SKILL
People with this level of procrastina- tion are what one clinical psychologist refers to as “chronic procrastinators.” In more than 30 years as a psycholo- gist in schools and private practice, she has helped hundreds of patients overcome chronic procrastination. To determine the severity of pro-
crastination’s impact on your life, she recommends that you answer two key questions about your behavior. 1. Do I put off doing things that I need to do until a crisis develops? That crisis could come from an out- side source such as a boss, a spouse, the IRS, or a customer. 2. Do I put off taking care of important things that jeopardize my career, my finances, my relation- ships, or my dreams? Minor things, like cleaning out a closet, don’t count. But dreams are important because they inspire you to move toward accomplishing your long-term life goals. According to the psychologist, much of the existing literature on procrastination is limited because it focuses too strongly on improv- ing time management skills without addressing the core issues causing chronic procrastination. “Overcoming procrastination is
Time for a Change MALCOLM FLESCHNER
To procrastinate is human. From time to time every- one puts off life’s more mundane tasks – from the cluttered garage that desperately needs organiz- ing to the car long overdue for an oil change. For some, however, procrastination takes root so deep- ly that its consequences reach beyond life’s minor details to affect crucial decisions about career, fam- ily, finances, and health.
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a lot like trying to lose weight,” she says. “Many heavy people know a tremendous amount about fat counts and nutrition but they still don’t lose weight. Lots of procrastinators have bought all the tapes and books on time management but that doesn’t mean they change. Time management books can be helpful if you have poor time management skills. But, for most people, when that doesn’t do the job they just figure they’re lazy or apathetic and see no way around the barrier. This attitude stems from seeing pro- crastination as the core problem rather than as a symptom of an underlying problem. And my experience suggests that, while procrastination is a problem in and of itself, it’s also a symptom of an unresolved conflict.” She describes three traits common to all chronic procrastinators:
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