CCSU Counseling and Wellness Center
205 Marcus White Hall

 

Welcome - Home Anxiety, Stress  and Trauma Anxiety: Resilience in a time of war Depression, Grief and Loss DEPRESSION SELF-SCREENING Alcohol Information: BASICS e-CHUG AlcoholEdu Marijuana and Other Drugs e-TOKE Eating Disorders Gambling Links Natural Helpers Smoking Suicide Wellness FAQ Referral Information Women's Concerns Calendar of Events   Devils Den 10 pm Meet the Staff

   Let's talk about Procrastination: 10 ways to "Do it now".
Written by Kent T. Yamauchi, Ph.D.  Reproduced from:  Innovations in Clinical Practice: A Source Book (Vol. 6) by P.A. Keller and S.R. Heyman.

Have you ever used any of the following excuses?    

• I'll wait until I'm in the mood to do it.
• There's plenty of time to get it done.       
• I'll start it (diet, sobriety, etc.) tomorrow.
• I work better under pressure so I don't need to do it right now.
• I've got too many other things to do first.

Here are some remedies:

1.  Rational Self-Talk. Those old excuses really don't hold up to rational inspection.  Start challenging the faulty reasoning behind each excuse.  Write down your realistic thoughts.  Here are two examples:

EXCUSE: I'm not in the mood right now. REALISTIC THOUGHT:  Mood doesn't do my work, actions do.  If I wait for the right mood, I may never get it done.
EXCUSE: I'm just lazy. REALISTIC THOUGHT: Labeling myself as lazy only brings me down.  My work is really separate from who I am as a person.  Getting started is the way to finishing.

2. Positive Self-Statements.  Incorporate a list of self-motivating statements into your repertoire of thoughts.  Consider...

There's no time like the present
The sooner I get done, the sooner I can play
There's no such thing as perfectionism. It's an illusion that keeps me from doing what I have to do right now. Focus on the present and what positive steps you can take toward reaching your goals.

3. Don't catastrophize.

4. Design clear goals. Be specific.  Figure out a time table with realistic goals at each step. Having goals that are too big can scare you away from starting, especially when tasks are ones we dislike.

5. Set priorities. List all the things that need to be done with the most urgent first.  Start at the top and work your way down.  Leave "messing around" (distractions) for last.

6. Get organized.  Have all your materials ready before you begin a task.  Check off the tasks when you have completed them.

7. Reward yourself. Celebrate, pat yourself on the back, smile and let yourself enjoy the completion of even the smallest of tasks.  Don't minimize your accomplishments. Realize that you're already that much closer to finishing those things that need to be done.

Main Menu
 

1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT 06050  860.832.CCSU or toll free instate 1-888-733-2278

A-Z Index | Contact | Home | Search   Copyright © 2006 [Central Connecticut State University]. All rights reserved. webmaster@ccsu.edu Last Update: Monday January 09, 2006