Working with the Ideas from The Procrastinator’s Handbook of Rita Emmett by Albert Moorin

Fallacy: Dreaders fear that projects will take too much time.

Truth: It will almost always take less time than you thought. Process: devote one uninterrupted hour, a so-called time crunch, to the task. Here are the possible results:

1. You will finish the job and be surprised how little time it actually took.
2. You will realize that it will take longer than you thought, but you will make asmall dent in it, thus relieving the stress of putting it off.
3. Once you realize that you are not finished, you will have gained enoughmomentum to continue the job until you are finished.
4. Break the job into pieces.

The “I-Don’t-Like-Doing-It Job” example: exercise program: Idea: do it first thing in the day. Result: you will get a pleasant feeling from this experience. Give yourself a reward. (Examples: p 25) movie, play, concert, nature walk, favorite sport, read a magazine, eating out. Nurture the kid in you.

Problem: The project is boring. Solution: sweeten the pot – play some inspiring music while you are doing it.

Problem: The equipment you need is missing. Solution: buy it yourself (i.e. hamper, stapler, pen, etc.)

Advice: Write down the projects that fill you with dread. One Solution: Set up a file system.

Excuses: everyone has one. I’m too old, too young, too inexperienced, too unskilled, overly educated, too weak willed, too scared, etc. Solution: Don’t accept the excuses. Value: positive self-talk.

The Mother of All Excuses:”I work best under pressure.”

If you really believe this idea, you must answer to all of these questions: (p. 37 and 40) Sometimes it is good to procrastinate. Everyday make a list and review the list daily.

The Games People Play: time wasting activities:

Shuffling through the same papers, playing computer games, indulging in long phone calls, lingering with unexpected visitors, attending unnecessary meetings, aimless drifting, trying to do too much at once, being indecisive, pushing yourself when you are too tired, saying yes when you should say no, doing something that does not need to be done (or that somebody else can do), doing an excessive amount or preparation, TV watching, pacing,