner? This goes
resolve or immediately take action. You under everything else. The past is the
don't need anyone else's help or input past. You have no control over this.
on these things. • Afraid that you’ve got too much to do?
• In the second circle, labeled ‘I Can Think Are you scared of failing? The worry
About,' list all of the things you can start itself is a waste of time and emotional
to think about, but you need help or input energy. It needs to go in ‘everything
from other people. You have some control else’, otherwise it’ll eat into your
and influence over these things, but you productive time. However, you can
cannot get them finished immediately. control the emotion associated with it –
• Finally, list ‘Everything Else’ that is on this is 'in my control.' Take out your
your mind. These things are entirely journal and write a few lines to get the
outside your influence or control. You thoughts out of your head.
cannot do anything or take any action
that will impact them.
125
My Sphere of Influence:
Everything Else
I Can Think About:
In My Control:
126
Look at the things that are 'in my control'.
I am going to take action on the following right now:
I am going to add the following to my to-do list for action over the next few days:
Consider that the things 'I can think about.' Let these sit for a while. You might find that
some of them get moved into 'everything else.' Others might need breaking down into
smaller steps and moving to 'in my control.'
Finally, cross everything out that sits in 'everything else.' Let these things go. You cannot
influence them. They are a waste of your time and energy!
127
5.2 AND FINALLY!
Well – here we are! The end of your journey. created an action plan and decided on the
Take a look at how far you have come, flick strategies that you are going to use.
back through the pages, and see how much
work you have done! We all procrastinate in some form or other.
This journey is not about eradicating it from
You've explored the extent of your your life – that would be unrealistic! It's
procrastination and its impact on your life. about getting control of your
What your procrastinating behaviors look procrastination so that you can be
like, and the limiting beliefs that they have productive and happy. You have seen that
been built on. We’ve explored emotion you do not need to be controlled by this
regulation and how you can develop these behavior, that you can quickly get back on
skills to cope with the unpleasant emotions track when things go wrong, and that
that are a natural part of life. You’ve also change is possible.
128
5.3 WHAT NEXT? “Only put off
I hope you've found this workbook helpful
and that it’s helped you to conquer your
until tomorrow
procrastination.
what you are
You now have a clear plan in place so that
you can bring about the long-lasting willing to die
change that you want to see in your life.
Congratulations! having left undone.”
Remember, you can get further help and Pablo Picaso
support through The Rediscovery of Me's
coaching services. We’re specialists in
helping professional people bring about
personal change. You can also join one of
our online procrastination workshop
programs. Head over to the website to find
out more.
You can always reach out to us for further

advice and guidance by emailing us at
[email protected].
We welcome feedback and suggestions on

our resources. Please let us know if you
think there is anything that we can improve
about this workbook. We update our
resources regularly to keep up to date with
the latest research.
Holly Hartley
Founder, The Rediscovery of Me
The Rediscovery of Me - Personal Skills

