Solving the Procrastination Puzzle

by Timothy A. Pychyl

  JEREMY P. TARCHER/PENGUIN

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA)

  375 Hudson Street

  New York, New York 10014

  USA • Canada • UK • Ireland • Australia • New Zealand • India • South Africa • China

  penguin.com

  A Penguin Random House Company

  Previously published as The Procrastinator’s Digest in Canada by Howling Pines Publishers in 2010

  Previously published and distributed in the United States by Xlibris Publishing in 2010

  First Tarcher/Penguin paperback edition 2013

  Text copyright © 2013 by Timothy A. Pychyl

  Comics copyright © 2013 by Timothy A. Pychyl and Paul Mason

  Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

  Most Tarcher/Penguin books are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchase for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, and educational needs. Special books or book excerpts also can be created to fit specific needs. For details, write: Special.Markets@us.penguingroup.com.

  ISBN 978-0-69814-831-4

  SABBATICAL IS A WONDERFUL PART OF THE ACADEMIC LIFE.

  It is a tradition where on every seventh year scholars are given time, uninterrupted by teaching and administrative duties, to read, research, and write. I give thanks for this gift of scholarship, and I dedicate my writing to those at my university and faculty association who preserve this important tradition.

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Introduction

  1 What Is Procrastination? Why Does It Matter?

  2 Is Procrastination Really a Problem? What Are the Costs of Procrastinating?

  3 What’s the Most Important Thing We Need to Know about Procrastination?

  4 Why We Won’t Feel Like It Tomorrow

  5 Excuses and Self-deception: How Our Thinking Contributes to Our Procrastination

  6 The Power of Getting Started

  7 Why Getting Started Isn’t the Whole Solution

  8 Willpower, Willpower: If We Only Had the Willpower

  9 What’s Bred in the Bone: Personality and Procrastination

  10 Cyberslacking on the Procrastination Superhighway

  Concluding Thoughts: On the Road of Self-Change

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This book began to take shape from a collection of blog postings for Psychology Today. In fact, it was in writing my “Don’t Delay” blog that I discovered how much I enjoyed writing to communicate ideas outside of formal scholarly journal articles. I discovered that instead of “writing to earn” in my “publish or perish” academy, I was “writing to learn” and learning to write in a whole new way. Given this beginning to the book, I want to preface my acknowledgments by giving special thanks to Lybi Ma (deputy editor of Psychology Today and author), who invited me to be part of the Psychology Today bloggers in 2008 and who has nurtured my sense of self as a writer. As well, I want to thank Hara Estroff Marano (editor at large, Psychology Today, and author), who, like Lybi, has always been encouraging and supportive. They are part of a truly wonderful team of people.

  Writing is not a solitary activity, even though we may struggle with concepts and the words to express these ideas in our own “dark night of the soul” at times. Writing is a very social act, from the inception of ideas through to revising a final manuscript. So I have quite a few people I want to thank for helping me with my writing. Of course, as my father always told me, you can delegate the activity but not the responsibility; you can share the praise but not the blame. This means that any of the shortcomings in my writing are my own. The things that you like best about this book are most probably due to the kind input of these others who deserve my words of appreciation.

  As a scholar, I have drawn on a wide body of research in my writing. Yet, unlike my scholarly publications, I have not cited this work in an academic fashion, so I want to give credit to some key individuals who have developed ideas that I have distilled in this book. In terms of the procrastination research literature specifically, my colleagues Drs. Joseph Ferrari (DePaul University, Chicago), Clarry Lay (retired, York University, Toronto), Henri Schouwenburg (retired, University of Groningen, The Netherlands), and Fuschia Sirois (Bishops University, Sherbrooke, Quebec) have provided the foundation of ideas about how best to understand procrastination. If I was not drawing on their work directly in my writing, I was speaking to some of my own research that was built on their work. I am grateful to have all of them as colleagues and friends.

  In addition to the procrastination research, I drew on numerous other studies that have helped me to understand the nature of self-regulation failure, how we can structure our intentions to more successfully meet our goals, as well as aspects of our personality such as perfectionism that can undermine our goal pursuit. Although it is not possible to list everyone, I do want to note the enormous contributions made by, respectively, Drs. Roy Baumeister and Diane Tice (and their students at Florida State University), Brian Little (retired, Carleton University, Ottawa), Peter Gollwitzer (and his students at New York University), and Gordon Flett (York University, Toronto). I have learned a great deal from each of these scholars, and their work provided a framework for both understanding self-regulatory failure and strategies to more effectively exercise self-control to break nonconscious habits and patterns of behavior.

