Procrastination is failing to get on with life itself. When we learn to stop needless, voluntary delay, we live more fully. – Tim Pychl
On this episode, I speak with Professor Tim Pychyl about the impact procrastination has on our well-being. This isn’t just about managing or optimizing a to-do list or finishing a project; procrastination affects the whole of your life.
Tim is a retired psychology professor whose research focused on understanding why we can become our own worst enemy through procrastination. In addition to journal publications and co-edited scholarly books, including Procrastination, Health & Well-Being and Counseling the Procrastinator in Academic Settings. Tim wrote the brief and accessible Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change. An award-winning teacher, Tim has shared his passion for learning through his iProcrastinate podcast and blog on Psychology Today. Learn more at procrastination.ca.
In this episode, we delve into a variety of topics, including:
- On teaching and the importance of presence
- Defining and qualifying procrastination
- How procrastination differs from normal delay
- Rational and irrational delay
- On self-regulation failure
- Future self-theory
- On the benefit of chunking down
- Getting started
- Priming the pump and the five-minute rule
- Recognizing avoidance when it appears
- “What’s the next action?”
- Procrastination and depression,
- Acceptance and self-compassion
- On ego depletion theory and replication
- On extended will
In this episode, we’ll help you confront procrastination head-on. We’ll shed light on the futility of delay and provide actionable strategies to help you move from mere dreaming to more doing.
Resources / Links
- Website, www.procrastination.ca
- Book, Solving The Procrastination Puzzle, A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change
