On May 30 2008 12:47 mAKiTO wrote:ok long story short, my cousin started taking summer classes this summer, after he graduated with a bachelors like 2 years ago. I guess you need some back up info on him, when he was younger he played soccer professionally in colombia in a team called Millonarios, and play colombia national team under 17. He moved to the US to continue his studies and for security reasons. He stopped exercising and went from being 100 pounds in 1999 to 310 pounds today.
He had to write a paper for a psychology class he had about something that was keeping him from progression in his life and he was too lazy to write it and asked my sister to write it for him.
Here it is, I found it funny becuase he kinda got mad but then he laughed about it. Also i found myself identified with it, so i dont know I will share it with you guys
Running Head: I WILL START TOMORROW
I will start tomorrow: An Analysis of My Procrastination Habit
Abstract
Procrastination is a type of behavior which is characterized by delaying actions or tasks to a later time. In this paper I attempt to analyze my procrastination habit following a Cognitive Behavioral approach.
My alarm clock goes off and according to my daily planner I have to exercise and study for my Psychology test. It is now five thirty in the afternoon and I have spent the whole day watching a marathon of a show I do not even like. Exercise and study will have to be re scheduled for tomorrow.
My best friend was telling me the other day how now she gets up thirty minutes earlier to exercise. I told her that I had created this amazing work out routine based on my previous training as a soccer player. The exercise plan is basically getting up and biking five miles to the local pool, swimming for an hour, coming back home biking, and then in the afternoon biking again to the beach and doing interval training in the sand for an hour….and of course biking back home. She told me I was setting myself up for failure, but I assure her I was going to stick to it. This is of course, probably the hundredth time she has listened to my exercise plans that never get to be practiced. For the last two years I have created all kinds of approaches and goal setting strategies to exercise, I have said I am going to learn several languages, and have developed several ways to take my company to the next level. Sadly most of these ideas only stay in my head and never get to be executed.
Procrastination (2008) in Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia is defined as a type of behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. I am now back to school to pursue graduate studies in Physical Therapy and I know that I cannot afford to pursue this endeavor the same way I approached things in my college years. If I had the opportunity to seek professional help for my procrastination habit I would look for a therapist who follows a cognitive approach since I think becoming aware of the reason of my habit and being able to change my mentality is something I can achieve with this type therapy.
In the article Time Management and organization, Dombeck (1995) said that procrastination can best be understood by identifying the emotions associated with or underlying the behavior. Procrastination is an attempt to cope with emotional reactions of fear or failure, anger, dislike of the work, and seeking pleasure. King (1998) took this statement further saying that if the therapy begins with the notion that procrastination is not the basic “problem” but rather an attempted “cure” for these feelings and emotions then it is obvious that most procrastinators will have to focus on the real problems, underlying fears, attitudes and irrational ideas, in order to overcome the procrastinating behavior. After accepting this idea, the next step is to figure out what type of procrastination style the patient displays. From this point, each procrastinator must deal with his/her own unique emotions, skills, thoughts, and unconscious motives.
Dombeck (1995) described two fundamental kinds of procrastinators: one tense and the other relaxed. The tense type often feels both an intense pressure to succeed and a fear of failure. This type of procrastinator fees overwhelmed by pressures, is unrealistic about time, is uncertain about goals, is dissatisfied with accomplishments, is indecisive, blames others or circumstances for failures, lacks confidence and is sometimes perfectionist. Thus, the underlying fears are of failing, lacking ability, being imperfect, and falling short of overly demanding goals. This type thinks his/ her worth is determined by what he/she does. Thus, this kind of procrastinator will get over-stressed and over-worked until he/she escapes the pressure temporarily by trying to relax but any enjoyment gives rise to guilt and more apprehension.
On the other hand, the relaxed, pleasure seeking procrastinator seems, at first, to be less complicated, but careful observation of their thoughts and emotions suggests differently. This type is said to be much more common among college students than the tense-afraid type. These procrastinators may be addicted to people or preoccupied with meeting their more basic emotional needs such as attention and approval by peers, love, or self-esteem. For some students these other needs make studying almost impossible. In addition to emotional needs, the relaxed procrastinator’s thoughts may push him/her away from his work or studies. To such a person the gain is not worth the pain, especially since the necessary work is seen by them as so distasteful or boring that they just cannot do it (Dombeck, 1995).