  It is easy to see how these esteemed and accomplished scholars have contributed to my own thinking and research. Not so obvious, but just as important, has been the contribution of my students to my research and writing. My research is driven by my students, as research at the graduate level in particular is a means to teaching and learning. I want to thank all of my students who have participated in procrastination research with me since 1995 as part of the Procrastination Research Group, and I particularly want to identify the important contributions made by Shannon Bennett, Kelly Binder, Allan Blunt, Matthew Dann, Mohsen Haghbin, Eric Heward, Jennifer Lavoie, Adam McCaffrey, Rick Morin, Brian Salmon, Matthew Shanahan, Kyle Simpson, and Rachelle Thibodeau. Each of these students has taken his or her own research past the thesis requirements and into the scholarly literature more formally.

  Moving from research results to communicable ideas for others to read is a craft unto itself. I am grateful for the help of my wife, Beth, who, as a nonpsychologist, is willing to ask me to clarify my ideas or my words. It takes courage for her to persist at times, I fear, because it is easy for me to become defensive about my writing. I know her thoughtful comments always make my thinking and writing clearer. In addition, my friend Jeannie Bacon, who was willing to test the strength of friendship by providing her expertise to the editing of my book, has made an important difference in my writing. Jeannie, a writer with both graduate work in English and professional experience in technical writing, helped me to be more coherent and consistent with my prose. Where you still might find problems with my writing are places where I failed to heed her helpful advice.

  The comics in the book, which provide a different perspective on the concepts discussed as well as a little laughter at our all-too-human tendency to “put it off until tomorrow,” are due to the talents of my
friend Paul Mason. I met Paul when he was a boy and I was living one of my other lives as a canoe outfitter for Trailhead in Ottawa. Along with his father, Bill, and his sister, Becky, Paul has developed an international reputation for canoeing and art. I was delighted when he agreed to collaborate with me on a comic series. When a particular comic makes you laugh, you can be sure it was Paul’s creative insight that captured the concept so well.

  Each of the people I have identified, plus many others whom I hope I have not offended by omitting them in my words of thanks, have made readily apparent contributions to my research and writing. My final words of thanks are to those whose contributions are more obscure in terms of the writing of this book, yet deeply important to me personally. They make life joyful, provide room for my writing, and bring balance to my life.

  My children, Laurel and Alex, along with my wonderful wife, Beth, bring love and laughter to my life. I work hard not to procrastinate on the more mundane tasks in my day simply to be sure that there is time for them! My dog team keeps me firmly grounded and in the great outdoors enough to keep me healthy and happy. Finally, my father, Walter Pychyl, is never far from my thoughts and I draw on his wisdom, love, and support to build a life. Ironically, one of my dad’s most often-used expressions is “We’ll see what happens” as he waits another day to act. I usually laugh and say to him, “No wonder I study procrastination!” Yet within his words is a great deal of wisdom. Sometimes delay may truly be wise and the best course of action. Knowing the difference between procrastination and other forms of delay is a very good place to start. You’ll find some of the reasons why beginning in Chapter 1.

  INTRODUCTION

  If you are reading this, it is probably because you are bothered by procrastination.

  You may be even be reading this because you are procrastinating right now. You are avoiding some other task. I want to make the time you spend off task, right now, worthwhile.

  That is the purpose of my writing. An hour from now, you will be prepared to act differently. You will be prepared to be more successful in your goal pursuit.

  Are you ready to get started? That is one of my most basic strategies: just get started. In this book, I explain why this works and summarize the research evidence for such a simple, practical strategy.

  About This Book

  This is a short book—practical and no-nonsense. Although as short as possible, each concept, topic, and issue presented has been carefully researched.

  I have been researching and writing about procrastination for nearly twenty years. You can learn about my research at procrastination.ca. This Web site provides access to my research group and academic publications, as well as my iProcrastinate Podcasts and “Don’t Delay” blog for Psychology Today. I have had millions of downloads of my podcasts and blog entries. Like this book, these resources are research-based but meant to be very accessible for people who do not normally read psychological research.

  The key difference between my blog or podcast and this book is the organization of the ideas. The blog and podcast cover a wide variety of important topics, but you would have to spend days reading or listening to get it all. The value of this book is that it is a digest of my research, and most important, this book provides a concise summary of key strategies to reduce procrastination in your life.

  Why Is the Book So Short?

  Too often, we start a book, read the first chapter or two, and never pick it up again (although we intend to finish it!). Among procrastinators, this is a terrible risk. In fact, procrastination is defined by this intention-action gap. I do not want to contribute to this, so I have written a short book. It is possible to read the whole thing in a few hours (fast readers may get through the main ideas and key strategies in an hour, in fact).

