HomeMeeting ListsArticlesForumsChatboxPollsBooksContact
Home

What do you think is the most important thing(s) you need to overcoming procrastination?

Building up your self confidence
4% (3 votes)
Strengthening your willpower
9% (7 votes)
Remove distractions around you
3% (2 votes)
Letting go of control (be less controlling)
4% (3 votes)
Overcoming a fear (failure, success)
8% (6 votes)
Counselling or therapy
0% (0 votes)
Making yourself start a task
20% (15 votes)
Involvement with a program (e.g. twelve-step)
7% (5 votes)
Changing your attitudes toward the task you're delaying
14% (10 votes)
More effective time management and scheduling techniques
0% (0 votes)
Acceptance you have a procrastination problem
5% (4 votes)
Combination of the above (please comment)
20% (15 votes)
Other(s) (please comment)
5% (4 votes)
Total votes: 74

the answer to the above is

the answer to the above is YES: all of the above.

It depends, truly, on whether one is trying to just get over the anxiety of the ailment overall or to clean up old papers/files or face family/friend who has been hurt or delayed by us or to just get the next phone bill paid before this coming week's deadline. 

I know "it depends" is a cliche but thinking that I need one magic bullet or pill from the above list is IN ITSELF procrastinating by diverting my attention to any ONE 'cure'. I realize I need it all -- perhaps differing degrees at different times with different difficulties.

  • By MD at 20 Jun 2010 - 10:14pm
  • Login or register to post comments

Combination

I believe that I need outside help, the 12-Step Program, this website, other books, and other tools online to help me procrastinate and be in recovery.

  • By lennon at 20 Jun 2010 - 9:42pm
  • Login or register to post comments

Combination

  • Removing distractions around me
  • Overcoming a fear, failure success
People are born hedonistic. As babies they cry only for milk and pleasure. It is part of human nature to want to seek pleasure, perhaps man needed to conserve energy in the past to survive. Since it is against human nature to pick work over pleasure, one will fail to achieve the expectation to do work unless they grow bored of all the pleasure around them, they gain more pleasure from relieving the anxiety of not doing anything, or they don't have any pleasures to distract them. (Other exceptions include not procrastinating to eat: survival).
 
 
Everyone Procrastinates. The reason we've come here is that we want to procrastinate less. I am a firm beleiver that the reason people procrastinate is to escape a fear, my own fear is my fear of failure. If I do not do the task, I can not fail it... hehe... (except when I procrastinate so much that I don't have enough time and then I fail it Frown). To overcome this fear is to treat the cause of procrastination, and without this fear I won't need to escape by procrastinating.
  • By hidden_motives at 20 Jun 2010 - 4:09pm
  • Login or register to post comments

Combination

  • Removing distractions around me 
  • Making myself start a task
  • Changing my attitude towards the task I'm delaying
  • By LovingLife17 at 9 Apr 2010 - 1:34pm
  • Login or register to post comments

I have a lot of trouble

I have a lot of trouble with anticipatory anxiety and often put things off because of that.  Low self esteem doesn't help either, nor does fear of failure (I am a perfectionist).  It's also way too easy to hop on the internet or turn on the tv, so I need to figure out a way to avoid such distractions.

 I really need more confidence and need to feel inspired, or at least like what I'm doing is worthwhile. 

 

"Freedom is not just a dream.  It's there on the other side of those fences we build all by ourselves”     -Instinct

  • By LauraKLynn at 2 Apr 2009 - 10:46pm
  • Login or register to post comments

For me, it's a combination:

For me, it's a combination: "Strengthening your willpower" is important, but since I have so far failed in this task on my own, I need "Involvement with a program". (Although 12-step sounds too religious for me)

 

I also believe "Remove distractions around you" is important, but I tend to create new distractions where I've removed others.

 

I've had too much counselling on the topic. None of it has helped. sad

  • By jpkloppy at 1 Oct 2008 - 9:26am
  • Login or register to post comments

welcome jpkloppy /will power

Welcome here--I hope you'll find strength and help here.

The whole question of will power: I've had an epiphany about this which I posted about--the divided will. Part of the will says 'do it, you should' the other part says 'I don't wanna'. The battle consumes energy and tempts one to sink into a habit of always thinking 'i'm bad, i'm lazy, i can't have a break'. Vicious cycle of more procrastination results.

For me the 12 steps are unfamiliar and challenging but have alos brought new hope. My first few steps towards turning to HP showed me a way beyond this battle of the divided will. It cannot be won with willpower. A few steps forward came from HP and from recovering the real motivations.

  • By chickadee at 1 Oct 2008 - 10:03am
  • Login or register to post comments

welcome jpkloppy

It's not necesssary to do the 12 steps to participate in this wonderful forum, but the information is there if you choose to use it.  Glad to have you on board!

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." 

  • By journey at 1 Oct 2008 - 9:34am
  • Login or register to post comments

e's reasons

I think that there are three major components for me in terms of overcoming my procrastination: involvement with a 12 step program, putting myself first so that my needs get met so I can meet others needs, and overcoming fears. The other concepts are also necessary, but more of tools than the deeper reasons why I procrastinate.

  • By tenacious e at 13 Jun 2008 - 1:43am
  • Login or register to post comments

Starts with acceptance

I believe it always starts with acknowledgement and acceptance that one has a problem. This is the first step to recovery. But, acceptance without action is useless so I think one also needs to remove oneself from distractions (if it is a problem), a bit of self confidence and will power, and finally changing one's attitude towards the task. Rather than saying "I must do this" one says "I choose to do this". Make the task important to you, and you will be motivated to start it, continue working at it, and finally completing it.

  • By kpoet at 12 Jun 2008 - 12:42pm
  • Login or register to post comments