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help a person who struggles with procrastination understand the causes of the problem, and learn skills to break through the habit. This includes developing skills to set concrete, specific, and realistic goals, to break tasks down into small manageable pieces, to make dates with others to do things together, and to establish incentives to carry out agreed-upon tasks. Overcoming procrastination has to be a gradual process and the treatment differs depending on the procrastination style of the patient (Knaus, 2002)
For the tense procrastinator, Fiore (2006), recommended a program that aims to reduce the fear of failing by helping the patent recognize his/her worth is not totally determined by an assignment at work or by a term paper grade, having alternate plans B and C for succeeding, in case plan A does not work, and using self-talk and self forgiveness techniques. Cognitive therapists suggest this type of procrastinator to keep a journal in which they record in detail their thoughts and feelings associated with studying. This helps them see how their fears, excuses, competing needs, and habits divert attention from studying. Based on this insight they can change procrastinating ways of thinking to productive ways.
Dombeck (1995) declared that the relaxed procrastinator will not feel much pressure to change, unless he/she is confronted with reality by some event such as failing a class or by serious thoughts about where his/her life is headed. This type of procrastinator shows a deep dislike for the chores they are avoiding. He suggested that these procrastinators create these feelings by telling themselves the tasks are awful, unfair, or by putting themselves down by setting impossible goals. Then they procrastinate to avoid their own self-created emotional dislike of the job at hand. Cognitive Therapy helps relaxed procrastinators to see clearly how pleasure seeking may, in the long run, lead to unhappiness and show them that procrastination occurs because they are able to trick themselves into believing it is okay to have fun now and put off our work.
Relaxed procrastinators according to Knaus (2002) need to identify and control three kinds of common diversions they use to avoid the tasks that need to be done. The first diversion is called action cop-outs. This is basically doing something that is not a priority. Examples of this diversion include watching TV, eating, playing, sleeping, or even cleaning. Once the procrastinator is engrossed in the diversion, they block out the anxiety, self-doubts, anger, or boredom associated with the work they are putting off but should be doing. The second type of diversion is called mental excuses, which include thoughts such as “I will do it tomorrow” or “I do my best work late at night, I will do it then”. The third type of diversions is emotional diversions. Taking drugs, listening to music, reading novels, and even getting involved in friendships, love, flirtations, or religion could, at times, serve as an escape from unpleasant but important tasks. When felt tempted to procrastinate the patient should use this temptation as a signal to become an objective self-observer, and use a procrastination log to gather information. The procrastination log is a valuable tool to help identify the perceiving, thinking, emotion, diversions, and action paths the patient follows as he /she procrastinate. This awareness exercise provides information to identify the “where,” “what,” and “how” of procrastination.
After identifying the causes of the procrastination the patient should follow a method to set realistic, attainable goals. Fiore (2006) suggests a unique scheduling system that includes fixed hours (classes, meetings, meals, etc.) and play time. Rewards are given if the patient starts a project and can concentrate on it for 30 minutes. The idea is to build the habit of frequently getting to work and to build the desire to work and to learn the habit of getting started on a task early. Practice starting studying several times every day for an exam next week is an example of his technique. As with exercising, getting in control of starting and making it a routine are the secrets.
After doing this research for this paper I can identify myself as a relaxed procrastinator. I can recognize that most of the thoughts that have held me back from exercising, studying, and working harder are mental diversions I have created and somehow believed in. I am aware now that my idea that only by exercising the same way I did when I practice soccer is the only way I can lose weight is just a mental excuse I have created to not follow a more realistic exercise routine. I am also aware of the pleasure seeking activities I engage in order to avoid important tasks. I will like to learn more about the techniques to overcome this habit and will be definitely using the other methods mentioned in this paper.
References
Dombeck, Mark (2006). Time Management and Organization. Psychological Self Tools. Retrieved 10:00, May 20, 2008, from
http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=9770&cn=353Fiore, Neil A (2006). The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt- Free Play. New York: Penguin Group
King, Margaret (1998). The Procrastination Syndrome: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment. #372 from Innovative Leader Volume 7, Number 11. Retrieved 10:30, May 18, 2008, from
http://www.winstonbrill.com/bril001/html/article_index/articles/351- 400/article372_body.html
Knaus, Bill (2002). Beat Procrastination Now! The Procrastination Workbook. REBT Network. Retrieved 03:07, May 18, 2008, from
http://www.rebtnetwork.org/essays/pro1.htmlProcrastination. (2008, May 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Retrieved 03:07, May 18, 2008, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Procrastination&oldid=215154351 
EPT