  Most important, I have written a short book because I believe that less is more. It is quite possible for me to write hundreds of pages about this topic. I have in my blog and research, for example. My graduate students regularly write lengthy theses on the topic. However, when it comes to learning strategies for change, a few key ideas are what is required. Working with these ideas in your own life will make a difference. Your reading can make a difference in your life right now—if you want it to.

  “If you want it to.” This idea is very important to understand. No technique on its own will ever work without a firm commitment to a goal. If you are committed to change, I know that what you will learn here will make a difference. I have received emails from people from all walks of life (e.g., lawyers, students, homemakers, consultants, medical researchers, and even other academics) and from all over the world that attest to the difference that these strategies are making in their lives.

  How the Book Is Organized

  I have structured each chapter in a similar way so that the book is easier and quicker to read. You know what to expect in each chapter.

  First, I begin each chapter with a key phrase that may become your mantra for change. A mantra is an often-repeated expression or idea. It is commonly associated with meditation as the focus of your thoughts. I think the first sentence of every chapter can serve you best as a daily focus as you work toward change in your life.

  When you read a chapter that really speaks to you in terms of your own procrastination, memorize the opening mantra for change; post it on your fridge or on your computer as a screen saver. In short, make it your own and reflect on it often.

  Second, I offer an example through a short story that highlights a common problem with procrastination. These stories are based on lived experiences shared with me by research participants, as replies to my blog postings and podcasts, as well as through people I have met at invited talks, workshops, and even at social gatherings (these are people who tell me that they would be the perfect subject for my studies). I hope these stories help situate the issue in lived experience for you.

  Third, I summarize the key issue(s) illustrated in the story. Here, I draw on research, but I do not quote dates, names, or other details as I do in my academic papers, blog, or podcasts. I write about the issue and research in simple terms to keep the concepts clear. When I do introduce a term from research, some psychological jargon, I explain what it means.

  Fourth, based on the research, I present strategies that you might use to facilitate change in your life. These strategies flesh out the mantra at the beginning of the chapter, linking the issue and what we know from research to things you can do to reduce your procrastination. These strategies are the practical things that you can do to solve the procrastination puzzle in your own life.

  As appropriate, I also provide a place for you to rephrase the key ideas in relation to your own life. This is where you make the concepts your own in the context of your own life. This is where you do your first bit of personal work and goal setting.

  Finally, you will find at least one comic in each chapter. Paul Mason (an artist, creative genius, and all-around great guy) and I created this series of comics together.

  In the comics, we embrace the notion of carpe diem. The Latin expression carpe diem (which means, literally, “seize the day”) has been used for centuries with contrasting meanings. For example, it has been used to celebrate and defend procrastination with a focus on enjoying the moment—“Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you may die”—and it has also been used as an admonition, scolding ourselves to focus on the pressing task at hand with expressions such as “make hay while the sun shines.”

  Our comics allow us to laugh at our propensity to put it off, while lamenting the tragedy of our inability to seize the day and accomplish our goals. Laugh or cry, we hope you will enjoy the situations we portray. Although the context for these comics is college and university life, I think you will find the themes applicable to other life domains.

  OK, enough by way of introduction. Let’s just get started.

  What is procrastination?

  1

&nb
sp; What Is Procrastination? Why Does It Matter?

  All procrastination is delay, but not all delay is procrastination.

  MARIA, A WORKING MOTHER of three young children, reaches the end of her day with lots left to do. Again, she didn’t get the laundry put away or the files sorted in her office. She beats herself up, calling herself a procrastinator, yet she’s confused about how she’ll ever be able to get it all done when so much happens each day that’s out of her control. She plans carefully, but kids’ illness, changes at the day care, and both her and her husband’s travel for work always seem to necessitate change in her plans and delays on some tasks.

  Issue

  These examples in Maria’s life should not be seen as procrastination. We all have to delay things. Delay is part of making priorities. Of course, a child’s illness takes precedence over much of what we might plan that day. Other tasks need to be delayed to make time for doctor’s appointments, home care, whatever is necessary. The key issue here is that it is not a voluntary delay in the strictest sense.

  Procrastination is the voluntary delay of an intended action despite the knowledge that this delay may harm the individual in terms of the task performance or even just how the individual feels about the task or him- or herself. Procrastination is a needless voluntary delay. In Maria’s case, the delay on putting away the laundry and filing were not truly voluntary. She was not needlessly taking on some alternative task to avoid the laundry or filing. She was optimizing her use of time to meet one of her most important life goals: to be the best mother she can.

  There are many types of delay in our lives. I believe we need to learn to appreciate this. Some delays are not only necessary, as with the example of Maria’s task delay in favor of her children’s health, they are wise. We might also decide to delay action on a project because we need more information first. It is wise to put things off at times rather than to act impulsively or hastily.