Development for Professional People
129
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
• Ackerman, C. (2021). 21 Emotion Regulation science perspective. Clinical Psychological Science.
Worksheets & Strategies - PositivePsychology.com. • Kline, N. (1999). Time to Think. Cassell.
PositivePsychology.com. Retrieved from https:// • Kline, N. (2015). More time to think. Fisher King
positivepsychology.com/emotion-regulation- Publishing.
worksheets-strategies-dbt-skills/. • Krauss Whitbourne, S. (2021). 5 Ways to Get Your
• Allison S., T., Frank H, W., Amanda J, S., & Iris B, M. Unwanted Emotions Under Control. Psychology
(2010). Seeing the silver lining: Cognitive Today. Retrieved from https://
reappraisal ability moderates the relationship www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-
between stress and depressive age/201502/5-ways-get-your-unwanted-emotions-
symptoms. Emotion, 10(6), 783-795. https://doi.org/ under-control.
10.1037/a0020262 • Lay, C. (1986). At last, my research article on
• Barefoot Coaching Handbook procrastination. Journal Of Research In
• Covey, S. R. (1989). The seven habits of highly Personality, 20(4), 474-495. https://doi.org/
effective people: Restoring the character ethic. New 10.1016/0092-6566(86)90127-3
York: Simon and Schuster. • Permlutter, A. (2021). Why We Need Empathy for
• Frankl, V. (2000). Man's search for meaning. Our Future Selves. Psychology Today. Retrieved
Houghton, Mifflin. from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/
• Jaffe, E. (2021). Why Wait? The Science Behind the-modern-brain/201910/why-we-need-empathy-
Procrastination. Association for Psychological our-future-selves.
Science - APS. Retrieved from https:// • Peters, S. (2013). The chimp paradox. Stanley Paul.
www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/why-wait- • Pychyl, T. (2021). How to Use Psychology to Solve
the-science-behind-procrastination. the Procrastination Puzzle. Medium. Retrieved from
• Fessler, L. (2021). The five-minute trick that helps https://medium.com/better-humans/how-to-use-
Instagram’s CEO crush procrastination. Quartz at psychology-to-solve-the-procrastination-puzzle-
Work. Retrieved 2 February 2021, from https:// 6e6a56cdd535.
qz.com/work/999979/the-five-minute-trick-that- • Pychyl, T. (2010) Implementation Intentions
helps-instagrams-ceo-crush-procrastination/. Facilitate Action Control
• Gross, J. J. (Ed.). (2014). Handbook of Emotion • Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/
Regulation. Guilford publications. gb/blog/dont-delay/201001/implementation-
• Gross, J. J. (1998). The emerging field of emotion intentions-facilitate-action-control
regulation: An integrative review. Review of General • Pogosyan, M. (2021). 3 Ways to Regulate Your
Psychology, 2(3), 271. Emotions. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https:/
• Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003). Individual /www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-
differences in two emotion regulation processes: cultures/201709/3-ways-regulate-your-emotions.
implications for affect, relationships, and well- • Sinek, S. (2009). Start With Why. Penguin Business.
being. Journal of Personality and Social • Sirois, F. M., & Tosti, N. (2012). Lost in the moment?
Psychology, 85(2), 348. An investigation of procrastination, mindfulness,
• Gross, J. J. (2001). Emotion regulation in adulthood: and well-being. Journal of Rational-Emotive &
Timing is everything. Current Directions in Cognitive Therapy, 30, 237-248.
Psychological Science, 10, 214-219. DOI: • Vivyan, C. (2015). STOPP. Get Self Help
10.1111/1467-8721.00152 UK. Retrieved from https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/
• Gross, J. J., & Jazaieri, H. (2014). Emotion, emotion stopp.htm
regulation, and psychopathology: An affective • Wilson, T., & Gilbert, D. (2005). Affective
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Forecasting. Current Directions In Psychological
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j.0963-7214.2005.00355.x
• Wohl, M. et al. (2010). I forgive myself, now I can
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reduce future procrastination. Journal of Personality
and Individual Differences. 48, 803-808.
131

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TAKE BACK CONTROL

Personal Skills Development

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Please direct all enquires to: [email protected]

2. Why Do I Procrastinate? What's This About? 39

3. What Action Can We Take? 66

4. What Strategies Should I Use? 83

Strategy Templates 108

5. Your Action Plan 115

References and Further Reading 130

Procrastination is a destructive habit that

Congratulations for showing up! You've

This workbook is a guided self-coaching

Life beyond procrastination will be very

Great. Let's get started.

Luckily, most experts would agree that it is

Of course, it takes commitment and

This workbook was written by an

You must be ruthlessly self-compassionate.

There will be times where it is helpful to

See this journey as an investment in

This is a very comprehensive self-coaching IMPORTANT

Procrastination is a common problem to

Procrastination inhibits our success.

Procrastination shows up in many guises.

• Constant checking of emails, social

Approximately 20% of the population are

Procrastinators deceive themselves. Deep

Now we are going to explore the extent of

Work quickly and with purpose through the following behavior

1B I often say ‘yes’ to other people when I want to say ‘no.’ 4 3 2 1 0 -

1C I delay doing things because I don’t feel like doing them. 4 3 2 1 0 -

There are lots of unread emails in my inbox. I struggle to reply

2B I struggle to talk to people when I am upset. 4 3 2 1 0 -

2C I often say, “I’ll do it later” or “I’ll do it tomorrow.” 4 3 2 1 0 -

2D When faced with a big task, I struggle to start. 4 3 2 1 0 -

I often forget to pay my bills or find myself in a last-minute panic

3C I avoid tasks because I am afraid of doing a lousy job. 4 3 2 1 0 -

3D I rarely stick to action plans. 4 3 2 1 0 -

4B I don’t like being told what to do. 4 3 2 1 0 -

4C I like things to be perfect. 4 3 2 1 0 -

I rarely complete things with time to spare; this means I have no

I go shopping at the last minute. I often run out of essential items

5B I feel stressed when people try to book up my time. 4 3 2 1 0 -

5C I struggle to make decisions. 4 3 2 1 0 -

5D I struggle to complete tasks that I find dull or pointless. 4 3 2 1 0 -

When getting ready to go out, I am always rushing around at the

6B I often miss or forget birthdays. 4 3 2 1 0 -

6D I often wait until the last minute to meet a deadline. 4 3 2 1 0 -

7B I make promises to loved ones that I often break. 4 3 2 1 0 -

7C I put things off and feel guilty about it afterward. 4 3 2 1 0 -

I have to feel that I ‘know enough’ before I can start a challenging

8B My loved ones expect me to be late and stressed. 4 3 2 1 0 -

I get nervous or apprehensive when things are difficult or don’t

I will often over-prepare before starting a task. This makes it more

Personal Admin Mood, Emotions

1 Score for 1A Score for 1B Score for 1C Score for 1D